The Washington Capitals have made big moves before the 2024-25 NHL season.
They traded for four players and signed three new ones, putting them $14.2M over the salary cap. But when the Carolina Hurricanes let go of Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was traded from Washington in March, that overage dropped by $3.9M.
Even though they are still about $10M over the cap, there’s no need to worry yet. Niklas Backstrom is expected to go back on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) because of his hip injury, saving Washington around $9.2M and reducing their overage to just $1.1 million.
A similar move might happen with T.J. Oshie due to his ongoing back problems . If Oshie goes on LTIR too, Washington will be under the salary cap and have some wiggle room for the season ahead.
Salary Cap Solutions:
However, if Oshie is fit enough to play at the start of the season, things could change. In that case, they might trade Ethan Bear instead. Bear’s contract has a $2M cap hit and he is currently in the league’s Player Assistance Program.
Fans might think this is a smart way to manage finances while keeping a strong team.
If Bear leaves, it would put Washington under the salary limit but leave little space for adding another good player. So while numbers show one thing now, everything could shift once all financial moves are done.
In conclusion, Chris Patrick may continue tweaking things even after Brian MacLellan’s busy off-season work.
What do you think?
