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	$81,314,770	$185,230	23/23	69.5%
Buffalo Sabres	$67,398,534	$14,101,466	23/23	5.0%
Detroit Red Wings	$71,412,482	$10,087,518	22/23	11.6%
Florida Panthers	$81,486,098	$13,902	23/23	99.1%
Montreal Canadiens	$93,607,585	$-12,107,585	23/23	0.1%
Ottawa Senators	$70,132,162	$11,367,838	21/23	0.7%
Tampa Bay Lightning	$90,483,825	$-9,072,158	23/23	76.4%
Toronto Maple Leafs	$85,677,601	$-4,177,601	23/23	84.8%

Metropolitan Division

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Carolina Hurricanes	$84,365,499	$-2,865,499	22/23	97.6%
Columbus Blue Jackets	$70,692,388	$10,807,612	23/23	63.1%
New Jersey Devils	$72,112,132	$9,387,868	23/23	41.1%
New York Islanders	$80,533,271	$1,489,414	24/23	3.2%
New York Rangers	$75,981,468	$5,518,532	23/23	72.8%
Philadelphia Flyers	$83,833,652	$-2,329,059	23/23	29.4%
Pittsburgh Penguins	$83,236,655	$-2,586,655	23/23	51.0%
Washington Capitals	$85,117,862	$-3,617,862	23/23	94.9%

Central Division

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Arizona Coyotes	$74,223,258	$7,276,742	23/23	0.1%
Chicago Blackhawks	$84,432,660	$-3,847,660	22/23	2.2%
Colorado Avalanche	$82,500,702	$-1,469,869	22/23	87.9%
Dallas Stars	$85,579,736	$-4,079,736	23/23	37.6%
Minnesota Wild	$79,764,917	$1,735,083	24/23	79.7%
Nashville Predators	$71,494,410	$10,005,590	24/23	41.0%
St. Louis Blues	$82,046,526	$-546,526	20/23	76.0%
Winnipeg Jets	$86,581,741	$-5,081,741	22/23	65.7%

Pacific Division

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Anaheim Ducks	$70,816,274	$10,683,726	23/23	72.6%
Calgary Flames	$81,169,299	$330,701	23/23	99.2%
Edmonton Oilers	$88,687,598	$-7,295,098	23/23	94.2%
Los Angeles Kings	$80,298,065	$1,218,984	23/23	27.3%
San Jose Sharks	$78,541,273	$2,958,727	23/23	49.1%
Seattle Kraken	$73,395,277	$8,104,723	22/23	3.3%
Vancouver Canucks	$85,924,653	$-4,424,653	23/23	1.8%
Vegas Golden Knights	$90,613,296	$-9,113,296	23/23	62.4%

Team	Projected Cap Hit	Projected Cap Space	Current Cap Space	Active Roster	Playoff %
Boston Bruins	$81,314,770	$185,230	$259,062	23/23	69.5%
Buffalo Sabres	$67,398,534	$14,101,466	$19,722,330	23/23	5.0%
Detroit Red Wings	$71,412,482	$10,087,518	$14,108,416	22/23	11.6%
Florida Panthers	$81,486,098	$13,902	$19,443	23/23	99.1%
Montreal Canadiens	$93,607,585	$-12,107,585	$8,840,060	23/23	0.1%
Ottawa Senators	$70,132,162	$11,367,838	$15,899,074	21/23	0.7%
Tampa Bay Lightning	$90,483,825	$-9,072,158	$7,120,000	23/23	76.4%
Toronto Maple Leafs	$85,677,601	$-4,177,601	$430,833	23/23	84.8%
Carolina Hurricanes	$84,365,499	$-2,865,499	$292,500	22/23	97.6%
Columbus Blue Jackets	$70,692,388	$10,807,612	$15,115,541	23/23	63.1%
New Jersey Devils	$72,112,132	$9,387,868	$13,129,885	23/23	41.1%
New York Islanders	$80,533,271	$1,489,414	$2,083,096	24/23	3.2%
New York Rangers	$75,981,468	$5,518,532	$7,718,227	23/23	72.8%
Philadelphia Flyers	$83,833,652	$-2,329,059	$3,311,257	23/23	29.4%
Pittsburgh Penguins	$83,236,655	$-2,586,655	$6,975,000	23/23	51.0%
Washington Capitals	$85,117,862	$-3,617,862	$10,899,166	23/23	94.9%
Arizona Coyotes	$74,223,258	$7,276,742	$10,177,261	23/23	0.1%
Chicago Blackhawks	$84,432,660	$-3,847,660	$6,050,819	22/23	2.2%
Colorado Avalanche	$82,500,702	$-1,469,869	$1,280,375	22/23	87.9%
Dallas Stars	$85,579,736	$-4,079,736	$821,667	23/23	37.6%
Minnesota Wild	$79,764,917	$1,735,083	$2,426,689	24/23	79.7%
Nashville Predators	$71,494,410	$10,005,590	$13,993,833	24/23	41.0%
St. Louis Blues	$82,046,526	$-546,526	$1,254,625	20/23	76.0%
Winnipeg Jets	$86,581,741	$-5,081,741	$144,167	22/23	65.7%
Anaheim Ducks	$70,816,274	$10,683,726	$14,942,274	23/23	72.6%
Calgary Flames	$81,169,299	$330,701	$462,518	23/23	99.2%
Edmonton Oilers	$88,687,598	$-7,295,098	$900,000	23/23	94.2%
Los Angeles Kings	$80,298,065	$1,218,984	$1,704,873	23/23	27.3%
San Jose Sharks	$78,541,273	$2,958,727	$4,138,079	23/23	49.1%
Seattle Kraken	$73,395,277	$8,104,723	$11,335,277	22/23	3.3%
Vancouver Canucks	$85,924,653	$-4,424,653	$1,350,000	23/23	1.8%
Vegas Golden Knights	$90,613,296	$-9,113,296	$488,334	23/23	62.4%

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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