Resigning Backlund really depends on where you believe he slots in long term. Every dollar overpaid to one player has to come out of the budget elsewhere. So you to make certain you don't overpay with key young players coming up to their next contracts. Take a $70M budget as an example, which is a fair number to use considering the cap and the space you need for call-ups for injuries and such. I would think a healthy budget breakdown is going to look like $40M on forwards, $24M on defense, and $6M on goaltending. So something like this, taking names out the mix.
$7M-$7M-$5M
$3M-$5M-$3M
$2M-$3M-$2M
$1M-$1M-$1M
$.75M-$.75M
$7M-$5M
$4M-$3M
$2M-$1.5M
.75M
$5M
$1M
Coming off the books this summer is Backlund ($3.575M), Stajan ($3.125M), Versteeg ($1.75M), Jagr ($1M), Glass ($.65M)
Start slotting names and numbers for next season, remembering the guys in red are RFAs or UFAs (projected) the following summer and will need new contracts (projected long term).
Forwards ($37.725 with no Backlund)
Gaudreau ($6.75M) - Monahan ($6.375M) - Brouwer ($4.5M)
Tkachuk ($5M) - Backlund ($???) - Frolik ($4.3M)
Mangiapane ($.7) - Bennett ($3M) - Ferland ($2.5M)
Lazar ($1.25M) - Jankowski ($.925M) - Foo ($.925)
Hamilton ($.75M) - Hathaway ($.75M)
Defense ($26M)
Giordano ($6.75M) - Hamilton ($5.75M)
Brodie ($4.65M) - Hamonic ($3.86M)
Stone ($3.5M) - Kulak ($.65M)
Andersson (.75M)
Goaltenders ($5.25M)
Smith ($4.5M)
Gillies ($.75M)
This lineup comes to $68.975M, not counting Backlund On a cap of $75M you might be able to fit Backlund in at $5-5.5, and have just enough for injuries. That's running a pretty tight ship with a lot of youth. Just an example of how tight the budget is, and where Backlund would fit. If Bennett does look to be breaking out this season, Backlund is gone, unless the Flames can somehow move Brouwer.
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