Flames have several options with abundance of cap space this offseason
The Calgary Flames will have a lot of money to spend should they choose to do so this summer.
Having traded several of their highest-paid players this season, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin, the Flames currently have over $7.8 million in cap space. That number would be even lower, but they agreed to retain some of Tanev and Hanifin’s deals in their respective trades.
By the time the offseason rolls around, the retentions on both deals will no longer be on the books. They also have three players, Oliver Kylington, Dennis Gilbert, and AJ Greer, who are set to become UFAs. Per CapFriendly, they are slated to have just under $69 million on the books for the 2024-25 season.
The maximum cap for an NHL team is $83.5 million this season, but that figure is expected to jump to roughly $87.7 million for 2024-25. That means that the Flames will have nearly $20 million in cap space, although some of it will be needed to re-sign pending RFAs. Jakob Pelletier will need a new deal, as will recent trade acquisition Nikita Okhotiuk, should the Flames decide to keep him around.
With neither player having proven themselves at the NHL level to this point, it can safely be assumed that both contracts will be inexpensive. All three of Kylington, Gilbert, and Greer’s deals figure to be cost-efficient as well, and it isn’t a guarantee that all three are back.
It’s reasonable to suggest that if the Flames choose to re-sign all five players mentioned, they will account for roughly $8 million combined. Assuming the cap jumps like expected, that will leave nearly $11 million for general manager (GM) Craig Conroy to do as he pleases.
It should also be noted that there is a chance Jacob Markstrom will get traded this offseason. He carries a $6 million cap hit, so moving him would help free up even more space for the Flames.
The Flames’ rookie GM could use free agency to fill some holes or perhaps make a trade or two with all the picks he has recently accumulated. Either way, he has plenty of room to make some changes, which could make for an exciting offseason in Calgary.