[devo22]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

While it shouldn't be the reason he stays or goes, the contract issue shouldn't be so quickly dismissed.

Contract renegotiations (just looking at young players):

1 year: Galiardi, Bouma (yes, no biggie there, but it all adds up)
2 years: Backlund, Brodie, Baertschi
3 years: Monahan and Gaudreau (if he signs after this season - it would be a 2-year ELC)

Then there is the chance that one or two of the following group takes a big step forward:

Sieloff, Wotherspoon, Ramage, Berra, Knight, Colborne, Agostino, Reinhart, Horak (of course they are not all going to be big contract guys - I am saying one or two of them might be though)

Then maybe 4 years out, you're looking at: Poirier plus this year's top pick

And a guy like Gillies could be in the mix by then

Of course, there is no worries on the cap front for 2 or 3 years, but it will come. And it will come quickly.

Some prudent consideation now wouldn't be the worst idea.

Friedman said the cap could go up to about $80m in 4 years, so I'm not worried about that at all. Even if he is too optimistic and it's at $75m in 4 years, it's still not a huge problem. We probably have Cammalleri and Stajan come off the books after that season, so the Flames will probably have to scramble to even reach the cap floor. The Flames surely won't have cap problems for a few years.