In the next few months, the Calgary Flames and their general manager Brad Treliving will have quite a few decisions to make as they must sign restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Andrew Mangiapane as well as sign two goaltenders for their NHL roster, all with just $14.5MM to work with.
The challenge will come with Treliving’s most important challenge as Tkachuk’s next contract could take up more than half of that money. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis writes that the 21-year-old power forward could net himself a contact that could compare with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl’s eight-year, $68MM contract that he signed in 2017 at $8.5MM AAV. And that number could even be higher as Tkachuk’s numbers are even better than Draisaitl’s was as Tkachuk has 21 more goals and 37 more points after three seasons.
At that cost, Francis writes, the team will undoubtedly have to move either Michael Frolik and/or defenseman T.J. Brodie to free up enough cap room to accomplish the other tasks on their offseason to-do list. Frolik would be an obvious choice as he was a candidate to be traded earlier this year at the trade deadline as the 31-year-old forward hasn’t been happy with his lack of playing time under head coach Bill Peters. While his numbers, 16 goals and 34 points, weren’t that off his usual totals, his ATOI dropped to his lowest levels in years at 13:22. He also was a healthy scratch at several points during the season, prompting both he and his agent to request a trade. Frolik is entering his final year, but at $4.3MM next season, the team might find it challenging to unload a bottom-six player at that cost without taking back a similar contract.
Another candidate for a trade could be Brodie. Despite playing his entire career in Calgary and often working on the team’s top pairing alongside Mark Giordano, the team suddenly has a surplus of both veteran defensemen as well as three intriguing young players who are going to push for playing time in Rasmus Andersson, Juuso Valimaki and Oliver Kylington. That could make Brodie, the Flames’ most intriguing asset on the team as he enters the final year of his contract at $4.65MM, a reasonable cost for a team looking for a top-four defenseman.
I would do away with Frolik , his numbers have declined in recent years, maybe place Stone on LTIR , since he has been injured for awhile, agree getting more ice time for Valamaki, Kylington, Andersson. maybe package Hamonic. I would see what more Brodie can do with Giordano been fairly successful working with Giordano, and the dynamic top line, and Tkachuk . Frolik definately.
You can’t place Stone on LTIR. He was activated in the playoffs. Didn’t play but he’s not injured anymore. They would be smart to move out all 3 of Stone, Frolik and Brodie. They’re deep on the blue line with young guys in Valimaki, Andersson, Kylington and Yelesin. Even deeper up front so Frolik is a costly third line player for his production level.
Thinking both Neal and Brodie.
My bad on Stone didn’t know he was activated but didn’t play as didn’t see Calgary games in playoffs hear in South. agreed then on Brodie they do have several young defenseman to look at for the future, Neal I guess for cap space plus wasn’t healthy nor performed up to expectations due to injuries,
The cap is just brutal. Absolutely brutal.
The cap is… cannibalistic… and probably should be $15-$20MM higher than it is, but that might make things too nice for both sides… gotta find something to carp about at the next CBA…
How about brodie for Jake Allen? Similar pay rates?
Blues don’t need any defense as you can see we are doing great