The Blackhawks will have even less money to work with this offseason due to a number of sunk costs.
If you've ever studied economics, you've probably heard the term "sunk cost." It refers to a cost or investment that's already been incurred and cannot be recovered, so the business simply needs to swallow it and re-calibrate how to distribute its resources. You spent the cash, and you're not getting it back even if you're dissatisfied.
The Chicago Blackhawks should probably know a thing or two about sunk costs entering the 2016-17 season. While the upper limit of the salary cap is the true boundary by which the team must operate, the reality is that some sunk costs will significantly lower the amount of money the Hawks actually have to work with.