• Posted by Admin
• Date : 01 Jul 2023

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Brad Treliving remembers a time when NHL general managers were basically done with free agency shortly after the window opened. Big names quickly scooped up, roles filled, rosters largely set. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic disaster that followed has ensured, at least for the time being, thats no longer the case. Five years ago, by July 2 you could hang the Gone Fishing sign up, said Treliving, GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto Maple Leafs newly appointed General Manager Brad Treliving attends a news conference in Toronto, on Thursday, June 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young But with the salary cap having again only risen US$1 million to $83.5 million for the 2023-24 season as the league continues to recover from the financial hardships brought on by the coronavirus, teams have very little wiggle room with the market set to open Saturday. Story continues below advertisement Since the 2019-20 season that was cut short by the pandemic, the cap has risen a total of $2 million. Weve been living with the flat cap for awhile, Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said. It took awhile for teams, fans and media to really understand what the ramifications of the flat cap are. It was on full display at this weeks NHL draft. Very few trades were made, while the ones consummated involved roster players given away for draft picks or in some cases, nothing in salary dumps with an eye toward facilitating other moves. There are also a number of star players available to be dealt, but the math so far hasnt worked for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck or San Jose Sharks defenceman Erik Karlsson, among a host of others. The trades that have been made this week, four years ago you wouldnt have ever considered some of the players that have changed hands for the price theyve changed hands, added McCrimmon, who shipped veteran winger Reilly Smith the Pittsburgh Penguins for a pick in order to sign centre Ivan Barbashev to a contract extension. But thats where understanding what the value of the cap space actually comes into play. 2:14 No Canada: countrys Stanley Cup drought now at 30 years Clubs are also locking up their restricted free agents sooner, often foregoing the shorter-term bridge deals that were so common a decade ago. Story continues below advertisement There are instead more and more eight-year extensions that give young players both security and more control as their careers progress. That means fewer and fewer big names are making it to market. It feels like players want to sign sooner and get locked in, and that theres just more available in trade, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said. I think thats a result of the cap staying flat and teams needing to adapt and adjust and be able to find a way to be compliant, while also remaining competitive. More on Sports Guerrero will take another swing at Home Run Derby Names like Matt Duchene and Blake Wheeler bought out of their contracts by the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets, respectively, on Friday along with Dmitry Orlov, Ryan OReilly, Tyler Bertuzzi and Matt Dumba are among those poised to become UFAs on Saturday. Trending Now Womans leg amputated after getting stuck in moving walkway at Bangkok airport Good players, to be sure, but not at the level of the stars who once got wined and dined by teams desperate to make a splash. Thatd be a great message to send to the agents, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin deadpanned. They think the cap just went up $10 million. Last season started with almost two-thirds of teams using long-term injured reserve, meaning they could spend over the cap while players were sidelined. Story continues below advertisement Everythings squeezed, everythings tight, Treliving said. You see more players extending for longer periods of time. Theres less availability of players (in free agency). I would just classify the market as, theres some good players Theres quantity. Those players might also have to be patient in free agency. Nazem Kadri, for example, didnt settle on the Calgary Flames last summer until signing a seven-year, $49-million contract Aug. 18. More and more teams, as the years have gone on, their salary cap space has dwindled, Dubas said. At the same time, you have your own young players coming up you want to re-sign. Salaries continue to rise (and) theres no cap growth, added Treliving, who replaced Dubas as GM in Toronto. Somethings gotta give. And thats just the reality of it. Teams have had to make hard decisions, and its difficult. Its just a function of the business. One area where there could be movement when free agency opens is on the RFA front, including in Toronto, where Auston Matthews and William Nylander will be eligible to sign contract extensions with a year left on their current deals. But theres no guarantee there will be immediate movement there or with UFAs free to ink deals with all 32 teams. Story continues below advertisement The free agency situation, it ebbs and flows, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said of the market in general terms. But I think you look at a lot of teams trying to lock up players as long as they can. Some players want to get locked up, some players dont. Selling free-agent years is not what some players want to do. Its an interesting time. Its a fun time to be a part of it. This years fun begins Canada Day at noon ET.