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

[jd22]

Except the cap is artificially low right now due to the players previously owing ownership. Lots of people actually think the numbers released with deliberately conservative ones. The cap will go up significantly this off season due to the covid payments being done and again next off season with the new TV deals.

Alright. Lets see how it shakes out - but the point stands that there is significant economic uncertainty, and quite plausibly border/work uncertainty within North America coming.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Why aren't contracts set as a percentage of the cap?

Thankfully they’re not, or no teams would ever have cap room, and the ability to add players.
.

 

[JianYang]

Good for player movement. As a player though, I'd be wondering how much of this increase would end up as escrow.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Good for player movement. As a player though, I'd be wondering how much of this increase would end up as escrow.

Escrow will be less than in the past

1) cap being based on a rolling 2 year average now
2) as cap is based on 1/2 teams being above midpoint and 1/2 below basically.
Not as many teams will be at the max, resulting in escrow.