NHL/NHLPA announce Salary Cap increases for the next 3 seasons (2025-26: $95.5M, 2026-27: $104M, 2027-28: $113.5M)

[The Nuge]

Definitely good news for the Oilers.

Yep. If we can get McDavid to take like 8x15-16 this summer, it’s going to be huge. That’s a lot of capspace to gain with an owner who won’t hesitate to spend to the cap

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Yep. If we can get McDavid to take like 8x15-16 this summer, it’s going to be huge. That’s a lot of capspace to gain with an owner who won’t hesitate to spend to the cap

 

[Mattb124]

Said it in the Business forum...but how did McFarland not have an inkling that this was coming. Even with an internal budget, there's no way they couldn't afford Rantanen's extension.

Given the potential for a 2025-2026 cap increase of ~$9M has been speculated on since 11/24, why would you believe he had no inkling the cap was going to increase by the amount it did?

 

[BCNate]

So the cap floor will be:

81.5 for 25-26

88.4 for 26-27

96.475 for 27-28

This is a bigger deal than the top end of the cap. There are going to be a lot of teams that are going to have to spend a ton of money over the next few years to get close to the floor.

 

[chaz4hockey]

My sincerest hope is that GMs don't use this new found space to give bloated contracts out to second rate players. I don't want to see guys like Noel Acciari getting $4-5mil because the GM has the space. It would actually be shrewd of all the GMs to leave open room to help better facilitate trades throughout the season and certainly at the TDL.

I was going to also say, this might help a few teams get out of cap hell but I don't think there are many teams in that position. I can only name a handful of "bad deals" that are high dollar and even then, I think the team elects to keep them and just use the additional space as a buffer (Nurse, Huberdeau, etc).

"My sincerest hope is that GMs don't use this new found space to give bloated contracts out to second rate players'

change it to "many GMs" a the track record suggests there will always be ones that make mistakes or view their shelf life as short and those decisions becomes the next guys problem.

 

[rojac]

Interesting they decided to forgo the 85% thing and simply negotiate a lower end.

The floor is 85% of the midpoint not 85% of the upper limit. The upper limit is 115% of the midpoint. The numbers given work out to that. Nothing has changed.

 

[chaz4hockey]

This coming out within the week Rantanen was traded is wild.

You have to think that Ava Management were well aware of this too

 

[red devil]

This is a bigger deal than the top end of the cap. There are going to be a lot of teams that are going to have to spend a ton of money over the next few years to get close to the floor.

Those numbers are incorrect as the floor is calculated as 85% of the Mid point of the cap. I could see some teams that may struggle to get to the floor in 27-28.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Cap structure wise, I think the biggest winner is Florida by far

Barkov $10 million until 2030
Tkachuk $9.5 million until 2030
Reinhart $8.625 million until 2032
Verhaeghe $7 million until 2033
Lundell $5 million until 2030

they're basically all set up front, of course early decline could happen, but that could happen for everyone

On Defense, Forsling $5.75 million until 2032

Also have Bobrovsky's $10 million coming off the books in 2026, which will give a lot of money to fill out their defense.

They're in a great spot to have a good run of sustained success.

Despite last years SC, I suspect the Cats revenues are at the low end of the League (their TV contract took a hit too when Fox/Bally/FanDuel dropped them and now they use local stations to broadcast).

 

[robertmac43]

Do you think owners weren't privy to revenue projections? Or that they didn't share that info with the GMs that were negotiating extensions?

They were all likely privy to it. The optics of the cap increase coming out within a week of the trade is a bad look.

 

[The Nuge]

I can’t decide if I think McDavid will get $20 just to break that barrier or if he’ll do a bit of a “team friendly” deal and take something like 17.5 (which is still obviously a truckload of money)


The big impact will be on the lower earning teams in the league where the cap floor will now be something like 2/3 of their entire revenues.

Wonder how often we’ll see deals where a team like the Leafs gives a vet a giant front loaded deal (like $40m over 4 years with as much of it in early bonuses as possible), with the plan to offload them after 2 years when their cap hit is way higher than their cash due.

It would be a pretty limited pool of players that it makes sense. They’d have to be mid 30s and willing to gamble on a cup happening in the first couple years. If Marchand walks for example, you might be able to talk him into something like

Year 1
8 million
NMC

Year 2
8 million
NMC

Year 3
4.8 million (4 million signing bonus)
No protection

Year 4
4.8 million
No protection

The team signing him gets him at only 6.4 million AAV, and trades him after his signing bonus is paid in the summer of year 3. It costs them 20 million (an extra 7.2 to drop the cap hit by 3.2 total over those 2 years).

