Flames (re-)sign Michael Stone, who they bought out last month

In August, the Calgary Flames bought out the final year of Michael Stone’s contract. In September, they’ve re-signed him to a one year deal worth the league minimum salary of $700,000. Plans change.

Stone, 29, missed much of last season due to a blood clot. But he was the team’s seventh defender after the emergence of Rasmus Andersson pushed him to the sidelines. He was to make $3.5 million this season, but the cap-strapped Flames bought him out in an attempt to squeeze under the cap ceiling since that’s a ton of money to pay for a depth defender. The injury to Juuso Valimaki probably paved the way for his return, and his $700,000 cap hit is very palatable for a solid (if unspectacular) depth defender.

For the curious, Stone will get paid for his buyout in each of the next two seasons on the regular paydays and get paid this season on the regular paydays. His cap hit for 2019-20 will be $1.867 million and for 2020-21 will be $1.167 million. The CBA only forbids the signing of players bought out using compliance buyouts for one year. There is no restriction on re-signing players on ordinary course buyouts.

The Flames begin the main part of training camp on Thursday for fitness testing and Friday for on-ice work.