TSN: NHL raises salary cap to $70.2 million for next season

[PATCHESx67]

The NHL's salary cap is increasing despite impending labour talks.

The league and NHL Players' Association announced the cap would increase from US$64 million to $70.2 million.

The lower limit on what teams must spend also rose from $48 million to $54.2 million.

The cap, which will only be in effect until a new collective agreement is signed, will be used by teams as they negotiate contracts through the free agency period this summer.

The current CBA expires Sept. 15.

Formal negotiations for the new labour deal begin between the league and union Friday in New York.

The introduction of a salary cap and a 24 per cent rollback of salaries were added to the current CBA after the 2004-05 season was lost to lockout.

thats a big raise

[WeThreeKings]

Almost one full Gomez!!

[Pedro McGuire*]

Very interesting news considering I was under the impression it was going to go down next season. Its a pretty big increase at that.

when we look back on this in a few years I think it will be another contributing factor as to how Bergevin has turned this team around

[Belso]

Originally Posted by WeThreeKings

Almost one full Gomez!!

The floor almost went up one gomez too :-)

[Player 61]

This changes everything!

[Habaneros]

good , Gomez making 5 million this yr is really much less.

I expect a big bounce back season for him

Also Price deal and Subban will eat a alot ....Then Pac and DD next yr ...

[76ftw]

Originally Posted by WeThreeKings

Almost one full Gomez!!

jeeze looks like we can probably keep gomez now

[Clipitar]

$54 million for the cap floor is pretty darn high. While these changes definitely favor the Habs, I'm not sure it bodes too well for the League in general.

I guess Gomez' trade value went from negative to somehow tradeable. Some low income teams will really struggle to reach that floor.

[Player 61]

Originally Posted by Habaneros

good , Gomez making 5 million this yr is really much less.

I expect a big bounce back season for him

Their paying him 5, but Gomex Cap hit remains 7.4 till end. This actually might be a plus since the floor went up so much, except for his limited no trade!

[Habaneros]

Originally Posted by MaxPac67

Their paying him 5, but Gomex Cap hit remains 7.4 till end.

yes but a cap of 50 million with 7.4 cap hit

or cap of 70.2 million with cap hit a 7.4 ,there's a difference .

Gomez is worth 4.5-5 million .. and that is what we pay him for next 2 yrs

Be good if Habs could resign him ,to a reasonable cap hit .

[hototogisu]

I have a feeling we're going to see some of the most absurd UFA contracts ever, to correspond with this hike.

[Habaneros]

Originally Posted by hototogisu

I have a feeling we're going to see some of the most absurd UFA contracts ever, to correspond with this hike.

Jeff Finger signs 6 million a year......wait ,impossible.

[FlyingKostitsyn]

Originally Posted by hototogisu

I have a feeling we're going to see some of the most absurd UFA contracts ever, to correspond with this hike.

If I remember right the salary cap had a huge bump for 2007-2008. That was the year of the Briere, Drury and Gomez contracts. :

GMs that spend to the cap are not afraid to spend as much as they can to get the players they want.

[Captain Saku]

This number is based on 57% revenues sharing going to the players. Expect players share to drop to anywhere between 50-55%. So I'm pretty sure with the new CBA the salary cap will go down.

[LyricalLyricist]

Stupid NHL. The cap should've stabilized a while ago. The profits coming in majority from a minority.

[Dekar]

Parise's going to have a hard time living up to the paperwork he's going to sign this offseason.

[shutehinside]

WITH Gomez, we now have close to $25M in cap space. Without, $32M!

[Habaneros]

Originally Posted by LyricalLyricist

Stupid NHL. The cap should've stabilized a while ago. The profits coming in majority from a minority.

with floor going to 54 million? the low end teams will need to take on bad contracts from other teams just to make cap floor!

[131313]

Originally Posted by Habaneros

with floor going to 54 million? the low end teams will need to take on bad contracts from other teams just to make cap floor!

What happen if you can't reach the cap floor ? Are the penalities the same as going over it ?

[HabbyGilmore]

CapGeek just updated new team totals, holy do we ever have a lot of cash to play with!

[Hullois]

Originally Posted by Habaneros

yes but a cap of 50 million with 7.4 cap hit

or cap of 70.2 million with cap hit a 7.4 ,there's a difference .

Gomez is worth 4.5-5 million .. and that is what we pay him for next 2 yrs

Be good if Habs could resign him ,to a reasonable cap hit .

Hahahaha ... wait.... WHAT???

[FlyingKostitsyn]

Originally Posted by Habaneros

yes but a cap of 50 million with 7.4 cap hit

or cap of 70.2 million with cap hit a 7.4 ,there's a difference .

Gomez is worth 4.5-5 million .. and that is what we pay him for next 2 yrs

Be good if Habs could resign him ,to a reasonable cap hit .

lol good one

[Habaneros]

Originally Posted by FlyingKostitsyn

lol good one

listen to Hall Gill. he told ya the problem....it was the SYSTEM.
Sending undersized forwards into corners expecting them to match Lucic for example, was dumb ,Gill even said it .
Martin wasn't playing to Gomez strengths.


Gomez resign for a cap hit of 3.5 -4 million, sign me up

[Ivan13]

This means nothing, the new cap limit will be decided in the new CBA, the only way cap stays the same is if the revenue shares and cap formula stay the same in the new CBA.

[Habaneros]

Originally Posted by Flying Knee

What happen if you can't reach the cap floor ? Are the penalities the same as going over it ?

We haven't seen anyone get wacked for going under floor(yet)...

CBA Article 50.5(c)(i)
(i) Lower Limit. No Club shall, after commencement of the regular
season, be permitted to have an Averaged Club Salary that falls
below the Lower Limit for that League Year


There are no set penalties for being below the Lower Limit - however doing so willfully would be a prima facie example of circumvention and open the team up to any/all of the available sanctions under Article 26 (at the discretion of the commissioner): fines of $1M-$5M which count against the cap, forfeiture of draft picks, forfeiture of games, suspension of the GM, etc.