Recent articles from Ryan Pike

IF Calgary signs both 13&19 to long term high $ deals how much is left over to fill the ranks? And who gets resigned for what kind of money and will they be competitive? Often we see big contracts for a couple of players and not enough left for quality elsewhere

1:19 AM · Jul 11, 2022

The Flames have about $26 million of space below the $82.5 million cap ceiling for 2022-23. Let’s assume that Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk combine for $20 million between them. That leaves $6 million of cap space for Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington. And a bunch of players to fill out the third pairing and fourth line.

So… the Flames will need to move out some other cap hits if they lock in Gaudreau and Tkachuk to hefty deals.

Peter F

@peterfortna

I'm surprised the sign and trade isn't more of a conversation point in the Gaudreau saga. Presuming he doesn't want to sign in Calgary, that 8th year should be worth a lot to JohnnyH, and interested team would be able to secure the asset without entering the free agent frenzy.

1:37 AM · Jul 11, 2022

The sign-and-trade hasn’t really become a thing in the NHL because league rules allow a club to give another club permission to negotiate prior to a trade. There have been tons of eight-year deals signed since the 2013 CBA kicked in. None have involved a sign-and-trade. Two – Mark Stone with Vegas and Hampus Lindholm with Boston – were trade-and-sign deals, effectively, with the deals signed shortly after their trades to their new clubs. The reason for that is probably just that teams would rather deal directly with a player’s camp when they work out a long-term deal, rather than get terms passed along from somebody else’s negotiations.

Brad

@brad_1729

There is injury/poor production risk on his side if he does it, but do you get the sense 19 might only want a 2-3 year deal now so he can cash in bigger on an 8yr deal when the cap goes up? He seems like the type of player who'd bet on himself.

12:21 AM · Jul 11, 2022

One of two things happen with Tkachuk: he’ll either do a one-year deal or an eight-year deal. You hit the nail on the head as to why: the downside risk. If Tkachuk signs a three-year deal, he could get hurt or his play could fall off and he could end up making significantly less than if he signed now. Betting on himself, in the current scenario, would be walking himself to unrestricted free agency (or to the brink of it) to maximize his negotiating leverage.

Geoff Price

@discosis

What trade market would there be for Mangiapane? My feeling is he won't be giving any discount to sign after BT held firm the last negotiations. Would he move the needle on Chychrun?

11:34 PM · Jul 10, 2022

I can get the temptation, especially given that the last few contracts Andrew Mangiapane signed were pretty team-friendly (and he’s probably in line for one that’s less so). But if you trade away Mangiapane, who’s going to score goals? That’s the big issue I have with showing him the door; sure, you gain some cap flexibility, but at what cost? It could serve to make the Flames more top-heavy and easier to play against in terms of line-matching.

Mangiapane’s good in all three zones, scores goals, and is on the right side of 30. Do what you can to hold onto him.

jake

@jakethesnail

When do NHL teams have to be cap compliant? If Johnny is re-signed for 11 million for 8 years and Chucky is extended with a 5 year 10 million contract how do the Flames get cap compliant?

1:18 AM · Jul 11, 2022

NHL clubs have to be below the $82.5 million cap ceiling by 3 p.m. MT on Oct. 10. (I believe San Jose and Nashville have to do it before their first game in Europe, though, but the teams staying in North America to begin the season have until Oct. 10.

(They probably get compliant by making some trades.)

Derek

@KohutD

Will Calgary follow others and hire a woman to their executive roles? Coaching/development staff on permanent basis.

12:38 AM · Jul 11, 2022

They already have Danielle Fujita, who’s their full-time skating coach. But they also have three-time Olympic medallist Rebecca Johnston – the other Johnny Hockey – guest-coaching at development camp this week, hopefully a precursor for more to come for a very talented hockey player.

Derek

@KohutD

How many interviews did Ryan Huska have? Are there others on the NHL or Mitch Love in the AHL getting requests for interviews or promotions?

12:37 AM · Jul 11, 2022

As far as I’m aware, Ryan Huska only interviewed with Detroit for the head-coaching vacancy there, but there might have been more. I’m not aware that any of the other Flames (or Heat) coaches were interviewed for any of the openings this off-season, though.

1) Aside from Gaudreau’s Game 7 overtime winner against Dallas in the first round, my favourite Gaudreau moment is probably his hat-trick against Los Angeles in December 2014. It was arguably the moment that indicated that he was going to be something special at the NHL level.

2) It’s hard to say before we see what the team looks like following free agency, but I think they might try to have that youth, speed and skill on the third line, and use players with more of a defensive (or physical) bent on the fourth line.

3) Coronato’s primarily played right wing in his career, so he probably stays at that position. (But you never know…)

The short answer is it depends on how much cap space they have remaining, and which players are available on the free agent market. I know they’d love to keep Erik Gudbranson around, if they can afford him. But if Gudbranson walks, they’ll probably try to find somebody to anchor the penalty kill and make Chris Tanev’s life a little easier from a shutdown perspective.

Big Daddy

@bigdaddybustard

1. Which prospect is best suited to be a full time flame next season? 2. If Johnny walks what big name could the flames target in a trade if all Ufa plans fall through? Keep up the great work!

11:08 PM · Jul 10, 2022

1) Jakob Pelletier.

2) Nazem Kadri keeps coming up in terms of possibilities, but I’d be a little nervous about signing him for a lengthy/high-cap deal given his age (31). But on a short/mid-term deal at a reasonable hit? He could be helpful for a contender who needs goal-scoring.

Max

@MaxCann_

If Gaudreau doesn't sign. Would Calgary look to Boston on trying to acquire Pastrnak?

11:12 PM · Jul 10, 2022

I don’t know if Boston would want to get rid of David Pastrnak, and I don’t know if the Flames would have sufficient tradeable assets in order to land him in the event they were trying to move him.

RMAC3429

@roryam348812

Will Sean Monahan ever bounce back, will he be a 50-60 point guy ever again?

11:29 PM · Jul 10, 2022