This summer, NHL teams have time to adjust their rosters and salary caps.
Teams can exceed the $88M limit by 10% during the offseason, but most big contracts are already set. Some teams are over the cap or right at it and need to make changes before the season starts.
These teams will use long-term injured reserve (LTIR), trades, and waivers to get under the cap. Here’s a look at some of them:
The Washington Capitals have a projected cap hit of $98.27M, which is $10.27M over the limit. They added Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane this summer and traded Nick Jensen for Jakob Chychrun while signing Matt Roy. They also swapped Darcy Kuemper for Logan Thompson in goal .
Nicklas Backström’s $9.2M cap hit won’t be an issue since he’s not expected to play due to hip problems, so he’ll go on LTIR again. But even with Backström on LTIR, they still need to clear over $1M more in space. T.J. Oshie might also go on LTIR if his back issues persist.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have a projected cap hit of $91.64M, which is $3.64M above the limit. They were conservative this offseason, letting key players like Jonathan Marchessault go and only signing reclamation projects like Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov.
Robin Lehner’s status remains uncertain as he hasn’t played due to hip surgery for two years now and might end up on LTIR again this fall.
Fans might think these moves show how tricky managing team finances can be.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers’ projected cap hit is $88.83M, just $830K over the limit. They have Ryan Ellis ($6.25M) eligible for LTIR but prefer not using it because it limits flexibility later in the season.
Ryan Johansen’s situation is tricky; if his hip injury persists, they can’t send him to minors due to league rules .
Their cheapest contract is Tyson Foerster’s entry-level deal at $863K; sending one player down could make them compliant without using LTIR.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers’ projected cap hit stands at $88.35M — only $354K above the limit — but they still need deals for RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway .
Without any LTIR-bound contracts next season, they’ll likely trade someone like Cody Ceci ($3.25M) before October starts .
Others To Watch
– The Islanders are exactly at the upper limit after signing Oliver Wahlstrom.
– Canucks are just within $16K of their cap after adding Daniel Sprong.
– Predators are close with RFAs Juuso Parssinen and Philip Tomasino left unsigned.
– Lightning have tight room with one open roster spot but may start without changes.
– Panthers also tight with space but manageable roster size of 22 players
What do you think about these team strategies?
