Report: Salary cap to increase by nearly $10 million over next three seasons
The NHL’s salary cap is set to increase by about $10 million over the next three seasons, according to multiple reports.
The 2022-23 season was the first time since 2019 that the NHL has seen a salary cap increase, as the COVID-19 pandemic created revenue issues for the league and caused the salary cap to sit at $81.5 million from 2019 to 2022. cap increased by $1 million to $82.5 million for 2022-2023.
According to an article by Elliotte Friedman, the salary cap is expected to increase to $83.5 million in 2023-24, $87.5 to $88 million in 2024-25, and end at around $92 million in 2025-26. . The only team that would currently find themselves above that $92 million cap with no long-term injury reserve right now are the Vegas Golden Knights, although they currently have Shea Weber and Robin Lehner on LTIR, this which will bring them under the current salary cap.
This is great news for NHL teams, as not only will they finally get some breathing room after three straight seasons, but many of them have also signed many important extensions with star players during the offseason. Some of the biggest deals include St. Louis Blues forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou; Ottawa Senators forwards Josh Norris and Tim Stutzle; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk; Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri; and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon’s recently signed extension, which will make him the league’s highest-paid player next season.
It will also be good news for teams (and players) with upcoming contracts in future seasons, as it will give them more room to sign stars with bigger deals. Some big names whose contracts expire in the next few seasons are Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and David Pastrnak in 2023; Auston Matthews, Steven Stamkos and Connor Hellebuyck in 2024; and a massive roster in 2025 including Igor Shesterkin, Leon Draisaitl, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Victor Hedman, Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand and John Tavares.
