Looking ahead to 2023/2024's salary cap, and a Weegar extension certainly makes things tight. If we assume we sign Ruzicka to a 2 year deal ($775K AAV) and Weegar to an 8 year deal ($7M AAV) this summer, next year looks like:
Huberdeau ($10.5) - Lindholm ($4.85) - Toffoli ($4.25)
Mangiapane ($5.8) - Kadri ($7) - Coleman ($4.9)
Pelletier ($.863) - Backlund ($5.35) - Dube ($2.3)
Rooney ($1.3) - Ruzicka ($.775) - ?
?
Hanifin ($4.95) - Andersson ($4.55)
Zadarov ($3.75) - Weegar ($7)
Kylington ($2.5) - Tanev ($4.5)
?
Markstrom ($6)
?
That's 4 roster spots to fill with $2.36M in cap-space on an $83.5M salary cap.
I don't imagine Vladar will be coming back on a cheap deal, so the cheapest our backup goalie would cost next year is Wolf's $.813, which would leave the Flames with $1.547M to fill in 3 roster spots - not possible.
Plenty can change, and I'm certainly not cheering for them to trade Hanifin - but there's some player still to come as far as exits are concerned (unless the salary cap bumps up more than the rumoured $1M), and if Hanifin could be moved now for a pending UFA/RFA that we don't have to worry about signing until next summer it would probably give the Flames more leverage next summer to make whatever moves are necessary.
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