The team acquiring him gets a 6.4 million caphit to help get to the floor for only 5.6 million over 2 years, saving them 7.2 million.

He gets 25.6 million over 4 years which isn’t unreasonable considering he’d be 40 in the last year.

 

[ThatGuy22]

They need to increase ELC salary. Its only risen 100k Since 2005, and hasn't increased since 2012.

Rookies getting paid the same under a 60 million cap as under a 110 million cap is insane. Going to be a lot of eyepopping deals for 3rd/4th liners trying to reach the floor.

 

[rojac]

So the cap floor will be:

81.5 for 25-26

88.4 for 26-27

96.475 for 27-28

No, you're calculating the floor as 85% of the upper limit. It's actually 85% of the midpoint. The upper limit is 115% of the midpoint. The correct numbers as given in Seravalli's tweet are 70.6, 76.9, and 83.9.

 

[DuklaNation]

Finally, the Leafs get to spend money.

 

[Greatzsky 99]

just my speculation, but this seems to indicate a big pay day for Canadian TV rights.

 

[centipede2233]

This summer the leafs would like to announce matching 13x8 yr contracts to marner and taveras.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Yep. If we can get McDavid to take like 8x15-16 this summer, it’s going to be huge. That’s a lot of capspace to gain with an owner who won’t hesitate to spend to the cap

Oilers generated the most revenue last year too. No excuses not to spend to max cap.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Certainly good news for the players, Some other implications:

1. One-half of the GMs will still be smarter than the other half of the GMs. Extra money can either be spent sharply or stupidly. This can also usher in a new era of albatross contracts.

2. Bigger payroll also creates a bigger barrier-to-entry to investment groups wanting an expansion franchise. Probably a good things since whoever buys an expansion franchise now will have to come to the table very well-financed.

3. A rising tide lifts all boats, so while this may free up some potentially huge superstar trades, the salaries of the middlin' players will similarly go up and it will be just as difficult to build a balanced team.

4. Ultimately, the fans will pay for all this just as before.

 

[Habs Halifax]

just my speculation, but this seems to indicate a big pay day for Canadian TV rights.

Yup! I wonder how they factored that in their new projections? Do they have a extension that is close to being announced? I know Bettman was in talks with Sportsnet since Nov/Dec

They need to increase ELC salary. Its only risen 100k Since 2005, and hasn't increased since 2012.

Rookies getting paid the same under a 60 million cap as under a 110 million cap is insane. Going to be a lot of eyepopping deals for 3rd/4th liners trying to reach the floor.

They should increase the ELC yes but I do wonder... Those frugal teams who rebuild need this. The more the gap between the highest revenue generators vs the low revenue generators will stress the system.

The current CBA expires before the 26/27 season. I just wonder what they do to change some of the context to keep the parity they like (Betman). Then you wonder when Betman retires.... I bet you his retirement happens after the new CBA.

 

[red devil]

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Can teams like Winnipeg and Buffalo survive these salary numbers?

 

[Golden_Jet]

This is a bigger deal than the top end of the cap. There are going to be a lot of teams that are going to have to spend a ton of money over the next few years to get close to the floor.

Those numbers are 10-12 million each on the high side, poster did the calculation wrong.

 

[The Nuge]

Oilers generated the most revenue last year too. No excuses not to spend to max cap.

Yep. This is huge news for the big market teams who can justify the jump in cost because of their revenue. Chicago and Montreal and looking good to spend big in a couple years and end the rebuilds. It’s brutal for a team like Florida or Winnipeg who have a great team, but low revenue.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Yep. This is huge news for the big market teams who can justify the jump in cost because of their revenue. It’s brutal for a team like Florida or Winnipeg who have a great team, but low revenue.

The two teams that will have the most advantage are the Knights and Stars. They are top 10 revenue generators (in USD) and also no tax states.

The two teams I think that will struggle are the Jets and Sens. Low revenue generators in CAD and Canadian taxes.

 

[Golden_Jet]

They need to increase ELC salary. Its only risen 100k Since 2005, and hasn't increased since 2012.

Rookies getting paid the same under a 60 million cap as under a 110 million cap is insane. Going to be a lot of eyepopping deals for 3rd/4th liners trying to reach the floor.

That will happen in next CBA for 26/27 season.