Team: 2019-20 Calgary Flames

Initial Creation Date: Sep. 16, 2019

Published: Sep. 16, 2019

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Seeing how Treliving has the opposite reputation with his RFA deals as Dubas is obtaining, I could see the Flames digging in and Tkachuk either holding out or signing a somewhat team friendly deal. Given the team cap structure, I think RFA years should come in under Johnny's 9.25% of cap hit ($7.5M). UFA years should be between Skinner's $9M and Panarin's $11.6M. I see three options playing out:

1. If the Flames waive Czarnik (worst case he's 175k on the cap, or 0 if he's claimed/traded for a late pick) they will have just over $8.3M to work with and can maybe use that to get him for 5 or 6 years.
2. If they deal Frolik for minimal money coming back, they can go long term with a figure starting in the $9M range.
3. If they move nobody, they can try something like the Meir deal and get him at 3 years with a big salary number in the last year to keep his $ value in the 7M range and align with the Johnny/Gio window. That option is riskiest, but allows for the most competitive team over the next few years.

3 Year (no trades/moves):
6M, 6M, 9M = 7M AAV
5/6 Year (waive/trade Czarnik):
7.5M, 7.5M, 7.5M, 9M, 10.5M = 8.4M AAV
8 Year (trade Frolik):
7.5M, 7.5M, 7.5M, 9M, 10.5M, 10.5M, 11.5M, 11.5M = 9.4375M AAV

I personally think Tkachuk is after the same 5 year term as Mathews, and shouldn't cost the Flames more than Aho's AAV on that term.