After three years with a salary cap of $81.5 million, the NHL is raising the bar for the second time in a row: Just like a year ago, the cap has increased by $1 million to $83.5 million. According to league commissioner Gary Bettman, next season it could raise another $4 million, but for now, clubs have to stick to the current cap, which not everyone can do.
With just over two months to go until the start of the season, 12 teams do not fit the salary requirements. However, while for some this problem is solved quite easily, others will have to work hard to get their payments in order.
Calgary
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $83.71 million (+$0.21 million) List of long-term injuries: –
The Flames will likely continue to be in the transfer news before the start of the season: the Flames’ roster is full, there are no full-back defenders on the team, and one of two rookie forwards (Coronato – Pelletier) is relegated. in the AHL it will suppose a hole in the candidacy to the party.
And this means that in the coming months, we can expect trades involving players from Calgary, as there are more than enough candidates there. Mikael Backlund ($5.3 million), Elias Lindholm ($4.8 million) and Noah Hanifin ($4.9 million), who refused to renew contracts that expire in one year, are the first to the line to leave.
At this rate, it will be very difficult for the Flames to go to the Stanley Cup:
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“Dallas”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $83.82 million (+$0.32 million) List of long-term injuries: –
Everything is much simpler for the “stars”: send one of the two young defenders Lundqvist to the farm club – Harley will solve all the problems of the Texans with the roof. True, given his progress, Stars GM Jim Neill may point the door at veteran Ryan Suter: In the playoffs, the 38-year-old American seemed unconvincing, and the option to trade him, albeit with a small salary deduction (find a club that agrees to support Suter for all $ 3.5 million, it will be problematic), it can clearly be in the interests of Dallas and even leaves leeway.
Ryan Suter vs. Las Vegas
Photo: AP/TASS
islanders
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $83.99 million (+$0.49 million) List of long-term injuries: –
The Islanders need not worry about possibly exceeding the ceiling: They include 14 forwards, one of whom, Carson Kuhlman, who arrived from Winnipeg in the offseason, is on a bilateral contract and will most likely be sent to Bridgeport to fulfill the financial requirements. formalities.
“Washington”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $84.2 million (+$0.7 million) List of long-term injuries: –
For the Capitals, a lot depends on the outcome of the saga with Evgeny Kuznetsov: if the Russian leaves the American capital before the start of the season (which is extremely unlikely), Washington will not need to take additional steps to meet the ceiling. Otherwise, the striker from the Belarusian capitals Aleksey Protas, the only player with a bilateral contract in the core, will surely suffer. Sending him to the AHL would be enough to hit the cap.
Journalists across the ocean are already offering options for Kuznetsov:
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“Florida”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $84.68 million (+$1.18 million) List of long-term injuries: Aaron Ekblad ($7.5 million), Brandon Montour ($3.5 million)
With injuries to two of the team’s key defenders, the Panthers have nearly $10 million at their disposal. However, they are unlikely to be spent: both players are expected to return before the new year, and even then the problem with the roof will be a priority.
Aaron Ekblad
Photo: AP/TASS
“Pittsburgh”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $86.72 million (+$3.22 million) List of long-term injuries: –
Before the start of the season, the penguins will definitely have to part with someone. This is demonstrated by the size of the squad -24 players with 23 allowed, while in the core there are no players with bilateral contracts- and the largest real excess of the ceiling in the NHL, and the desire to acquire Erik Karlsson (what salary? should the Sharks keep ordering the Swede to have $11.5 million under a penguin roof?).
All about a possible crazy deal involving EC65:
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How the new general manager of Pittsburgh, Kyle Dubas, who in Toronto did nothing but drive the “leaves” to a dead end on the roof, will solve this problem, it is absolutely incomprehensible. There are no obvious candidates to leave in Pittsburgh: Nearly every player whose trade could have prevented going over the cap has a partial or full move ban. The only one who does not have such an option in the contract is Mikael Granlund, who only arrived at the end of the previous regular season, but it is not a fact that San Jose itself will accept him as part of the Karlsson deal.
In any case, Penguin fans should be prepared for a quick change in the lineup. And they had better happen as quickly as possible: The longer doubts and company delay with decisions, the more disadvantageous they will be to Pittsburgh.
vegas
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $87.65 million (+$4.15 million) List of long-term injuries: Robin Lehner ($5 million)
The defending champions are not expected to have absolutely no problem with payment, only if suddenly the Swedish goalkeeper does not recover and returns to hockey – he has not yet officially hung his skates on a nail. Otherwise, all is more or less calm in Las Vegas: of the leaders, the Knights only lost Reilly Smith, but were able to save Ivan Barbashev and Edin Hill. There is time to think about defending the title.
Las Vegas hockey players celebrate winning the 2023 Stanley Cup
Photo: AP/TASS
“Vancouver”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $87.77 million (+$4.27 million) List of long-term injuries: Tanner Pearson ($3.25 million), Tucker Pullman ($2.5 million)
“Thanks” to two permanently injured players, the Canucks also avoid ceiling problems and even have a reserve of $1.4 million.
“Montreal”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $87.78 million (+$4.28 million) List of long-term injuries: Carey Price ($10.5 million)
Since the return to the system of the Canadian goalkeeper, who is still waiting to return to the ice, is unknown, the Khabs have absolutely nothing to worry about. In addition, the Canadians have the opportunity to think about getting stronger – there is at least one more free place on the list, and a little more than $ 6 million is available under the roof.
So far, there have been no big changes in Montreal:
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“Colorado”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $88.48 million (+$4.98 million) List of long-term injuries: Gabriel Landeskog ($7 million)
For the 2022 Stanley Cup winners, the ceiling is also out of the question: The Swedish Avalanches captain will miss all of next season, saving the club $2 million, which can be spent on targeted strengthening.
“Tampa Bay”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $90.49 million (+$6.95 million) List of long-term injuries: Brent Seabrook ($6.87 million)
The Lightning find themselves in a very funny situation: even after the withdrawal of Seabrook’s “dead” contract to LTIR, they are still over the cap by $70K! At this point, the Lightning might regret the decision to withhold $200,000 of Patrick Maroon’s salary traded from Minnesota, but having players on two-way contracts on both defense and offense saves Tampa from a headache through the roof.
“Toronto”
Salaries for the 2023/2024 season: $95.88 million (+$12.38 million) List of long-term injuries: Jake Mazzin ($5.625 million), Matt Murray ($4.687 million)
It’s a coincidence, but both teams with really problematic royal ceilings are directly related to the aforementioned Kyle Dubas (yes, he showed up in Pittsburgh recently, but it’s still ironic). At the same time, even a long-term disabled list doesn’t help the Leafs, and without Mazzin and Murray, the Maple Leafs’ pay is inflated by $2 million.
Kyle Dubas in Toronto
Photo: AP/TASS
Toronto, like the Penguins, will also be on the market soon: Sending both players on bilateral deals to the AHL won’t help them either, leaving nearly $300,000 more in surplus. Perhaps the new leadership of the Leafs should make trades with an eye on next summer, when Matthews, Nylander, Bertuzzi, Brody, Samsonov, Domi will have to be renewed… It seems that within a year the current problems will seem complete nonsense for the Leafs.
