Offseason - strategy of exploiting teams in cap trouble

[DeluxeMoustache]

So we know that Feaster has cleared a whole pile of cap space and the Flames have to ice a team next year. There also was the idea put out there that they may be able to take advantage of teams that have to shed salary to be cap compliant. Ideally this means picking up guys who are coming off their ELCs and are no longer affordable. I am sure that the Flames will be looking at every roster and seeing what the implications are.

Philly are right up against the cap. They are at 62.6M with 20 roster contracts. Not sure what happens with Pronger's contract if he is on the IR, I assume it disappears (but admittedly don't know how it fits in to off season compliance). If so, this would leave them about 5.6 M to fill 4 spots. They may well have to make a move in terms of trade of one of their roster players to free up space. RFAs are Zac Rinaldo, Erik Gustaffson, and Oliver Lauridson. Not too tantalizing. Interestingly, next year is the last on the contracts for Giroux, Schenn, Couturier and Read, all of whom would be up for raises, but then again Timonen and Meszaros and their combined 10M drop off.

Vancouver has obviously loaded up for one last kick at the can this year. They will have an interesting off season. They have 62.9M tied up in 15 contracts. leaving $1.4M to sign about 8 guys (!) They have a few RFAs, guys like Weise and Sestito, and fortunately for them Tanev hasn't made a huge step forward to warrant a huge raise on his 900K. Derek Roy is obviously a rental who will be looking for a new home. Mason Raymond and Max Lapierre are UFAs. They will obviously have to bite the bullet and drop the ridiculous demands for Luongo.

Toronto has 12 players signed for 45 million with 19 M in projected cap space. If they re-sign their RFAs Kadri, Gunnarson and Franson, that number may go down by about 5-6 M. Bozak will probably command a raise from his $1.5. Kostka and Fraser are playing big minutes for 2 guys making $600K. They could be at around 18 players with maybe 10M cap space. Will they bring back MacArthur? I don't necessarily see a raise from his $3.25.

Chicago has $58M tied up in 16 players with average $/opening $839K. Stalberg (875K) and Bickell (541K) are UFAs. Marcus Kruger (900K) and Nick Leddy (1.1M) are RFAs coming off ELCs.

Boston has about 7M in cap space available with 6 spots to fill. Problem for them is that Rask and Khudobin are both up for renewals, and Rask's 3.5 or raise eats up a lot of that space. I suppose Savard if his contract is off the books due to being on IR would make another 4M available as well. Horton would likely be on the move as a UFA, as well as perhaps post apex Ference. RFAs are Caron and Daugavins, neither who have played enough to demonstrate their ceiling and warrant a significant raise (pricing themselves out of Boston's cost structure).

San Jose has 8.6 M in cap space and 8 roster spots to fill. RFAs are TJ Galiardi, James Sheppard and Andrew Desjardins on F and Jason Demers on D.

Carolina has 8.2 in cap space with 7 spots to fill. RFAs Riley Nash and Zac Delpe.

Tampa has 62M committed and 3 spots available. RFA F Benoit Pouliot, plus Gudas and Aulie on D, and Ben Bishop.

Not a lot of sexy RFAs that seem to have begun to demonstrate upside and positioned themselves to earn raises and price themselves out of their owning teams' structures.


Those are the teams that for the most part seem to be in a bit of trouble. As well positioned as the Flames are, I am curious as to whether management will actually be able to exploit this situation.


In terms of UFAs that are the right age, you have a few left wingers such as Latendresse, Bickell, Raymond, Stalberg, Wolski, MacArthur, Filppula

On RW, there are Horton, Brunner, Fehr, Yip, Bouchard, then getting up to 30 year old guys, Clarkson and Boyes

Centers include Bozak, Chipchura, Lapierre, Roy, Boyd Gordon

Benn, Clitsome and Kostka play pretty decent D minutes on their teams. Dallas will most likely re-sign Benn.

