[OptimalTates]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

But I'd be surprised if he could keep the money. Its payment towards the 2022-2023 season which he would be walking away from.

Ignoring the retention, the Flames would have paid Lucic 15M after his bonus (3M, 1M+3M, 2.5M+2.5M, 3M) while incurring an 18M cap hit (6Mx3). Since they suffered a bigger cap hit than they paid, no issue as far as I can tell.

However, like Nashville with Weber (pre-LTIR), and Luongo with Vancouver (actually happened), it's the Oilers who received the cap-advantage and I'm not seeing anything to disway me from assuming it's not them on the hook for any cap advantage. The only issue is that, as far as I can recall, it was never brought up in the trade discussion.

Upon that Player's failure to play in the League by reason
of retirement, "defection" from the NHL or otherwise (but
not death) (such that he is not playing and is not receiving
Salary pursuant to his Long-Term Contract) (assuming it is
prior to the conclusion of the Long-Term Contract), the
difference between the sum of the Actual Salary and
Bonuses received by that Player under that SPC and the
sum of the Averaged Amounts charged against the Club's
Averaged Club Salary under that SPC shall be calculated as
follows: ...

In the event of a "bona-fide" mid-season
retirement, the Cap Advantage Recapture as calculated
above shall be charged against the Club's Averaged Club
Salary beginning in the League Year following the Player's
retirement (provided, however, that in the event such
"bona-fide" mid-season retirement occurs in the final League Year of an SPC, any Cap Advantage Recapture
charge shall be included in the Club's Averaged Club
Salary in the following League Year). In such cases, there
shall be no charge against the Club's Averaged Club Salary
for the remainder of the League Year in which the Player
retires. The parties shall discuss in good faith the treatment
of a Cap Advantage Recapture charge in the case of a
retirement "orchestrated" for the sole purpose of delaying
the Cap Advantage Recapture charge to the following
League Year, and failing agreement, shall arbitrate the
issue.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 50.5(d)(ii)(A)
and (B), in the event that any such Long-Term Contract is
Assigned during its term, each Club for which the Player
plays under the terms of that Long-Term Contract shall be
subject to being charged with any and all "Cap Advantage
Recapture" amounts it receives pursuant to that Long-Term
Contract, provided, however, that if a Club Traded a Long Term Contract prior to the execution of this Agreement
(including any binding Memorandum of Understanding)
under which it gained a "cap advantage," the "Cap
Advantage Recapture" shall not apply to that Club for that
Long-Term Contract. For purposes of clarity, the Club to
whom such Long-Term Contract was Assigned after the
execution of this Agreement (including any binding Memorandum of Understanding) shall be subject to the Cap
Advantage Recapture (if any).

Using the example above, assume the Player is Traded
from Club X to Club Y on July 1, 2012 (after Year 2), and then retires
after Year 4. In each of Years 5, 6 and 7, Club Y would be charged $1.4
million for a total Cap Advantage Recapture of $4.2 million (i.e., the total
"Cap Advantage" over Years 3 and 4 of the SPC -- $2.2 million in Year 3
and $2 million in Year 4). Even though Club X received a "Cap
Advantage" in Years 1 and 2, because it Traded the SPC before the
execution of this Agreement, it shall not be subject to any Cap Advantage
Recapture for that SPC.

So Club X is the Oilers here, but since they traded after the agreement (2013 and traded in 2019), they should be on the hook for the cap advantage.

EDIT: Long-term contracts were defined as both signed for 6 years and before the agreement (2013), so Lucic's contract doesn't qualify. Which is why the Oilers aren't on the hook for cap advantage. There is still nothing to suggest that the Flames would be on any hook.