(Manalapan) The general managers of the National Hockey League (NHL) discussed the absence of the salary cap in the playoffs during their most recent meeting this week, but the discussions did not go further.
Posted at 4:48 p.m.
The subject came to the fore last year when the Tampa Bay Lightning lifted a second straight Stanley Cup.
The team’s payroll in the playoffs then exceeded the cap, but the cap does not apply during the playoffs.
Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving, however, said no one is accusing the Lightning of taking advantage of the system. The GMs only had a “healthy discussion” about it, he said.
Other issues discussed include the notion of limited non-trade clauses.
A problematic situation arose at the last trade deadline when the Vegas Golden Knights attempted to trade Evgenii Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks.
The trade was canceled 48 hours later, as the Ducks were on the list of teams Dadonov refused to be traded to.
According to NHL Assistant Commissioner Bill Daly, discussions are underway to prevent a similar situation from happening again.
The NHL has also confirmed that the salary cap will increase by $1 million next year, to $82.5 million.
The general managers also received some information for the return of the World Cup of Hockey in 2024. Discussions on this subject were however still at the preliminary stage.