NHL Teams with the Most Cap Space
Contents
- NHL Teams with the most cap space: which teams have the most room to work with this offseason?
- How did these teams get so much cap space?
- What do they plan on doing with all that space?
- Are they in “rebuilding mode” or looking to make a splash?
- How will their Offseason Moves impact the rest of the league?
- How much cap space do the other teams have?
- Who are the big names that could be on the move this offseason?
- What effect will the expansion draft have on these teams’ plans?
- How will the new CBA affect these teams’ offseason strategies?
- What other factors could impact these teams’ plans?
NHL teams are always looking to stay under the salary cap but there are a few teams that have a lot of space to work with. Here are the teams with the most cap space heading into the 2019-20 season
NHL Teams with the most cap space: which teams have the most room to work with this offseason?
With the NHL offseason upon us, there is much speculation about which teams will be the most active in Free agency One factor that will influence how active a team can be is how much cap space they have. Here is a list of the NHL teams with the most cap space heading into the offseason:
1. Arizona Coyotes: $62.2 million
2. Buffalo Sabres $60.9 million
3. Carolina Hurricanes $59.8 million
4. Chicago Blackhawks $58.8 million
5. Colorado Avalanche $56.1 million
6. Columbus Blue Jackets $55.6 million
7. Detroit Red Wings $54.3 million
8. Edmonton Oilers $52.5 million
9. Florida Panthers $52.2 million
10. Los Angeles Kings $51.9 million
How did these teams get so much cap space?
In the salary-cap era, it’s important for teams to manage their finances wisely in order to stay competitive. So how did these teams wind up with so much cap space?
The answer is a combination of Good luck shrewd management, and sometimes outside factors beyond a team’s control.
For example, the Ottawa Senators are currently sitting on over $30 million in cap space. A big reason for that is because their star player Bobby Ryan, is injured and on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). That allows the Senators to exceed the salary cap by the amount of his salary.
Another factor that can lead to a team having a lot of cap space is if they trade away expensive players and/or bring in cheaper ones. The Detroit Red Wings are in the midst of a rebuild, so they’ve traded away some high-priced veterans in recent years (such as Justin Abdelkader, Mike Green and Niklas Kronwall) while bringing in younger, cheaper players. As a result, they have nearly $40 million in cap space.
And finally, sometimes a team just has good luck when it comes to their finances. The Carolina Hurricanes have managed to stay below the salary cap despite having some very good players on their roster. Part of that is because they have a Number of players who are still on their entry-level contracts (such as Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov). Another part of it is because they have several veterans who are signed to relatively cheap contracts (such as Jordan Staal and Justin Williams).
What do they plan on doing with all that space?
NHL teams are constantly jockeying for position in the standings, but there’s another race going on behind the scenes: the battle for cap space.
With the salary cap set at $81.5 million for the 2019-20 season, there are a few teams that are sitting well below that number. Here’s a look at the teams with the most cap space, and what they could potentially do with all that room.
1. Florida Panthers ($30.4 million in cap space)
The Panthers are in a bit of a strange situation. They have a ton of young talent on their roster, but they’re also not quite ready to contend for a Stanley Cup As such, they could be active at the trade deadline both as buyers and sellers. If they’re able to unload some salary, they could be major players in free agency this summer.
2. Carolina Hurricanes ($29.6 million in cap space)
The Hurricanes have been one of the biggest surprise teams in the NHL this season, and they look like they could be legitimate contenders for a deep playoff run. They have plenty of young talent on their roster, so they may not be too active at the Trade Deadline However, if they can clear some salary (perhaps by trading Justin Faulk), they could be major players in free agency this summer.
3. New York Rangers ($28.8 million in cap space)
The Rangers are in full-on rebuild mode and aren’t likely to do much at the trade deadline other than unload some veterans for prospects and draft picks They have a ton of cap space to work with, so they’ll be able to be very active in free agency this summer if they choose to be.
4. Chicago Blackhawks ($28.2 million in cap space)
The Blackhawks are another team that is rebuilding and probably won’t do much at the trade deadline other than unload some veterans for prospects or picks
Are they in “rebuilding mode” or looking to make a splash?
