With the 2015-16 NHL season underway, an offseason of roster tinkering and overhauls by general managers has ended. The marginal rise in the salary cap, from $69 million to $71.4 million, affected their efforts to invest in their lineups. For some clubs, there's not much cap payroll remaining for potential upgrades during the season.
Several teams, including the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks (pictured above), could find themselves handcuffed by limited salary-cap space. They won't have enough cap room to upgrade from within, via free agency or trades.
The following slideshow lists the NHL teams with the worst salary cap issues for 2015-16, examining their available cap space, efforts to create more room and possible effects over the course of the season.