The salary cap is expected to increase by more than $4 million
Over the past four seasons, NHL players have struggled to repay owners a billion-dollar debt due to the pandemic. As both sides move forward, this allows the league’s salary cap to take a significant jump for the first time since the 2018 offseason.
Over the past five seasons, that number, which stands at $83.5 million this year, has increased by $2 million or less, but for the 2024-25 season, Bettman has publicly stated he should reach $87.7 million. A 5% increase, the move is part of a projected trajectory previously charted by the NHL, which estimates the salary cap will reach $92 million by the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
This is extremely important for the Canes as there is a plethora of free agent business to attend to at the end of the season.
The following active players are expected to become restricted free agents (RFAs) for Carolina following the conclusion of this season:
- Jack Drury
- Seth Jarvis
- Martin Necas
Drury and Jarvis are both in the final year of their entry-level contracts and it’s fair to expect both to earn more than their current cap hit ($925,000, $894,000, respectively). Necas, who signed a two-year, $3 million AAV transition deal in 2021, could also be poised to earn more.
In addition to this trio, the following players on the team are unrestricted free agents (UFA):
- Jalen Chatfield
- Tony DeAngelo
- Brendan Lemieux
- Jordan Martinook
- Stefan Noesen
- Antti Raanta
- Brett Pesce
- Brady Skjei
- Teuvo Teravainen
Currently, these players account for over $21.9 million of the Canes’ salary cap, or over 26% of it.
Without even having to go into the nitty-gritty details of what these players bring to the table, you can get the gist: the team is going to need every penny it can get this summer.
The cap expected to increase is certainly good news.
To view Canes contract tracking, Click here.
