[News] 18-19 Cap Projected at $78M-$82M

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by pseudoreality

Way more teams will spend to it then should. That's why teams need taxpayer funder arenas and why we might get another lockout, because teams can't manage a budget that matches their revenue.

The amount paid to the players is exactly equal to the midpoint of the salary range multiplied by the number of teams. That's true by definition. Every dollar that the teams go over the midpoint (in aggregate) comes back through escrow. If they set next year's cap at $100 million and every team spent to the cap, it wouldn't make the slightest difference: the players would still be paid 50% of HRR.

That being so, the magnitude of the cap has absolutely zero bearing on publicly funded arenas, lockouts, or financial management in general.

[PugnaciousIntern]

The benefit of the cap increase gives flexibility to all teams (albeit Arizona, Carolina, and even Edmonton refusing to spend up to the cap this year). So although many teams benefit from the breathing room (especially those with anticipated new costs, eg: Edmonton) I think that a jump in the salary cap most affects those teams with pending UFAs who hope to retain a player in line for a raise. These players jumped out at me after a quick glance at the UFA list:

Marchessault VGK - 25p in 24GP. Current Cap Hit: $750,000
Stone OTT - 25p in 26GP. Current Cap Hit: $3,500,000
Tavares NVI - 31p in 27GP. Current Cap Hit: $5,500,000
Maroon EDM - 16p in 28GP. Current Cap Hit: $1,500,000
Backlund CGY - 18p in 28GP. Current Cap Hit: $3,575,000

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Surprised that the players don't want to keep it down since that would lower the escrow that they hate so much.

The projection of a $78 million cap is without using the escalator at all. $82 million is what it will be if the players use the full 5% escalator.

I suspect that if the projection holds, the players won't use the escalator in an effort to keep escrow lower. The cap will still grow by $3 million.

[DoubleK]

There is zero chance the players won't use the escalator. They've done it each and every year.

[Kipper_3434]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

There is zero chance the players won't use the escalator. They've done it each and every year.

"Never tell me the odds"

[SOMBRI2]

Surprised at the Hockey News that they didn't put Edmonton as a benefiting club in the wake of the salary cap increase:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/ar...us-projections