The Washington Capitals have been a team that has spent close to the salary cap ceiling. You would need to go back to the 2012-13 season to find more than $1,000,000 float between the cap ceiling and the Caps spend.
In September, the NHL and NHLPA both agreed to stick with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement guaranteeing labor peace through the 2022-23 season. The agreement to not prematurely end the CBA doesn’t change the biggest issue between the two sides: contract escrow.
NHL players have been vocal about their feelings towards escrow.