Detroit has lots of room for Filppula and Brunner. Maybe some of the Leafs, Bruins and Blackhawks are looking for new homes.

It seems there are pretty slim pickings in terms of RFAs on teams in trouble and UFAs that are the right age with upside, that match up to the Flames needs.

The Flames need to dress a team next year, and whatever the philosophy around rebuild and timing, should be aware of the fact that there is a material weakness at C.

Anybody have any ideas what Feaster may end up doing in the off season? Thoughts on any of the names above or others?

[CliffFletcher]

I think the Flames are looking for size. I see them taking a run at Bozak and Clarkson.

[JayFlowmeester]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I think the Flames are looking for size. I see them taking a run at Bozak and Clarkson.

If your looking for size, Horton is a UFA at the end of this season.

[Tinordi]

The best way to make some hay out of this situation is to try and exploit some Malakhov + 1st round pick for salary cap space type deals. We can take alot of garbage contracts on, and in the process get some nice future assets. So long as those contracts don't eat into the window of us being successful (not longer than 3-4 years) then that should be the strategy.

[bubbsy]

I hope the flames take a cautious approach with their "cap space" asset.

Don't go out and buy some available players just because you can afford it now. They really need to be targetting a very specific age and type of player. If those aren't available, don't overspend (the norm for most UFAs) for the next best options. Let's be patient and build this thing right. the fan base is sick of the stop-gap fix attempts.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I hope the flames take a cautious approach with their "cap space" asset.

Don't go out and buy some available players just because you can afford it now. They really need to be targetting a very specific age and type of player. If those aren't available, don't overspend (the norm for most UFAs) for the next best options. Let's be patient and build this thing right. the fan base is sick of the stop-gap fix attempts.

Pretty much.

As for Vancouver, it would be interesting to see how Gillis wriggles his way out of this one.

[Ashasx]

Heatley is injured and therefore is not able to be bought out this summer, as many have speculated would happen.

7th for Heatley and a 1st.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Super Nintendo Chalmers

Pretty much.

As for Vancouver, it would be interesting to see how Gillis wriggles his way out of this one.

Compliance buyouts for Booth and Ballard?

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

Compliance buyouts for Booth and Ballard?

Or Booth and Ballard to the Flames along with prospects + picks like Tinordi said. I really hope that the Flames take that route, but based on our disappointing history I doubt they will do it. We'd need a management team that thinks outside the box to do something that practical, which is something we don't have right now.

[Rubicant]

Tinordi said what I was going to say. There is very little point in my mind trying to load back up on UFAs for a run at the playoffs, but there is a lot of value in taking toxic contracts laced with high draft picks.

That said, I would not be shocked at all to see us try and turn this ship around in one year. I hope they don't try and short cut the rebuild that is necessary.

[Vinny01]

I am not sure if the Flames plan to use the compliance buyouts this summer. I really wish they would use it on Wideman. That contract is just so bad and only going to get worse as the years go on. Sure he has been okay but having $5.25M in a PP Dman who will be 34 by the time it expires is something the Flames should rid themselves of. The NMC makes him impossible to move.

The only way I see the Flames buying Wideman out is if Feaster is not the GM come summer. Even then will owners allow it?

[Tinordi]

Ja

Booth + and 2nd rounder for RFA Butler and a 5th/6th rounder type deal. Use the cap space to take on salary dumps and draft picks.

[genetic_phreek]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Boston has about 7M in cap space available with 6 spots to fill. Problem for them is that Rask and Khudobin are both up for renewals, and Rask's 3.5 or raise eats up a lot of that space. I suppose Savard if his contract is off the books due to being on IR would make another 4M available as well. Horton would likely be on the move as a UFA, as well as perhaps post apex Ference. RFAs are Caron and Daugavins, neither who have played enough to demonstrate their ceiling and warrant a significant raise (pricing themselves out of Boston's cost structure).

By golly you've gone and done it! Well played.

