20 Million in Cap Space next year?

[Pickle Juice]

I just seen an article suggesting Calgary will have 20 million in cap space next year with the cap going up. If you’re better then BT in free agency whats your shopping list for next year?

[djsFlames]

There's a "cap is going up to 88.2M" thread already

but yeah

-Hall
-Bread extension (hah)
-Forbort extension
-Discuss re-signing Brodie at reasonable price if possible
-If Talbot goes, pursue Lehner/Halak

[TheScorpion]

I personally wouldn't prioritize a Forbort extension unless a trade of Hanifin, Valimaki, or Kylington came about somehow. In that case, I could see a need for extra depth at LHD.

I think the Flames' RD situation is problematic. In the entire organization, only Andersson and Alex Yelesin are signed at the position through next year.

There aren't any obvious candidates to sign to ELCs, either. Here are the last three RHD the Flames have drafted:

- Adam Fox, 66th in 2016: dealt to Carolina in 2018, now with the Rangers
- Riley Bruce, 196th in 2015: now with U of T after failing to earn an ELC
- Rasmus Andersson, 54th in 2015: obviously a mainstay with the Flames

The Flames haven't drafted any RHD in the last three drafts. Heck, they haven't drafted any defensemen, period, since they nabbed Valimaki in the 2017 first round.

Forbort is a nice piece to have around but I do think the 2020-21 edition of the Flames is almost assured to have one of Brodie, Hamonic, and Gustafsson still around in a top-four role. But it seems the consensus on here is that all three of them are on their way out the door.

The right side is definitely an area of concern for me. I wonder how Treliving is going to handle it.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I personally wouldn't prioritize a Forbort extension unless a trade of Hanifin, Valimaki, or Kylington came about somehow. In that case, I could see a need for extra depth at LHD.

I think the Flames' RD situation is problematic. In the entire organization, only Andersson and Alex Yelesin are signed at the position through next year.

There aren't any obvious candidates to sign to ELCs, either. Here are the last three RHD the Flames have drafted:

- Adam Fox, 66th in 2016: dealt to Carolina in 2018, now with the Rangers
- Riley Bruce, 196th in 2015: now with U of T after failing to earn an ELC
- Rasmus Andersson, 54th in 2015: obviously a mainstay with the Flames

The Flames haven't drafted any RHD in the last three drafts. Heck, they haven't drafted any defensemen, period, since they nabbed Valimaki in the 2017 first round.

Forbort is a nice piece to have around but I do think the 2020-21 edition of the Flames is almost assured to have one of Brodie, Hamonic, and Gustafsson still around in a top-four role. But it seems the consensus on here is that all three of them are on their way out the door.

The right side is definitely an area of concern for me. I wonder how Treliving is going to handle it.

It's going to be Hamonic who is retained, isn't it?

Hopefully this stretch by the team convinces the GM he doesn't need to shell out 5 million to keep a guy made of glass, tough as he is, and who the team has played as good or better without, and just makes the priority Brodie (/sees the light).

[Snuffleupagus]

Both Hamonic and Brodie will want too much, Forbort has been as good as Hamonic and could be signed on the cheap as can Gustafsson, Brodie is playing great right now but my spidy sense says with a new contract his brain-farts will return full force. There's a few R-D's that can be had either by trade or FA.

I would like to see more aggression on D, a guy like Radko Gudas($3.5x5) could work well on the second pairing with Hanifin.

Giordano - Andersson
Hanifin - Gudas
Gustafsson - Kylington(or whoever)

Flames need to spend some money on skill and skill of the high variety, grabbing both Hall($8.5x7) and Hoffman($7.5x5) could make this team an instant contender.

Hall -Monahan - Gaudreau (yes he can play the RW and very well)
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Hoffman
Mangipane - Backlund - Bennett
Lucic - Ryan - Dube

[Itse]

My feeling is that Brodie is going to come at a fair price for his value.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Itse

My feeling is that Brodie is going to come at a fair price for his value.

What is your fair feeling?

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Both Hamonic and Brodie will want too much, Forbort has been as good as Hamonic and could be signed on the cheap as can Gustafsson, Brodie is playing great right now but my spidy sense says with a new contract his brain-farts will return full force. There's a few R-D's that can be had either by trade or FA.

I would like to see more aggression on D, a guy like Radko Gudas($3.5x5) could work well on the second pairing with Hanifin.

Giordano - Andersson
Hanifin - Gudas
Gustafsson - Kylington(or whoever)

Flames need to spend some money on skill and skill of the high variety, grabbing both Hall($8.5x7) and Hoffman($7.5x5) could make this team an instant contender.

Hall -Monahan - Gaudreau (yes he can play the RW and very well)
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Hoffman
Mangipane - Backlund - Bennett
Lucic - Ryan - Dube

We also need to be planning for the expansion draft.

