Flames GM Feaster not concerned with cap

Calgary Flames general manager Jay Feaster says it will be an interesting turnaround with the news that the NHL lockout ahs come to an end.

“We just need to get all the specifics. What day will camp open? Will there be time for a pre-season game, or are we just going straight through seven days of camp and dropping the puck?” Feaster told Sportsnet 960 The Fan on Sunday.

“This news hasn’t caught us by surprise or anything. We’ve been cautiously optimistic that this would be the result that would be reached sooner rather than later.”

Feaster added that Flames head coach Bob Hartley and his staff had plans in place from anything from a four-day camp to a ten-day camp and had certain things like specific team meetings already planned in anticipation of the lockout coming to an end.

“We have to hit the ground running and we know that” – #Flames GM Jay Feaster

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 6, 2013

The Flames have 13 forwards and eight defencemen currently under contract with the total salary being over $66 million and Feaster said that his team is still looking to add grit and size potentially through a trade. He also explained that he is not concerned about any future salary cap issues.

“We’re going to be fine going into this year. We know that we can spend to the $70 million figure basically this year and then seeing the reports that it’s a $64.3 million cap in the second year we’re prepared to deal with that.”

Heading into the shortened season Feaster expects to have 30 to 32 players at training camp. Their American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Heat could be affected since the likes of Sven Baertschi, T.J. Brodie, Roman Horak, Leland Irving, Ben Street, and Paul Byron are all expected to be at camp. Akim Aliu and Steve McCarthy could also get a look at camp, according to Feaster.

As for the Flames goaltending situation, Henrik Karlsson and Leland Irving will battle to back up Miikka Kiprusoff.