Gentlemen, start your calculators. The NHL salary cap for the 2015-16 season has been set.
The salary cap will increase to $71.4 million next season, with the floor rising to $52.8 million. The cap will be a little lower than projected, which puts a few teams in dire straits.
This could be the starter pistol for a week of re-signings and trades culminating in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on Friday and Saturday, leading into the July 1 opening of free agency. GMs will have a better sense of what they’ve got to work with and cap-strapped teams will have a better sense of how much salary they need ship out the door.
Teams like the Flyers, Blackhawks, Canucks, Bruins, Lightning, Kings, Rangers, Blue Jackets, and Canadiens are all above $63 million in committed cap prior to July 1 free agency. Meanwhile, the Ducks, Jets, Capitals, Flames, Devils, Sabres, Predators, and Coyotes are all under the floor. The Coyotes in particular are in a remarkable situation, with only $34.7 million committed to contracts for next season. Don Maloney’s phone may be ringing off the hook.
RELATED: NHL Salary Cap: Should it Be Abolished?
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