Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
Raymond, Bollig and Stajan could all easily be gone by this time next season. If pressed, each one of them is replaceable, right now, with players in the system. That's $7.5M right there. Wideman is another big ticket player that could very easily find himself pressed out of the lineup if Wotherspoon or Morrison step up and show they are ready to play. There is another $5.25M gone. That's almost $14M, or $10M after replacement contracts, that can come off the books just by promoting players into positions where they fit.
I also find it difficult to believe that Hudler would be getting a contract that sees him getting a $7M cap hit. He'll be riding shot gun on the top line for the next couple of years, but after that his place on the team will begin to diminish, and with that the money he is to be paid. I could see the Flames giving him a couple years at the big salary, but then two to three years at smaller salaries to drag the cap hit down. Something along the lines of $7/7/5.5/4.5/3.5, which would be a $5.5M cap hit for the next five years. That is some pretty good scratch for a guy who is going to be 32 when his next contract starts, and will take him to 38, or retirement age. Hudler is a consistent 15-20 goal guy and should be paid accordingly. He is still very affordable for the Flames. |
Yes Hudler might deserve a 5.5x4 contract....
Please look at the spreadsheet that InCoGnEtO posted on this thread,
look at the 2016-17 tab....
Without Russell, Hudler, Jones the Flames are 3.7M under the cap with the cheapest goalie cap hit in the league and having only 22 contracts in the NHL (most teams will have 24 to cover minor injuries flus etc) As well we are not matching Monahan and Gaudreau the offer sheet rate that could be coming their way and somehow signing Gio for 7.5
1)Bollig makes no difference cap wise .. not significant cap savings for his replacement
2) It is easier to say that Stajan and Raymond will be gone than actually unloading them. Raymond is not any better than he was 2 summers ago when he signed the try out contract with the Leafs for 1M. What team will want to pay him that kind of money? Stajan has some value , but there are not a lot of teams where he slots in at any better than a 3/4 centre.
The only way I can see them being moved is with a buy out or retained salary.
Buying out Stajan next summer leaves a cap hit of 680K for 2016/17 followed by a cap hit of 1 M and 2M the next 2 years.
3) Wideman does have value at his contract. He was the top pair with Russell for the flames last 30 games.... The games where they didn't fold down the stretch and won a playoff series and actually competed with the Ducks.
Dumping wideman for picks would leave the Flames with Gio-Brodie Hamilton-Engelland as the Flames top 4..and hope and filler as 5-8... that IMO will be a significant down grade on Wideman-Russell Gio-Brodie and Engelland as #5.
So Hudler can stay if Wideman goes.... Is Wotherspoon and Morrison better fillers than Porier/Klimchuck/Arnold? Actually it is one of Kulak/Culkin/Sieloff as Morrison and Wotherspoon are already in InCoGnEtO's 22 man 206-17 roster
If Hudler signs for 5.5x4 it leaves the Flames in cap jail when someone offers Bennett 6x6 in July 2016.