[Poe969]

It won't be 20 million, you have to factor in the THS...Treliving's Horrible Signings. I expect a signing like 35 year old Callahan, Simmonds, Reeves or some other over 30 player that would have made sense 3 or so years ago. With the extra cap space, expect a bonus signing of a questionable signing that will just flop, someone like Holtby, Hoffman, Vatanen. After you factor in 2 signings that will be regretted in a couple months, that 20 million becomes 10 or less.

Cap space is only good if the right person has it. Its like the fastest car in the world, its useless if you give it to a contestant from Canada's worst driver.

[GS Skier]

The caps likelyhood of actually going up to "$88,000,000" is very slim and possible ONLY because the players always have the option of a 5% increase THEY can apply.

If they do that it almost all goes into escrow as the league can't really guess how well they'll do next year. Players don't much like escrow.

Sure it's fun to speculate what the team could do with a lot of extra cap space however its far more likely to rise 2-3 million and no more. I don't see the player invoking their clause in this economy.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Poe969

It won't be 20 million, you have to factor in the THS...Treliving's Horrible Signings. I expect a signing like 35 year old Callahan, Simmonds, Reeves or some other over 30 player that would have made sense 3 or so years ago. With the extra cap space, expect a bonus signing of a questionable signing that will just flop, someone like Holtby, Hoffman, Vatanen. After you factor in 2 signings that will be regretted in a couple months, that 20 million becomes 10 or less.

Cap space is only good if the right person has it. Its like the fastest car in the world, its useless if you give it to a contestant from Canada's worst driver.

This is my fear with Hall. Hopefully Tre is smart enough not to blow our cap on him.

[GioforPM]

Treliving has made one horrible signing (Neal) and one bad signing (Brouwer). Gio his credit, he took steps to address both (in other words he’s not too proud to acknowledge a mistake). He’s made some that didn’t work out but were not very impactful and were reasonable gambles.

I don’t view Hall in the same light, but at this point, I’m bettin g he’s pretty cautious.

[Finger Cookin]

5 UFA defenseman to consider. Do either Brodie or Hamonic (or both, maybe?) re-sign for a fair deal that isn't too long in term? If either (or both) of them come back, they're going to be available in the expansion draft you'd have to imagine. But I see the D group going forward for that to be Giordano, Hanifin, Andersson, Kylington, and Valimaki. Gio gets exposed with an arrangement that he's not selected.

There's not much to be done with the current forward group. Work on a Mangiapane extension, consider your options with Jankowski or renew him for cheap. Doubt we'll see Czarnik back, but it's possible. The group of forwards to protect is very easy to pick with the current group.

If Talbot is interested in returning in a similar role on no longer than a two year deal, I think you have to strongly consider it.

Treliving may have as much as $6M to throw around in FA after re-signings as mentioned above, but that doesn't seem like enough to add an impact forward to the mix.

Should be interesting to see how it plays out!

[Vinny01]

Pike wrote an article about it yesterday. Tighter than many of us thought.

https://flamesnation.ca/2020/03/07/next-years-cap/

[Geeoff]

That 20 million will go fast considering how many free agent defensemen the Flames have.

[Vansmack]

I think this team needs to address secondary scoring. The problem is Lucic is such an anchor. He can't help a scoring 3rd line and he can't thrive in a shutdown role either. I don't know how you can revamp either the 3rs or 4th lines with him around.

Can we afford to have him as a 13th forward? It would be really great if he became allergic to his equipment.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Pike wrote an article about it yesterday. Tighter than many of us thought.

https://flamesnation.ca/2020/03/07/next-years-cap/

Pike seems a bit off, as he doesn't seem to consider that Valimaki and Kylington are around next year. If you knock his price for signing UFA D in half-ish and consider Mangiapane might sign for more, it's probably closer to $10M to spend on five forwards. Still tight, but way more manageable. Especially when you consider the forwards that need replacing are the healthy scratch and players like Jankowski, Czarnik, Reider, and Rinaldo.

[Vansmack]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Pike seems a bit off, as he doesn't seem to consider that Valimaki and Kylington are around next year. If you knock his price for signing UFA D in half-ish and consider Mangiapane might sign for more, it's probably closer to $10M to spend on five forwards. Still tight, but way more manageable. Especially when you consider the forwards that need replacing are the healthy scratch and players like Jankowski, Czarnik, Reider, and Rinaldo.

Promote phillips gawdin and one other from Stockton? Leaves 7.6ish for 2 forwards?

[Finger Cookin]

A tight cap means internal promotions will almost certainly have to be considered. For sure.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Pike seems a bit off, as he doesn't seem to consider that Valimaki and Kylington are around next year. If you knock his price for signing UFA D in half-ish and consider Mangiapane might sign for more, it's probably closer to $10M to spend on five forwards. Still tight, but way more manageable. Especially when you consider the forwards that need replacing are the healthy scratch and players like Jankowski, Czarnik, Reider, and Rinaldo.

Thing is m, those guys need to be upgraded, not just replaced.