Given that there isn’t a whole lot to discuss right now, I thought it may be interesting to look over the current Flames roster, and further their respective contracts over the next two years.

For the most part this offseason, I’ve discussed options available to Jay Feaster and the Calgary Flames that were of the speculative nature, so this blog will focus mainly on the tangibles.

Moving into the 2012-2013 NHL season, the Flames currently have a 23 man roster who combine for $66.7 of a $70M cap space. Many critics note that the Flames, who currently sit fourth overall for total salary spent, have handcuffed themselves with contracts, given their overall strength. While some of this may be deserved as the team has handed a few too many NMC/NTC’s, things do not seem all that bleak looking ahead.

The Flames will have eight contracts expire next year, some needing extensions, some possibly being traded before hand, and others perhaps even being let go. The eight contracts, from highest salary to lowest are: Jarome Iginla(7.0M), Roman Cervenka(3.775M), Anton Babchuk(2.5M), Blake Comeau(1.25M), Chris Butler(1.25M), TJ Brodie(.741M), Mikael Backlund(.725M), Lance Bouma(.693M). This means that next summer the Flames will have $17.9M of extra cap space and room for upgrades and/or new contracts.

There is a possibility, as noted, that some may be traded before they’re contracts are up, but this blog will focus on the current roster and not players/salaries that may change based on possible trades.

With that being said, of the above noted, let’s assume the players who provide value to the team are resigned. I will not discuss the length of new contracts as this blog will begin to feel as though Mrs. Cleo is writing it.

• Next year, Iginla will be 36 and if he maintains his average numbers to date, even with a slight decline, he should garner around the 6M range.
• Cervenka will be a tough call as we have yet to see what he can do at the NHL level; however some analysts project him as a 50 point center. If that hold true, Roman may fetch around 4.5M per year.
• I would imagine that, unless he has a solid year, Babchuk would be let go from the team with the glut of defenders currently in the organization.
• Comeau, given his role, should remain around the same at 1.25M if resigned. Unless he repeats similar numbers posted while playing for the Islanders, his spot on the roster may be taken by someone like Aliu.
• Butler, Bouma, and Brodie are all difficult to predict given their age and experience levels. Let’s assume, for arguments sake, they all move up in salary and rather than predicting each pay-raise, I will average them out to 1.75M a piece. This will allow room for error as some may be higher, others lower, and also considering the possibilities of new free agent signings.

If the above predictions in salary hold true, the Flames would enter the 2013-14 season with $64.87M spent in salary. If you stretch these predictions by another full year, this is where things really start opening up, as even if seven of the eight previously listed players are resigned, the Flames would only have 12 players signed.

The players who are up for contract in two years will be: Jay Bouwmeester(6.68M), Mike Cammalleri(6M), Miikka Kiprusoff(5.83M), Matt Stajan(3.5M), Lee Stempniak(2.5M), Cory Sarich(2.0M), Blair Jones(.650M), Tim Jackman (.612M), Derick Smith(.775M).

• If Jay Bouwmeester does in fact remain for another two seasons, he may very well be resigned. Given his production to date, and his age in two years I would imagine his services would be worth around 3.5M per year.
• Cammalleri is a solid hockey player, will be 32 years old by the time is contract is up and may be a valuable vet to the Flames. In two years, provided his production remains close, he would likely fetch closer to 4M.
• I do not anticipate Kiprusoff being around in two years as he will either be moved to another team before then or will go play for the KHL as he has expressed interest in doing. Within the next two years, the Flames should have a new starting goalie to rely on.
• Many fans may express a sigh of relief the day Matt Stajan’s contract comes off the books, and unless his production completely turns around I do not see a future for Stajan with the Flames in two years.
• Stempniak is a serviceable player and should aid the Flames for two years, and could also provide some valuable veteran experience to the Flames for a few more years. If resigned, Stempniak will likely fall close to his current contract at 2.5M.
• Given that Sarich would be 35, I do not anticipate the Flames giving him a contract in two years and his 2M would therefore be off the books.
• Of the remaining players(Jones, Jackman, Smith) I will allocate around 1.25M for each position. Not because I think all three players will necessarily remain, but allowing for 3.75M for those roles as replacements or higher salaries should be close.

If those numbers hold true, or roughly therein, the Flames would then free up 14.8M of cap space in relation to the previous year, and would leave around three roles to fill.

Keeping in mind that this blog was written on the notion that no trades occur within the organization, we can see that some of the contracts that existed when Feaster took over will, for the most part, be gone in two years. That being said, given the salaries that will expire this year, and the salaries expected to expire the year after, Feaster and the Calgary Flames appear to have a decent amount of wiggle room for improvements.

You may even take it further and argue that if the team were to move any three of the most rumored players on their roster (Iginla, Bouwmeester, Kiprusoff), the team may free up cap space even sooner than predicted above. Of course, in two years, a lot will change and trades or new signings are expected to happen, but this blogs intent was to express how moving forward the Flames will have options to upgrade their roster as contracts alone begin to expire.

Jay Feaster has expressed his desire to spend to the cap in order to improve his team, and provided he is still GM in two years, he will certainly have more room and options for upgrades.

Thanks for reading!

You can follow me on twitter for updates and discussions: @noename09

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