NHL Has Updated The Salary Cap Projections For Next Season
The updated salary cap projection for next season is $87.7M.
The number was presented at the start of the Board of Governor's Meetings on Monday.
This cap estimate is a 5% increase on the current $83.5M.
As outlined in the last CBA/MOU, 5% is the maximum cap increase unless there is agreement between the NHLPA and NHL.
This will greatly benefit cash strapped teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and of course, the New York Rangers.
The Rangers will have several defensemen who will become free agents next season.
Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider will become restricted free agents.
Erik Gustafsson will be an unrestricted free agent, and with the season he is having, he's going to demand a big pay day.
Other free agents will be Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino, Tyler Pitlick, and Jonathan Quick. Kaapo Kakko will become a restricted free agent.
The Rangers should be able to sign most, if not all of these players back to the team, with cap to spare for hopefully a bigger splash at right wing.
Wheeler, Kakko and Quick are unknowns. In the case of Quick, he could retire after this season, although with the way he is playing, retirement might be unlikely.
He does want to win one more championship, and the Rangers give him the best chance for that.
The case of Kakko and Wheeler, they have been massively disappointing this season, and Kakko has been hurt to add to a tough season for him.
If the Rangers want to keep him, his contact value will decline.
We will see how everything shapes up at the trade deadline and offseason.
