It appears a hint was dropped at the potential of a cap increase in the NHL in the next few years.
Cap Has The Potential To Go Up Soon
According to Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts : The Podcast, Friedman hints that he views the Hagel deal as signifying the belief around the league that the cap will be going up, and could rise by $4-5M in the next few years, with Friedman saying that it's expected that the cap could up by $4M next season, and $5M the season after.
Friedman previously reported potential salary increases back in August 2022 in an article with Rory Boylen, that the salary cap could go up to $87.5M-88M by the 2024-25 season.
Currently, the NHL's Salary Cap for the 2023-24 season sits at $83.5M, up $1M from last season. There has been hope for a major cap increase in the past few years, but the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted the ability to raise the cap. Once escrow owed by the NHL's players towards the owners is paid off, which will then be expected to lead to a large increase. Until then, the wait continues, but noting the current big money deals being spent long-term, there appears to be confidence the tides are turning in the league's salary cap situation.
Read More at Blade of Steel - Insider reports the cap is about to see a significant increase
Salary Cap Projections
According to CapFriendly, here is what the NHL salary cap is projected to look like in a few years.
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Should the NHL raise the Salary Cap?
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