Last season, Alex Tanguay had a bit of a reclamation season in Calgary. Teaming up with Olli Jokinen and Jarome Iginla once again, Tanguay racked up 69 points scoring 22 goals. After bouncing back in a big way after a career-worst season in Tampa Bay, Tanguay is feeling like a few million bucks.
The problem here for Tanguay is that Flames GM Jay Feaster has a bit of a different take on just how much Tanguay should be making next season and beyond. While Daryl Sutter was the man behind Tanguay’s “welcome back” deal, Feaster is the new boss in Calgary and he’s got all the say which is making negotiations on a new deal a bit more different.
Tanguay made $1.7 million last season and while he’s hoping for a raise, Steve MacFarlane of the Calgary Sun tells us that Feaster is hoping to keep things a bit more reasonable.“Well, I’d like to think we can (sign him). But we’re not where we need to be, and there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Feaster said. “We’ll have to see where it goes.
“I think the fact we’re talking is a good thing.”
They’d prefer to have things wrapped up heading into the weekend’s draft, which, as things stand currenlty, will see the Flames pick five players — three among the first 57 selections.
Draft weekend will be busy and it’s clear that Tanguay blends well with the likes of Iginla and Jokinen given how great a of a season he had last year. While this is all part of the negotiations dance between the two sides, there’s no reason for things to get contentious between the two. Tanguay works well in Calgary and with the salary cap slated to take a big jump next year, bringing him back even at a slight raise won’t put too much of a bite on the Flames.
CapGeek says the Flames are committed to $57 million next season with 19 players signed. That $57 million total would put the Flames about $7 million shy of the rumored $64 million cap ceiling. Without too many other free agents to retain and the market for free agents being a bit thin this summer, taking care of one of their own like Tanguay should be a rather painless process. Of course with this being Feaster’s first summer in control in Calgary you never know how he’ll handle things or the direction he’ll want to take things.