There's no doubt that every NHL franchise faces tough decisions around this time of year, determining which players get to live out their NHL dreams and which players are sent to the minors or released.
The NHL's flat cap is making this decision even more difficult, as teams face the pressure to remain cap-compliant. A huge number of teams are carrying just 21 players, and one team is only able to carry 20. This has resulted in 28 players not being able to play in the NHL this year.
Everything is pointing to the NHL raising its salary cap next season, and it has been reported that it will raise to an expected $90 million compared to the current $83.5 million. With league revenues increasing, ownership stable, and the NHL looking to add expansion teams, the league appears to be healthy.