2021-2022 NHL Salary Cap Space
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Boston Bruins
$79,864,166
$1,635,834
23/23
Buffalo Sabres
$57,872,764
$23,627,236
23/23
Detroit Red Wings
$68,160,557
$13,339,443
23/23
Florida Panthers
$79,421,629
$2,078,371
24/23
Montreal Canadiens
$87,476,371
$-5,976,371
22/23
Ottawa Senators
$58,535,833
$22,964,167
23/23
Tampa Bay Lightning
$88,365,955
$-6,865,955
22/23
Toronto Maple Leafs
$82,869,783
$-1,369,783
23/23
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Carolina Hurricanes
$83,023,619
$-1,523,619
23/23
Columbus Blue Jackets
$68,581,696
$12,918,304
23/23
New Jersey Devils
$67,757,236
$13,742,764
20/23
New York Islanders
$85,229,188
$-3,729,188
22/23
New York Rangers
$71,766,468
$9,733,532
23/23
Philadelphia Flyers
$81,118,523
$381,477
22/23
Pittsburgh Penguins
$81,378,205
$121,795
23/23
Washington Capitals
$80,831,261
$668,739
21/23
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Arizona Coyotes
$68,922,783
$12,577,217
21/23
Chicago Blackhawks
$84,391,668
$-2,891,668
24/23
Colorado Avalanche
$79,978,131
$1,521,869
23/23
Dallas Stars
$85,572,073
$-4,072,073
24/23
Minnesota Wild
$70,355,257
$11,144,743
22/23
Nashville Predators
$71,126,144
$10,373,856
23/23
St. Louis Blues
$80,025,500
$1,474,500
22/23
Winnipeg Jets
$86,572,978
$-5,072,978
22/23
Team
Projected Cap Hit
Projected Cap Space
Active Roster
Anaheim Ducks
$69,250,750
$12,249,250
23/23
Calgary Flames
$80,450,000
$1,050,000
23/23
Edmonton Oilers
$82,810,435
$-1,310,435
22/23
Los Angeles Kings
$79,633,718
$1,866,283
24/23
San Jose Sharks
$79,638,334
$1,861,666
24/23
Seattle Kraken
$73,856,667
$7,643,333
25/23
Vancouver Canucks
$68,708,653
$12,791,347
21/23
Vegas Golden Knights
$82,299,167
$-799,167
22/23
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 has risen every year:
| 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 |
*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 2019-20 season, the cap floor is $60.24 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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