During a May 28 press conference prior to the start of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly projected the salary cap for 2018-19 could reach $80 million based solely on league revenue. If the NHL Players Association triggers its inflator clause, it could reach $82 million.
That means a potential rise of between $5 million to $7 million over the current $75-million cap ceiling. After several seasons of sluggish increases, this significant raise will create considerable cap room for the 31 NHL clubs.
The increase will certainly help teams with limited cap room, such as the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins.