Remember how the season started?
Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau – two of the most prominent faces of the rebuild – needed new contracts. Their entry-level deals were over, and aside from one luck-filled, unsustainable year – Gaudreau’s rookie year, as a matter of fact – their team had little to show for it.
And there they were: the first player drafted under the rebuild, and the most exciting prospect for years, up for well-earned raises. They were certain to become two of the highest-paid Flames, but until the exact numbers were known, the Flames’ cap structure – one that would be dictated for seasons to come – remained a mystery.