The Calgary Flames are carrying a 22-player active roster at the moment. When they recalled Jon Gillies from the AHL, they also sent Ryan Lomberg to the Stockton Heat. The reasoning for that is simple: cap space.
The salary cap ceiling for the 2018-19 season is $79,500,000. There are two key things to keep in mind regarding the salary cap: it’s calculated daily and players on the injured reserve still count against the cap.
The daily calculation of the salary cap works a lot like your spare change jar at home, just on a different scale. Let’s say the Flames operate under the cap for awhile; each day’s cap savings is pushed forward and can be used later in the season – this is how teams can add extra salary at the trade deadline.