NHL Salary Cap By Team, NHL Cap Space

2021-2022 NHL Salary Cap Space

NHL Salary Cap Limit: $81,500,000

NHL Salary Cap Floor: $60,200,000

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Projected Cap Space
Contracts

Atlantic Division

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Boston Bruins	$79,874,270	$1,625,730	19/23	64.7%
Buffalo Sabres	$68,868,647	$12,631,353	22/23	1.0%
Detroit Red Wings	$70,671,732	$10,828,268	22/23	11.2%
Florida Panthers	$82,376,096	$-876,096	23/23	97.5%
Montreal Canadiens	$94,395,089	$-12,895,089	25/23	0.0%
Ottawa Senators	$70,264,554	$11,235,446	20/23	0.7%
Tampa Bay Lightning	$89,139,845	$-7,639,845	20/23	98.5%
Toronto Maple Leafs	$82,346,084	$194,060	21/23	99.0%

Metropolitan Division

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Carolina Hurricanes	$83,580,388	$-2,080,388	21/23	99.9%
Columbus Blue Jackets	$70,262,992	$11,237,008	23/23	25.4%
New Jersey Devils	$74,163,036	$7,336,964	23/23	1.9%
New York Islanders	$79,899,771	$2,122,914	23/23	3.6%
New York Rangers	$74,764,699	$6,735,301	22/23	95.0%
Philadelphia Flyers	$85,776,327	$-4,916,327	23/23	9.8%
Pittsburgh Penguins	$83,686,030	$-2,186,030	23/23	92.5%
Washington Capitals	$84,869,575	$-3,369,575	22/23	99.3%

Central Division

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Arizona Coyotes	$74,510,775	$6,989,225	20/23	0.0%
Chicago Blackhawks	$85,721,683	$-4,221,683	21/23	0.4%
Colorado Avalanche	$81,962,244	$-878,077	22/23	94.3%
Dallas Stars	$84,943,677	$-3,443,677	20/23	20.6%
Minnesota Wild	$79,267,488	$2,232,512	22/23	95.9%
Nashville Predators	$70,698,573	$10,801,427	20/23	81.0%
St. Louis Blues	$82,154,059	$41,454	22/23	93.4%
Winnipeg Jets	$88,838,528	$-7,376,028	23/23	32.3%

Pacific Division

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Anaheim Ducks	$70,733,870	$10,766,130	20/23	83.1%
Calgary Flames	$80,375,354	$1,124,646	22/23	94.5%
Edmonton Oilers	$87,382,981	$-5,882,981	22/23	70.1%
Los Angeles Kings	$81,438,901	$101,635	23/23	30.1%
San Jose Sharks	$76,584,411	$4,915,589	23/23	16.1%
Seattle Kraken	$74,703,897	$6,796,103	22/23	0.2%
Vancouver Canucks	$88,163,428	$-6,663,428	21/23	4.7%
Vegas Golden Knights	$90,744,213	$-9,244,213	20/23	83.3%

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Current Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Boston Bruins	$79,874,270	$1,625,730	$3,386,937	19/23	64.7%
Buffalo Sabres	$68,868,647	$12,631,353	$26,315,318	22/23	1.0%
Detroit Red Wings	$70,671,732	$10,828,268	$22,558,891	22/23	11.2%
Florida Panthers	$82,376,096	$-876,096	$2,853,348	23/23	97.5%
Montreal Canadiens	$94,395,089	$-12,895,089	$4,522,229	25/23	0.0%
Ottawa Senators	$70,264,554	$11,235,446	$23,407,179	20/23	0.7%
Tampa Bay Lightning	$89,139,845	$-7,639,845	$0	20/23	98.5%
Toronto Maple Leafs	$82,346,084	$194,060	$404,292	21/23	99.0%
Carolina Hurricanes	$83,580,388	$-2,080,388	$1,792,500	21/23	99.9%
Columbus Blue Jackets	$70,262,992	$11,237,008	$23,410,433	23/23	25.4%
New Jersey Devils	$74,163,036	$7,336,964	$15,285,341	23/23	1.9%
New York Islanders	$79,899,771	$2,122,914	$4,422,737	23/23	3.6%
New York Rangers	$74,764,699	$6,735,301	$14,031,877	22/23	95.0%
Philadelphia Flyers	$85,776,327	$-4,916,327	$3,469,664	23/23	9.8%
Pittsburgh Penguins	$83,686,030	$-2,186,030	$4,000,000	23/23	92.5%
Washington Capitals	$84,869,575	$-3,369,575	$2,074,166	22/23	99.3%
Arizona Coyotes	$74,510,775	$6,989,225	$14,560,886	20/23	0.0%
Chicago Blackhawks	$85,721,683	$-4,221,683	$4,338,739	21/23	0.4%
Colorado Avalanche	$81,962,244	$-878,077	$749,542	22/23	94.3%
Dallas Stars	$84,943,677	$-3,443,677	$1,946,667	20/23	20.6%
Minnesota Wild	$79,267,488	$2,232,512	$4,651,067	22/23	95.9%
Nashville Predators	$70,698,573	$10,801,427	$22,502,974	20/23	81.0%
St. Louis Blues	$82,154,059	$41,454	$86,362	22/23	93.4%
Winnipeg Jets	$88,838,528	$-7,376,028	$2,108,334	23/23	32.3%
Anaheim Ducks	$70,733,870	$10,766,130	$22,429,437	20/23	83.1%
Calgary Flames	$80,375,354	$1,124,646	$2,343,013	22/23	94.5%
Edmonton Oilers	$87,382,981	$-5,882,981	$5,588,334	22/23	70.1%
Los Angeles Kings	$81,438,901	$101,635	$211,739	23/23	30.1%
San Jose Sharks	$76,584,411	$4,915,589	$10,240,811	23/23	16.1%
Seattle Kraken	$74,703,897	$6,796,103	$14,158,547	22/23	0.2%
Vancouver Canucks	$88,163,428	$-6,663,428	$513,333	21/23	4.7%
Vegas Golden Knights	$90,744,213	$-9,244,213	$5,738,334	20/23	83.3%

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 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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