One of the most important topics on the agenda will be next season’s salary cap number which is expected to rise.
Preliminary projections assume the Salary Cap will go up at least another $2 million in the 2011-12 season from the current level of $59.4 million. This of course is under the assumption that the NHL Players’ Association requests a five per cent inflator as is their right.
If you’re not familiar with how the cap works, the NHLs salary cap is tied to league revenue. With revenue continuing to increase, so does the cap since teams ideally have more money to spend and reinvest in their teams. Of course, there are a few teams that for one reason or another keep their spending as close to the salary floor as they can. The twist on the possibility of the cap going up again is that it’s in the hands of the NHL players as to whether or not they’ll accept the inflator. We can’t help but wonder what Dan Ellis’ thoughts on this matter could be.
Considering the salary cap maneuvering we’ve seen out of the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Vancouver Canucks this off-season and throughout the start of the year, you have to figure these teams are in favor of seeing things change for the better to help themselves out. The dividing line between the league’s haves and have-nots might grow a little bigger if this adjustment is made for next season. Think that’ll be a point of contention at the Collective Bargaining Agreement discussion table after next season? You better believe it.