Where I tend to agree with Conroy4mayor is the fact we have some big money tied up in fringe players that are unfortunately still signed beyond this season. Engellend/Smid is $6.4M on the cap for the Flames 6/7. That doesn't hurt so bad when your number 1 is making $4M and your number 4 is making $2.6M but let's not forget our number 5 is making $5.25M. Next year Gio jumps up to $6.75M and of we can keep Russell he moves up to likely $4.5M. On the meantime you have kids like Wotherspoon, Kulak, Morrison that look fairly close and are on ELC's.
The same up front. Raymond is making $3.15M and looks like a 14th forward. The Flames have one of the cheapest first lines in hockey but all 3 are free agents next year. Having Raymond making this money, and even Stajan making his $3+M moving forward could squeeze out a great player like Hudler or make it hard for Treliving to add another top 6 via free agency or trade.
This is the result of a rebuild speeding up quicker than anticipated. Looking at the summer of 2017 there is huge money coming off the books but this coming summer there are more raises and spots to fill than cap space to go around if the cap continues to stick where it is
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