The National Hockey League’s 2019-20 trade deadline is today at 1 p.m. MT. After that point, players added to a team’s reserve list are not eligible to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Calgary Flames are in the midst of a fevered battle to reach those playoffs.
What are the constraining factors the Flames are dealing with right now, in terms of contracts, waivers and the salary cap?
Roster and contract limit
Until the trade deadline, the Flames are limited to 23 players on their NHL roster. They’re also constrained by the NHL’s rule regarding 50 active contracts.