2023-2024 NHL Salary Cap Space
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Retained Left
Boston Bruins
$78,562,500
$4,937,500
15/23
3
Buffalo Sabres
$66,540,241
$16,959,759
21/23
3
Detroit Red Wings
$52,834,723
$30,665,277
16/23
2
Florida Panthers
$72,229,168
$11,270,832
16/23
3
Montreal Canadiens
$75,821,667
$7,678,333
23/23
3
Ottawa Senators
$69,079,047
$14,420,953
16/23
2
Tampa Bay Lightning
$83,050,000
$450,000
17/23
3
Toronto Maple Leafs
$75,118,950
$8,381,050
17/23
3
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Retained Left
Carolina Hurricanes
$56,879,417
$26,620,583
15/23
3
Columbus Blue Jackets
$67,620,833
$15,879,167
22/23
3
New Jersey Devils
$49,217,500
$34,282,500
12/23
3
New York Islanders
$77,363,334
$6,136,666
19/23
3
New York Rangers
$71,737,082
$11,762,918
14/23
3
Philadelphia Flyers
$75,798,524
$7,701,476
17/23
3
Pittsburgh Penguins
$63,291,842
$20,208,158
15/23
3
Washington Capitals
$76,975,833
$6,524,167
18/23
3
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Retained Left
Arizona Coyotes
$58,181,310
$25,318,690
15/23
2
Chicago Blackhawks
$42,571,789
$40,928,211
14/23
2
Colorado Avalanche
$70,150,000
$13,350,000
12/23
3
Dallas Stars
$76,105,330
$7,394,670
17/23
3
Minnesota Wild
$77,061,924
$6,438,076
18/23
3
Nashville Predators
$70,452,810
$13,047,190
21/23
2
St. Louis Blues
$76,840,001
$6,659,999
19/23
3
Winnipeg Jets
$71,282,857
$12,217,143
17/23
3
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Retained Left
Anaheim Ducks
$45,376,667
$38,123,333
17/23
3
Calgary Flames
$82,250,000
$1,250,000
19/23
3
Edmonton Oilers
$76,767,501
$6,732,499
16/23
3
Los Angeles Kings
$75,913,334
$7,586,666
18/23
3
San Jose Sharks
$69,474,167
$14,025,833
18/23
2
Seattle Kraken
$64,306,577
$19,193,423
16/23
3
Vancouver Canucks
$85,093,750
$-1,593,750
20/23
3
Vegas Golden Knights
$80,037,483
$3,462,517
21/23
3
What Is the NHL Salary Cap?
The NHL salary cap is the total amount that NHL teams may pay for players. The amount set as the salary cap each year depends on the league’s revenue for the previous season. As it is a 'hard cap,' there are no exemptions. However, if a player is injured and it's thought that they will miss at least 10 NHL games and 24 days in the season, their team can put them on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). By doing so, they can surpass the salary cap.
The salary cap was introduced to prevent teams with the most revenue signing all the top players, which was becoming a problem in the '90s and early 2000s. For instance, by signing a number of top-performing players and significantly spending more than the majority of other teams, the Detroit Red Wings were able to win three Stanley Cups in that time.
This led to the 2004-05 CBA negotiations, during which the entire season was cancelled — the first time a labor dispute has ever caused a cancellation in a major sports league in North America. At the time of the negotiations, teams were spending around 75 percent of their revenues on salaries — much higher than any other North American sports league. Eventually, they agreed to the general structure that remain today, including the mandatory payment to players in US dollars.
The concept of a salary cap is not new to the NHL. One was first introduced during the Great Depression, at which time the salary cap per team was $62,500 and $7,000 per player.
Salary Cap History
Since its reintroduction in the 2005-06 season, the NHL salary cap had risen every year until the pandemic shortened 2020-2021 season:
| 2005-2006 | $39.0 million | ||
| 2006-2007 | $44.0 million | ||
| 2007-2008 | $50.3 million | ||
| 2008-2009 | $56.7 million | ||
| 2009-2010 | $56.8 million | ||
| 2010-2011 | $59.4 million | ||
| 2011-2012 | $64.3 million | ||
| 2012-2013 | $60.0 million * | ||
| 2013-2014 | $64.3 million | ||
| 2014-2015 | $69.0 million | ||
| 2015-2016 | $71.4 million | ||
| 2016-2017 | $73.0 million | ||
| 2017-2018 | $75.0 million | ||
| 2018-2019 | $79.5 million | ||
| 2019-2020 | $81.5 million | ||
| 2020-2021 | $81.5 million | ||
| 2021-2022 | $81.5 million | ||
| 2022-2023 | $82.5 million |
*During the 2012-13 season, there was a lockout. The salary cap was set to $60 million, but NHL hockey teams were allowed to spend a pro-rated $70.2 million for the shortened season.
The salary floor (the minimum that a team must spend as a whole) is 85 percent of the salary midpoint. For the 2021-22 season, the cap floor is $60.2 million.
History of the Teams
Originally, there were just six NHL teams, called the Original Six. In the 1967-68 season, six new teams were added. The Original Six formed the East Division and the new six formed the West Division.
In 1974, six more NHL hockey teams joined the league, creating 18 in total. The league then took four teams from the World Hockey Association when it ceased to exist in 1979. With the Cleveland Barons gone in 1978, this brought the total to 21 teams.
There was no further expansion to the league until the '90s. The next new NHL team was the San Jose Sharks in 1991. Another eight were added in the subsequent decade to reach 30 teams by 2000. Finally, in 2016, Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, announced that another new NHL team — the Vegas Golden Knights — would join the List of NHL Teams, making 31 teams for the 2017-18 season.
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