[Rubicant]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am not sure if the Flames plan to use the compliance buyouts this summer. I really wish they would use it on Wideman. That contract is just so bad and only going to get worse as the years go on. Sure he has been okay but having $5.25M in a PP Dman who will be 34 by the time it expires is something the Flames should rid themselves of. The NMC makes him impossible to move.

The only way I see the Flames buying Wideman out is if Feaster is not the GM come summer. Even then will owners allow it?

Mehh, he is obviously a defensive liability and not a good contract, but he contributes to a more effective powerplay and his contract expires when this team should start to be getting competitive again.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Rubicant

Mehh, he is obviously a defensive liability and not a good contract, but he contributes to a more effective powerplay and his contract expires when this team should start to be getting competitive again.

Yes, and you do need warm bodies to fill a roster out. Wideman is mostly terrible at that contract but he's a useful piece, he'll be gone once the team starts to be competitive again.

[mac_82]

St. Louis is another team to target with Stewart, Berglund, Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Russell, Jake Allen and Cole as RFAs, and Andy McDonald, Lagenbrunner, and Jordan Leopold as UFAs.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am not sure if the Flames plan to use the compliance buyouts this summer. I really wish they would use it on Wideman. That contract is just so bad and only going to get worse as the years go on. Sure he has been okay but having $5.25M in a PP Dman who will be 34 by the time it expires is something the Flames should rid themselves of. The NMC makes him impossible to move.

The only way I see the Flames buying Wideman out is if Feaster is not the GM come summer. Even then will owners allow it?

I doubt the owners do any compliance buyouts. They don't seem like the type of owners who would throw money away.

I any case while Wideman is overpaid, he isn't grossly overpaid. If Wideman was making $4 million that would be fair value, so no point buying him out when he only makes $5.25 million. The Flames will not be a cap team for the next two seasons anyway and by the end of his contract the Salary Cap will be over $70 million again.

[#-3]

You could Add St Louis to that list, while they are not up there in Salary yet, they have an impressive RFA list this year, with more guys coming next year.

Pietrangelo, Stewart, Berglund, Shattenkirk, Allan, Russel, Cole This year

Sobatka, Schwartz Next.

while their cap situation doesn't look that bad now, pencil Pietrangelo and Stewart in at over $10M between the 2 of them, and it starts to get tight knowing that Berglund and Shattenkirk will also command big raises.

If you can work it with the Players.

I would offer sheet Piertrangelo at a $6.5M+ cap hit, then when St Louis matches, offer sheet another one of those 3 at a number St Louis can no longer afford.

If they don't match good, we will have basically traded JBo for Piertr + our 1st(2014) for their 1st(2013) + some other picks and prospects thrown in.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am not sure if the Flames plan to use the compliance buyouts this summer. I really wish they would use it on Wideman. That contract is just so bad and only going to get worse as the years go on. Sure he has been okay but having $5.25M in a PP Dman who will be 34 by the time it expires is something the Flames should rid themselves of. The NMC makes him impossible to move.

The only way I see the Flames buying Wideman out is if Feaster is not the GM come summer. Even then will owners allow it?

Players like Wideman will always be in demand at the deadline, and with new rules allowing us to take salary back I see no reason why in a year or 2 we can't trade him and take back 1.5-2m in salary, making his contract very attractive to suitors with little difference to us. Wideman at 3.5m and 2.5 years on his contract(assuming we trade him 2 deadlines from now) is worth a chunk of change from a team.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by mac_82

St. Louis is another team to target with Stewart, Berglund, Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Russell, Jake Allen and Cole as RFAs, and Andy McDonald, Lagenbrunner, and Jordan Leopold as UFAs.

That is a good point. They have 40.4 committed to 15 guys, and about 25M in cap space. Their RFAs currently are worth about 14M and you would think that out of that group, Stewart, Berglund, Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk each would command another couple of million per year.

It will be interesting to see if St Louis philosophically moves towards being a cap team or still has an internal budget somewhere below as well.

Given that, I still can't believe they took on Bouwmeester's contract.