There are a few NHL teams with a lot of cap space this offseason, and it will be interesting to see how they use it. Are they in “rebuilding mode” or looking to make a splash?
The teams with the most cap space are the Buffalo Sabres ($30.2 million), the Carolina Hurricanes ($27.8 million), and the New Jersey Devils ($25.5 million).
The Sabres are in the midst of a rebuild and are unlikely to use their cap space to sign any big-name free agents The Hurricanes, on the other hand, could be active in free agency as they look to build on their success from last season. The Devils could also be active in free agency as they look to rebound from a disappointing year.
How will their Offseason Moves impact the rest of the league?
The NHL offseason is in Full Swing and teams are already making moves to improve their rosters for next season. Some teams, however, have more cap space than others, and they’ll be able to make more significant changes to their rosters. Here’s a look at the teams with the most cap space and how their offseason moves could impact the rest of the league.
1. New Jersey Devils The Devils have over $30 million in cap space, and they’ve already made some significant signings. They brought in forward Marcus Johansson on a four-year, $24 million deal and also signed goaltender Cory Schneider to a seven-year extension. With those two deals, the Devils have solidified their core for years to come.
2. Dallas Stars The Stars have been one of the busiest teams this offseason, using their ample cap space to sign several Key Players They brought in forwards Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal on multi-year deals, as well as defenseman Marc Methot on a two-year deal. The Stars are clearly looking to make a push for the Stanley Cup next season.
3. Buffalo Sabres The Sabres have over $25 million in cap space, and they’ve already made some noise this offseason by signing defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a three-year deal. They’re also reportedly close to signing forward Evander Kane to a long-term extension. With those two deals, the Sabres will be looking to make a playoff push next season.
4. Arizona Coyotes: The Coyotes have over $22 million in cap space, and they’ve used it to sign some key players this offseason. They brought in goaltender Antti Raanta on a three-year deal and also signed defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to a five-year deal. With those two deals, the Coyotes are looking to be competitive next season.
5. Vancouver Canucks The Canucks have over $21 million in cap space, and they’ve used it to sign some Key Players this offseason. They brought in forwards Sam Gagner and Anders Nilsson on multi-year deals, as well as defenseman Michael Del Zotto on a two-year deal. With those three deals, the Canucks are looking to make some noise next season.”
How much cap space do the other teams have?
As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches on February 24th, many teams are looking to add players to their roster to make a push for the playoffs. But with the salary cap in place, how much wiggle room do teams have to make a big splash?
Here’s a look at the top 10 teams in the NHL with the most cap space, according to Spotrac.com.
1. Arizona Coyotes: $32,416,667
2. Carolina Hurricanes: $24,714,286
3. Chicago Blackhawks $22,517,143
4. Colorado Avalanche: $21,446,875
5. Columbus Blue Jackets $20,837,500
6. Dallas Stars: $18,637,500
7. Detroit Red Wings $17,545,833
8. Edmonton Oilers $15,259,167
9. Florida Panthers: $14 980 000
10. Los Angeles Kings: $14 366 667
Who are the big names that could be on the move this offseason?
With the NHL Entry Draft and free agency just around the corner, teams are starting to jockey for position in what is sure to be an eventful offseason.
Many teams are strapped for cash and will be looking to unload some big contracts. Who are the biggest names that could be on the move? Here’s a look at the NHL teams with the most cap space and their potential trade targets
1. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are in a great position to make a splash this offseason. They have over $30 million in cap space and several key players who are due for new contracts, including Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and Brock McGinn.
Carolina has been linked to several big-name players, including Artemi Panarin, Taylor Hall, and Matt Duchene. Panarin would be an ideal fit on the top line with Aho and Teravainen, while Hall would add much-needed scoring depth to the Hurricanes’ forward group. Duchene would provide a boost down the middle and could anchor Carolina’s second line behind Jordan Staal.
2. Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are another team with plenty of cap space to work with this offseason. They have over $27 million in space and several key players who will need new deals, including Anton Stralman, Keith Yandle, Jayce Hawryluk, and Frank Vatrano.
