The Calgary Flames wasted little time getting one of their key unrestricted free agents under contract, as they are expected to announce later today the re-signing of gritty forward Curtis Glencross to a new contract. 

Terms weren't officially released as of this writing but it's believed the new contract is a four year deal worth a cap hit of $2.5 million per season, plus a “no-movement” clause. 

Glencross, 28, finished his third season with the Flames, where he's been a versatile two-way forward, capable of playing center or left wing. In two of those seasons he reached the 40-point mark, and last season had a career-best 24 goals, four of which were game winners. 

His stated intent was to remain with the Flames but he also wanted some guarantee of stability, having bounced from Anaheim to Columbus to Edmonton to Calgary in his first two years in the NHL. 

Glencross' energetic, physical style has made him popular with teammates and fans alike, but he's not without his critics, who accuse him of taking nights off rather than playing with the same consistency throughout the regular season. 

Evidently Flames general manager Jay Feaster believes otherwise and was willing to invest in retaining him long-term. 

The move however does bite significantly into Calgary's limited cap space, as this signing would push the Flames payroll to over $55 million invested in 17 players. 

If as anticipated the cap ceiling for next season increases to $62 million that'll leave Feaster with less than $7 million to either re-sign or replace other notable free agents like Alex Tanguay, Brendan Morrison, Anton Babchuk and Henrik Karlsson. 

That could force Feaster to perhaps consider a salary dumping trade to free up enough space to address his other roster options, but don't expect Jarome Iginla or Miikka Kiprusoff to be shopped.