What is missing in all of these proposals is cap management. Team's taking on Tkachuk have to see a balance in what they are bringing in and what is going out. This is where things get dicey and why it becomes difficult. You can throw together assets and say it's a deal, but if the cap doesn't work, then you're not going to get a deal done. Here's an example of the hoops that would have to be jumped through.
To Calgary: $19.25Mish in
Jesper Bratt (RFA, expected in the $5-6M range)
Damon Severson ($4.166M)
Ryan Graves ($3.166M)
Jonathan Bernier ($4.125M IR)
Dawson Mercer ($895K)
Alexander Holtz ($895K)
1st round pick 2023
To New Jersey: $17Mish in.
Matthew Tkachuk (RFA, expected in the $9.5-10.5M range)
Noah Hanifin ($4.95M)
Juuso Valimaki ($1.55M)
2024 1st round pick - top 10 protected (goes to 2025 1st if top 10 in 2024)
There is some obvious shuffling of the deck chairs in this deal to make the cap work. New Jersey comes out with a couple million to play with to fill in gaps. The Flames get really good future pieces and the Devils get great immediate pieces. Calgary also get a number of veteran players they can move at the deadline for 2023 draft picks, which is why the 2024/2025 pick is on the table. We get Bratt as compensation for making the cap work and New Jersey stays fairly whole in the long run with the picks they are going bleed. Calgary has to carry some salary (Bernier on LTIR) to earn some value, but they will have the space to do that.
Big, complex, and difficult to work. If the Flames really want to get the assets they want, this is how a deal is likely to shake out. Thinking we can ship out a $10M player and not be expected to bring similar dollars back doesn't seem realistic in this cap era.
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