The salary cap allows a team like the Flames to compete for the playoffs on an annual basis as the Forbes numbers from the FOI forum suggest that the Flames are re-investing a big portion of their revenue back into players. Without the cap the Flames likely are operating a bit differently as their payroll would be more in line with their revenues. The real top teams from big markets do hold a very significant edge over the small markets. So teams like Philly, Toronto, and the Rangers would probably be spending 85-90 million annually on players while a team like Calgary would still be right about where they are.
The other really key factor though is the other trade offs that came with the salary cap like a lower UFA age. For example the Panthers might still have Luongo since he wouldn't have been eligible for UFA until this coming Summer, and maybe that would have helped them make the playoff with a lower payroll.
I think the Flames would still be in the NHL, but they would need to be run a lot differently. The NHL is a bit different than MLB in that 16 NHL teams can make the playoffs every year and there are only 8 teams who consistantly generate big revenue. So it does allow more playoff berths for the mid and smaller market teams and that gives them a chance.
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