Florida has been linked to several top forwards, including Sergei Bobrovsky, Gustav Nyquist, Mats Zuccarello, Anders Lee, and Jeff Skinner. Bobrovsky would give the Panthers a true No 1 goaltender for the first time in franchise history, while Nyquist would provide an offensive boost on the wing. Zuccarello would add experience and veteran leadership to Florida’s young core of forwards, while Lee and Skinner would bolster the Panthers’ scoring depth up front.
The Montreal Canadiens have over $25 million in cap space this offseason and several key players who need new deals, including Max Domi Joel Armia, Artturi Lehkonen, Brett Kulak ,and Jordan Weal . Additionally , they have several high-priced veterans who could be on the move , such as Carey Price , Shea Weber , Andy Greene , Ilya Kovalchuk ,and Marc Bergevin . Lastly , General Manager Marc Bergevin will likely look to make a splash this offseason after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons .
Montreal has been linked to several big-name players , including Sergei Bobrovsky , Artemi Panarin ,Taylor Hall , Mats Zuccarello , Anders Lee ,and Jeff Skinner . Bobrovskywould give them afranchise goaltenderto build around moving forward . Panarinwould providemuch-neededoffensivesupportfor their forwards groupthat lacked firepower last season . Hallwould addresstheir needfor morescoring threatson theirtop two linesand give them anotherveteran voicein their locker room . meanwhileZuccarelloand Leewould bolster theirscoring depthup frontwhile alsoadding valuableexperienceand leadershipto acorethat is devoidof playoffexperience . LastlySkinnerwould givetheirpowerplayanother weaponto work withafter leadingthe NHL inscoringwith 20 goalson then man advantage last season .
What effect will the expansion draft have on these teams’ plans?
As the June Expansion Draft approaches, NHL general managers have some difficult decisions to make. The Vegas Golden Knights will be stocking their roster with one player from each of the 30 NHL teams and every team must protect either seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender OR eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goaltender.
This leaves a number of good players exposed to be drafted by Vegas, and it will have a significant impact on how teams approach free agency Here are the teams that currently have the most cap space and how the Expansion Draft may affect their plans.
1. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have over $30 million in cap space and are in danger of losing a good player in the Expansion Draft They may use some of that space to sign a free agent or two to help offset the loss.
2. Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have over $25 million in cap space and are also at risk of losing a good player in the expansion draft. They may look to sign a free agent or two to help fill the void left by the expansion draft.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have over $23 million in cap space and could lose a defenseman in the expansion draft. They may use some of that space to sign a Free Agent defenseman or two to help fill the void left by the expansion draft.
4. Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have over $22 million in cap space and could lose a good player in the expansion draft. They may look to sign a free agent or two to help fill the void left by the expansion draft
How will the new CBA affect these teams’ offseason strategies?
With the NHL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, teams now have a better idea of what the salary cap will look like for the next few seasons. As a result, some teams that were previously hamstrung by the cap will now have more flexibility to make offseason moves. Here are a few teams that are in particularly good positions:
The Tampa Bay Lightning currently have the most cap space of any team in the NHL, with over $32 million to work with. They also have a number of key players who are due for new contracts, including captain Steven Stamkos. The Lightning will need to be careful not to overspend, but they should be able to make some significant additions to their roster.
The Nashville Predators also have a lot of cap space, with over $27 million to work with. They have a young core of players that they’ll need to re-sign in the next few years, but they should be able to add some pieces this offseason as well.
The Minnesota Wild are in a similar situation to the Predators, with just over $27 million in cap space and several key players who will need new contracts in the near future. They’re also in a good position to make a splash this offseason if they choose to do so.
What other factors could impact these teams’ plans?
NHL teams with the Most Cap Space:
-Buffalo Sabres
-Arizona Coyotes
-Carolina Hurricanes
-New Jersey Devils
-Florida Panthers
What other factors could impact these teams’ plans? In addition to how much space each team has under the salary cap there are other important factors to consider that could impact a team’s ability to approach Free Agency and/or make trades These include:
-The quality of goaltending and defense.
-The depth of talent and experience on the roster.
-The financial wherewithal of the ownership group.
-The market size of the city in which the team is located.
-The attractiveness of the city as a destination for free agents