[BigRed]

Not to be a downer, but this looks like a tough summer for the Flames. No surprise, I know, but I'm starting to think about what needs to happen.

Flames will definitely not re-sign Ritchie (800K), Richardson (800K) and they finally get out from under the Brouwer buyout ($1.5 mln). That's $3.1 mln in the black with no impact on the roster.

Obviously, that's not close to what we need to re-sign Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Mangiapane and Kylington. Plus the entire 3rd pair of Gudbranson and Zadorov are expiring. They're not due the same kind of raise that those top 4 are, but Gudbranson seems to have at least earned his QO.

I suspect Zadorov will be lost as a UFA, which means Valimaki and/or Mackey will play next year, which saves another $2ish mln. But we still need way more room to sign those guys.

Which makes me think that either Monahan or Lucic, with their big contracts, need to go. Ruzicka isn't there yet, but it's not hard to see him being a viable option at 3C. Monahan's 6ish million off the books would give us ~$11 million of head room, total. Which maybe still isn't enough. And that's assuming you can move him without taking money back.

Hard to see how this team sticks together, TBH, unless they just qualify Tkachuck and accept he's gone after next year. Thoughts?