Chris MacFarland had an idea for why the NHL’s free agent frenzy felt more sluggish than spectacular.
The salary cap is going up next season — way up. The increase, from $88 million to $95.5 million, is the largest (by dollars, not percentage) in one year since the cap was installed in 2005. And for the first time in the cap era, the NHL provided estimated projections for three seasons: The ceiling is expected to shoot up to $104 million in 2026-27 and $113.5 million in 2027-28.
Everyone has more money to spend, so cue the player movement mayhem, right?