Which teams are best positioned going forward with the salary cap about to explode?

[db2011]

Surprised I haven’t seen the Jackets mentioned

New here?

 

[Svechhammer]

For a single run or a short window sure, but you’re talking about adding some premium upper middle class depth without huge term + a Rantanen extension maybe. I can’t see them maxxing out that extra cap space year in year out on the type of 7x15+ that star UFAs are going to be getting. There’s a difference in the tangible benefit between being able to keep Pesce and add a another top-6 W at 7 mil a year vs coming out as the top bidder on McDavid’s brand new 7x16 with 20mil signing bonuses every July 1st. The latter is likely going to stay as the regularly scheduled Toronto/NYR UFA mistake that kills their contention window.

The next time Dundon doesn't spend to the cap, or at least within a million or so to allow for a deadline deal, will be the first time he's not done so since buying the franchise. He has done so every year, with the only exception being the season in which he bought the team in January or February.

Your narrative doesn't align with reality.

 

[tarheelhockey]

For a single run or a short window sure, but you’re talking about adding some premium upper middle class depth without huge term + a Rantanen extension maybe. I can’t see them maxxing out that extra cap space year in year out on the type of 7x15+ that star UFAs are going to be getting. There’s a difference in the tangible benefit between being able to keep Pesce and add a another top-6 W at 7 mil a year vs coming out as the top bidder on McDavid’s brand new 7x16 with 20mil signing bonuses every July 1st. The latter is likely going to stay as the regularly scheduled Toronto/NYR UFA mistake that kills their contention window.

It seems like you’re conflating “spend to the cap” with “sign horrible contracts”.

I’m pretty sure any team in the NHL would spend to a $105M cap if they were in a contention window. Sure they might take a step back and not sign a bunch of pointless veterans to bloated contracts during a rebuild, but that’s hardly because they can’t. Chicago for example is holding back some cap flexibility, but not because they can’t afford it.

 

[Ratsreign]

Barkov, Reinhart, Tkachuk, Verhaeghe, Forsling, Lundell all are already locked in. Should be able to keep Bennett around after this season, and also Ekblad...
Zito will have some room to maneuver going forward.
Let’s go Panthers!

 

[LordStanlersCup]

FLA, TBL, NJD, and OTT are the standouts imo

 

[alphafox]

Frankly, the teams that have the money to spend to the Cap. This is going to become a haves and have nots league relatively quickly unless revenue sharing changes. No way that Canadian and small market teams manage this without taking a hit to game attendance due to price increases.

 

[JD1]

The cap is going up so much, all teams are in good shape against the cap.

But there's 2 questions that I think are more relevant
1. Which teams have the resources to take advantage of the increase
2. Which players are in position to take advantage - who is coming up for renewal in the next few years and is really going to cash in.

 

[zenator]

FLA, TBL, NJD, and OTT are the standouts imo

Sens are in great shape. The entire core is signed long term to $8.35 mil or less.

The only core player they have going to UFA before 2027-28 is Claude Giroux, who probably takes a hometown discount, hopefully in a series of 1 year deals as he's starting to show his age.

UFA's...

2027-28 Zub and Batherson
2028-29 Tkachuk and Chabot
2029-30 Ullmark
2030-31 Norris
2031-32 Stutzle
2032-33 Sanderson

Pinto (2027) and Greig (2029) are notable RFAs.

Bad contracts: Perron, but it's only 4 mil for 1 more year, they'll still have cap space next season. Norris, a $6-6.5 mil player making $7.8 mil, big deal.

Buyouts / Retained: White $875,000, Korpisalo $1 million.

Ottawa Senators Contracts, Cap Hits and Salary Cap | Puckpedia

See the cap space, latest contracts, injury news, and transactions for the Ottawa Senators including salaries, cap hits, buyouts and draft picks on PuckPedia.

puckpedia.com

 

[BB88]

From the East Devils and Carolina jump up

Florida is getting a bit too old to enjoy the real cap explosion

Carolinas core is a bit younger, a helluva lot better prospect pool and no one is making even 10M

Devils, core locked up and lot of young talent getting better and gaining experience

From the West Dallas could be pretty damm aggressive with their moves in the near future

 

[OilersFanatics505]

Why do people think that players lower on the depth chart aren’t going to be taking proportionally higher contracts that will eat some of this new cap space up?

