[Signing] Flames re-sign Rittich (2yrs, $2.75mil AAV)

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Yup I think something will happen soon.

I don't think it will be a buyout. Under a lot of scenarios, makes sense to keep Stone as a number 7 defenseman, with Kylington in the minors or playing a #6 role. So say top 7 are: Gio, Brodie/Kylington, hanifin, Hamonic/kylington, andersson, valimaki, stone.

Right now Tre has the OPTION to trade Brodie or frolik or Hamonic. If he doesn't buyout Stone, Tre will HAVE to trade one of Frolik, Hamonic or Frolik. So from a leverage perspective, Tre has maximum leverage to make a trade before the buyout window closes because he can say to GMs "if you don't want frolik/hammer/Brodie I'm happy to keep him and buyout Stone."

So if a trade is the preferred route, it will happen before the buyout window closes. My bet is that it's going to be a Frolik trade only, which leaves enough cap space to sign Mangiapane and Tkachuk.

And a Frolik trade now removes the cap rationale behind having to trade Brodie or Hamonic, which gives Brad even more leverage if another team wants one or the other.

To the extent he has leverage, it's a 48 hour window which will begin to shut pretty quickly.

[taxbuster]

Happy to see this; good value and provides BSD with decent incentive to continue to improve and take control of the 1A spot this year and hopefully as a full #1 next year.