Teams can run with 21 players for short periods of time. The problem is that, if you sustain an injury, and your farm team is on the road in SoCal or somewhere, you might not get a replacement for 2 days.
The Flames, by moving the Heat and the Wranglers to southern AB, will be able to run with 21 players for good chunks of the year, if they wish, because those players will be immediately available to the Flames if needed. Now that only applies when the Heat are at home of course. Also, the bigger problem for the Flames is getting players through waivers - that will be their limiting factor on whether they could run with 21.
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