Since being introduced as a result of the 2004-05 lockout, the salary cap has made it difficult to make trades in the NHL. However, developments and growth in the NHL has seen the cap ceiling rise over the years. The Montreal Canadiens may not be one of the teams desperately in need of some relief, but they’ll benefit from a higher cap number.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the expected figure for next year’s ceiling. According to Bettman, the salary cap could be anywhere between $79.5 and $80 million. Bob McKenzie included in his tweet that wherever the needle falls in that margin depends on the NHLPA.