Best Flames 2012 Roster

Given that the new salary cap has been set today, this is the best possible way for the flames to make use of that cap space.

Flames got 7 million dedicate to goalies in 2012. They have five defenceman making 19 million. They have 31 million tied up to 11 forwards. The flames need a couple more defenseman and a forward or two, and they have 57 million tied up doing this. This gives them 7 million in cap space. It is safe to give teams an extra 2 million in cap space, so we can give the flames 9 million to play with for the 2011-2012 season.

I say they likely spend the 3 million and call up kotalik from the farm. another three million to resign babchuk. let tanguay walk and fill out the final 3 million with young stud players. Nemisz and Lance Bouma are two players that could be called on and could be put on a steady rotation with other prospects from the farm, and even defenders such as keith seabrook. Hopefully Kotalik will go back to Europe and free up the cap space to resign tanguay.

-hark

Everything you need to know about the Daymond Langkow Cap Situation

There's a rumour that was started this morning by the Calgary Herald that Langkow is healthy enough to return to the Flames lineup, however there are cap problems with the Flames that prevent the organization from bringing his 4.5 million dollar contract off the LTIR.

It is true that as it stands now, the Flames do not have the cap space to bring Langkow on board, in fact they don't have enough room to bring anybody on board right now; they are pushing cap! (they have the least cap space in the league).

There are a combination of players that Jay Feaster would have to send down to Abbotsford in order to make room for Langkow's 4.5 million dollar contract. But Feaster has to be careful because when he sends players down to the AHL every team in the league gets the opportunity to pick those players up off of waivers for their full salary for the duration of their contract. This is a list of healthy combinations of players that I would send down if i were Feaster:

Hagman + Stajan would do it. But it would be tough to part with two players that have been playing mediocre hockey all season, for the uncertainty of Langkow.

Nemisz + Ivanins + Modin + Kotalik- This is possible. I don't know why Ivanins is still counting against the cap but he is. Modin hasn't done anything since he came here so he's expendable. Kotalik played his best hockey in Abbotsford so it wouldn't be too hard to send him back. It's just tough to say goodbye to four players and bring aboard one when you already have injuries to Morrison and Moss.

The ideal situation would be to pick two of the following three players: Kotalik, Stajan, Hagman. I guess I would do Kotalik and Hagman. It would be great if some other team took one of them through the waiver-wire so the Flames don't have to deal with their fat salaries next year. However anyone that has followed the play of Kotalik and Hagman this year would know that they are not even worth half the salary they are making.

So it's starting to look as if the Flames won't see Langkow until next season, unless some major injuries happen to players on the Flames that are making big money.

-HArk

Avery

Most analysts assume that it is just assumed that avery is going back to NY. When Dallas puts him on re-entry waivers tomorow teams will get a chance to claim him. They will give the worst team in the league a chance to claim him and then work their way up to the best team in the league. NY currently has 2 more points than the vancouver canucks so if the canucks lose tonight they will have the opportunity to take avery before NY. I want to calculate how much it will cost the canucks to take avery as a rental player, and then buy out his contract at the end of the year.

Avery is making 15.5 million for 4 years with Dallas. when dallas buys out his contract they will have to pay avery 2/3 of his remaining contract over the next 8 years. the team that picks avery up will only have to pay half of avery's remaining salary. This amounts to just under 2 million dollars for the next 4 years. but if you bring on avery and he is a complete mess to the team, this is how much it will cost to buyout avery at the end of the season. 12 million remaining on his 3 year contract (but dallas is paying half of that so you only have to pay 6 million. Buy that out (6 *(2/3) over the next 6 seasons. 4 million dollars over the next 6 years, starting at the beginning of next season. That would be a price of $666,666 over the next 6 years. I am not joking. Mathematics has proven that Sean Avery must be the devil.

-hark

Capology of Sundin

At the game in Los Angeles, Mike Gillis was sitting in the same press box as Mats Sundin. You can bet Gillis reminded Sundin that the 10 million dollar offer is still on the table. Sundin probably paid for Gillis's dinner, considering Sundin's raise in value since Mike Gillis calculated the number 10 on his TI-83.

Im not sure on sundin's expected salary, but if he doesn't choose Vancouver, he might be willing to take a paycut to play elsewhere. But it won't be very much of a paycut, because he does understand his own value. 8 million would be his minimum salary in my belief.

He probably wants a cup, moreso than money, so i would say his best bet is Montreal. Vancouver is developing to be a good team in a few years, but I'm not sure if our younger players can raise their gameplay very much for this years playoffs.

Here is my capalogical analysis:

Calgary- They have 2 million in cap space. If they trade Adrian Aucoin they will have 6 million in cap-space. That would be enough to have Sundin for 60% of the season. But they would still probably need a player making 3 millionish, to be placed on the LTIR. With Calgary's physical style of hockey, this is entirely possible.

Edmonton- has 3 million in cap space, but few players with big salaries that they could let go. I don't see any possibilities for Sundin in Edmonton.

Toronto-has 9.5 million in cap space. Quite easily could get Sundin.

Vancouver- Could easily get him with 8 million in cap space

Non Canadian chances

NYR- with only 2 million in cap space, and a solid core of team-mates (can't trade gomez or Drury each making 7 millionish), i don't see it possible that NYR could afford Sundin

Ottawa- 4 million in cap space and players like Mike Fisher (4 million), that would be worth dumping to get Mats. Its capalogically possible that Sundin could be a sen.

montreal-has 2 million in cap space, but would have to give up either Markov, Tanguay or Hamrlik to put a big enough dent in Sundin's hefty price tag. I don't think its capalogically possible.