 

[LordStanlersCup]

Why do people think that players lower on the depth chart aren’t going to be taking proportionally higher contracts that will eat some of this new cap space up?

The talent disparity between 4th liners and some AHLers/ prospects isn't that big or at least worth paying for. There will still be lots of players making at or around league minimum. Also even going by percentage of the cap, a player making $1 mil in a $88 mil cap league will only be making $1,289,772 in a $113.5 mil cap league. The lower contracts don't scale like the bigger ones

 

[Super Hans]

Imagine what Vegas can do with $110m next year...

 

[Skolman]

Montreal has Caufield, Slaf, Suzuki all signed for under $8M

Only Hutson and Demidov will likely need big raises

Fowler/Reinbacher coming in on ELC as well

I mean, Slaf should still be under 8 mil even if he signed this upcoming off-season.

 

[Dotter]

Wings are in good shape, they have sweetheart deals with Seider and Raymond that combines slightly more than just Mitch Marner alone.

 

[Golden_Jet]

FLA, TBL, NJD, and OTT are the standouts imo

Yep that’s a good list, wings also in pretty good shape.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

I mean, Slaf should still be under 8 mil even if he signed this upcoming off-season.

He would probably get a lower amount now tbh lol

 

[Pavels Dog]

Why do people think that players lower on the depth chart aren’t going to be taking proportionally higher contracts that will eat some of this new cap space up?

Exactly..

Still a good situation for teams with freshly signed long-term deals to their core players, but a big part of the rising cap is just that mediocre UFA talent will now get 6-7 million contracts instead of 4-5 mil dollars.

 

[dirtydanglez]

devils easily

 

[The Nuge]

Frankly, the teams that have the money to spend to the Cap. This is going to become a haves and have nots league relatively quickly unless revenue sharing changes. No way that Canadian and small market teams manage this without taking a hit to game attendance due to price increases.

I was with you until the end. In 2023 the 2 highest revenue teams were the Oilers and Leafs, and the only Canadian teams in the bottom 10 are the Senators and Jets. It has nothing to do with Canadian vs American. It’s big market vs small market

 

[The Nuge]

FLA, TBL, NJD, and OTT are the standouts imo

Completely disagree. Florida and Ottawa are too small of market. They might struggle to spend to the cap. The Panthers made it to the Cup finals and were still 6th last in revenue in 2023. If their revenue doesn’t see a big jump, it might be tough to spend ~113 million on salaries when your total revenue is ~160 million.

 

[Hallonbroder]

This is good for everybody.
But the Panthers should now be able to keep the entire band together. Unless Bennett and Ekblad just want to chase the highest dollar figure, we should be able to offer them $13m.

Not for Toronto! Matthews up in, what, 2-3 years, and now Marners going go be wanting 14 mil. Nylander must be feeling a bit bummed out (but not as much as MacKinnon I guess)

 

[Golden_Jet]

Completely disagree. Florida and Ottawa are too small of market. They might struggle to spend to the cap. The Panthers made it to the Cup finals and were still 6th last in revenue in 2023. If their revenue doesn’t see a big jump, it might be tough to spend ~113 million on salaries when your total revenue is ~160 million.

They still have players that are on good deals , so disagree, those teams are in good shape cap wise, and if teams feels they are a contender down the line, they will have room to add to the team.

 

[LordStanlersCup]

Completely disagree. Florida and Ottawa are too small of market. They might struggle to spend to the cap. The Panthers made it to the Cup finals and were still 6th last in revenue in 2023. If their revenue doesn’t see a big jump, it might be tough to spend ~113 million on salaries when your total revenue is ~160 million.

I wasn't speculating on which owners are going to spend the money because it would be just guessing unless there were reports I haven't seen. Some smaller market owners are going to be willing to spend the money and others won't.

 

[Ratsreign]

Imagine what Vegas can do with $110m next year...

Find a way to have $125m on their playoff roster, I imagine

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Jets have Schief and Helle locked up......
room for Connor and Ehlers....
and room to add some key pieces.....

They have no revenue, small arena and market, with owner saying "we can't continue doing this" going forward (speaking about spending to the full cap) at the OLD rates... never mind the new rates.