Quote:
Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie
Coming back to signing these two guys and possibly adding to the team, how do the flames fill out this season, while looking to next season?
Assumptions:
The salary cap is 84M for 2023/24 (up 1.5M)
The plan is to sign both Huberdeau and Weegar.
The 2C spot needs to be addressed as Ruzicka is developing, Monahan is a question mark, and Backlund at 3C makes this a deeper squad
The goal is to run it back for 2 years, then retool
As of right now, the flames have 5 players making more than 1M who expire this after this season:
Monahan 6.375
Huberdeau 5.900
Lucic 5.250
Weegar 3.250
Valimaki 1.550
Total 22.325
These players represent a 1LW, 2C, 2D, 4W, 7D. The latter two roles (4W, 7D) should be replaced at league minimum or close to it. That leaves around 20.75M to cover a top line forward, top pair D, and 2C before any cap raise, or 22.25M after my estimated cap raise. Essentially, the rising cap covers the replacement level players. Other expiring players like Lewis or Vladar are covered like for like.
If you sign Huberdeau and Weegar based on closest comparable players:
Huberdeau 9.750 (Gaudreau)
Weegar 6.500 (Parayko, Lindholm, Scandella)
That leaves 6M for the 2C, which may explain why Kadri is still unsigned, as he is seeking 7M and the only way the flames (or avs) pay that is after trading out money.
This is why I think the better strategy is to sign Stastny, even if it means dumping Lucic or Valimaki this year (likely as he will probably cost more than 1.5M). He would sign a 1 year deal, then the flames can see if Monahan comes back and gets a 1 year show me deal, if they move for a centre, if a young guy comes up, etc.
TL;DR - unless the flames want to make a trade involving an established player, or Kadri will sign for 6M or less, forget him and look to Stastny or rolling with Backlund and Monahan as the 2C/3C. Or forget signing both Huberdeau and Weegar...
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Dube’s involvement in the Hockey Canada scandal will determine whether or not he’s here beyond this year.
If Valimaki can’t stick in the NHL this year, six years after he was drafted, he’s not worth losing sleep over.
Monahan ($6.35) Lucic ($5.35) Dube ($2.3) Valimaki ($1.5M) Toffoli ($4.25) combine for $19.8M.
$10.5M for Huberdeau, $7.5M for Weegar, and you still have $2M before demoting anyone or making other trades.
Zadorov, for example, will have value with 1 year left.
So all that’s available to them before they look at doing something drastic like moving Backlund or Hanifin.
A lot will also hinge on the development of Ruzicka and Zary - they have to show they can play the centre position and make some of these veteran additions unnecessary.
That said, I agree wholeheartedly on Stastny - he’d be a great fit this year.