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

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You know who probably went from the hardest job to the easiest job with this news? Brandon Pridham
 
League will ned to balance out revenue sharing well, perhaps change how it works or this will become the top 8-10 teams competing for the cup and the rest of the league will just be feeder teams developing rookies for the big clubs which would make the league unwatchable and boring.
 
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Small market fans just fell to their knees
Welcome to Capitslism! Wealthy markets to the left where champagne and caviar will be served upon seating. Poor markets to the right where you will find the paperwork releasing your team to a wealthy market, along with a minor league application. Oh, and a flyer entitled, "Orlando Thanks You!"
 
If you consider it a problem that 1/4 of the league has missed the playoffs over the last 5 years, I don’t see how striving for a cap that’s “higher than half the teams are willing to spend” would improve parity?

NBA teams have a much more fair and flexible salary cap that allows teams to spend their way out of bad situations. The NFL has very flexible contract and cap rules allowing teams more strategies st their disposal to make the cap work for them when they need it to to get out of bad situations and extend good ones.

The hard cap tailored to the smallest markets like hockey does in the name of "growing the game", is basically a prison for teams in bad situations. It sucks and it's bad for the game. Not to mention how much worse the luck dependent and extremely overpowered draft lottery makes it.

And yes, I'm well aware that every league has a handful of chronically bad and poorly run franchises. The NHL doesn't have "uniquely more of them" than any of the other leagues though, if anything, it has fewer of them, so don't even try and go there next.
 
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Welp, there goes "Colorado couldn't afford Rantanen". I'm curious as to how this will effect parity going forward. I can't imagine all teams will be able to spend to the cap, and those who aren't contending will try to stay as far away from it as possible. The blockbuster signing threads are going to be a thing to behold. Who will be the first team to have $150M worth of players 'ready' for the playoffs?
 
NBA teams have a much more fair and flexible salary cap that allows teams to spend their way out of bad situations. The NFL has very flexible contract and cap rules allowing teams more strategies st their disposal to make the cap work for them when they need it to to get out of bad situations and extend good ones.
Yep the NFL method, is non guaranteed contracts.
The NBA the roster is half the size.
 
as a detroit fan im hoping yzerman doesnt go after big ufa as it might upset team attitude when guys like larkness monster/brinx/sides/rayz are getting paid way less than a marner/rantanen or whomever . not to mention giving huge cap space to one guy can wreck chances if he gets injured or isnt able to keep producing like in the past . ide rather sign medium talent type ufa to build excellent team depth instead of becoming top heavy , win by having better 3rd pairings n bottom 6 lines . then with the saved cap space sign my young draftees to long term contracts , the young guys get life time security early , and yes they might not become as good as you hope but if they do your getting more valuable cap space saved . this way my rosters real happy , i dont want nothin to do with the big gamble contracts
 
Is hockey the only sport where paying someone 13 million a year is considered 'stealing' their services by the fans?

It's a business and in terms of this business with a rising cap $13 mil for his services would be below his market value. I also think we have our priorities mixed up when we are paying people this much to play a game, but that's capitalism.
 

I have real concerns in this. I'd rather see a more gradual rise with less amount each yr like $4M-$5M per sesson long term

With such as big raise you could have a short group getall the money.

The league knowin this coyld hibr franchise exceptions for players like mcdavid where they could get a high contract because of this space in the future
 
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.

Yep the NFL method, is non guaranteed contracts.
The NBA the roster is half the size.
NFL trades mostly limited to dumping guys at the TDL.
Plus, like you mentioned not fully guaranteed. 5 year term is really either 2/3 years guaranteed and the remaining 3/2 years is basically a team option.
But, nfl edge is the access to replacement players via college football and the draft. Can get new players into the lineup immediately.
NHL you can’t. Supply isnt there.
 
It's a business and in terms of this business with a rising cap $13 mil for his services would be below his market value. I also think we have our priorities mixed up when we are paying people this much to play a game, but that's capitalism.

But paying 'below market value' does not translate to an organization 'stealing' a player's services.

Consider it this way - if you meet a veteran, big name hockey player the last thing you would want to do is tell them that their contract is a 'steal'. Why? It implies they are not being fairly compensated for their services and that the player and their agent agreed to sign an contract that doesn't fairly compensate them and is grossly lopsided in favor of the organization. Why would good players whose services are coveted around the league agree to sign a long term contract that 'steals' their services and doesn't compensate them fairly? Answer: they wouldn't and they didn't.

If someone pays 10% below market value for a vehicle they aren't going to describe the circumstances as 'stealing' the vehicle from the dealership. But for some reason when it comes to players signing for as little as 5-10% below their expected contract value - fans insist on using the term 'steal' to describe that context (which I find to be strange and inaccurate).
 
But paying 'below market value' does not translate to an organization 'stealing' a player's services.

Consider it this way - if you meet a veteran, big name hockey player the last thing you would want to do is tell them that their contract is a 'steal'. Why? It implies they are not being fairly compensated for their services and that the player and their agent agreed to sign an contract that doesn't fairly compensate them and is grossly lopsided in favor of the organization. Why would good players whose services are coveted around the league agree to sign a long term contract that 'steals' their services and doesn't compensate them fairly? Answer: they wouldn't and they didn't.

If someone pays 10% below market value for a vehicle they aren't going to describe the circumstances as 'stealing' the vehicle from the dealership. But for some reason when it comes to players signing for as little as 5-10% below their expected contract value - fans insist on using the term 'steal' to describe that context (which I find to be strange and inaccurate).

Last time I bought a car the salesman said it was a steal of a deal! Honestly, it's just another way to say good value? Guess I could've said that. At the end of the day the Avs obviously had an idea of what the cap will be and Rantanen probably did also and was still willing to sign for $13 mil, which knowing those facts would've been a good deal for the Avs for a 100 point winger.
 

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