For all of the progress the NHL has made since the 2013 lockout-shortened season, the same old issues continue to rear their ugly head. The salary cap ceiling has increased by $19.5 million since that lockout at an incremental rate. However, the cap is roughly going to be $81.5 million for the 2019-2020 season, a meager $2 million increase.
While teams make moves and sign extensions, they’re doing so in the blind not knowing exactly how much they can spend. The Philadelphia Flyers doled out a $7.14 million per year contract to former Ranger Kevin Hayes without knowing what percentage of the cap that figure would represent.