The Washington Capitals are going to have to do some mathematical gymnastics to make their roster work for the 2019-20 season.
Saturday evening, word broke out that the salary cap for the 2019-20 season will be $81.5 million – $1.5 million less Gary Bettman’s projection in December.
NHLPA approved..
Salary Cap of $81.5 M (0.5% Growth Factor)
· Adjusted Midpoint of $70.9M
· Salary Floor of $60.2M
— John Hoven | The Mayor (@mayorNHL) June 22, 2019
This is an increase of $2M over the 2018-19 Salary Cap of $79.5.
— John Hoven | The Mayor (@mayorNHL) June 22, 2019
John Hoven was first to report the news. Bob McKenzie later confirmed it.
It’s official now. $81.5M salary cap. Salary floor is $60.2M
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 22, 2019
“It’s frustrating. We’ve been projecting using that [$83 million] number for the last part of the year,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said last week. “At some point, we switched back to [$82.5 million] because there were some rumblings there and now it seems to be going back a little further. I know it seems like it’s not a large amount of dollars, but it does impact teams that are right at the number, as far as salary. So, it is a bit frustrating. When you see it go down to maybe [$81.5 million] I think there’s a pause on our part. We want to see the number before we move forward because it’s going to affect our roster decisions, even on the bottom end. On fourth line and what we have to do going forward because the margins are that slim for us.”
“Well hopefully we find out what the number is, supposedly on Saturday. The free agent market interview period, we’ll have a week or four or five days to talk to agents, talk to players and see what their salary expectations are. So, it might affect whether we go after certain players or not certain players. Just the difference in that $1 million.”
The Capitals have a glut of midlevel free agents this summer including Jakub Vrana, Andre Burakovsky, Christian Djoos, Brett Connolly, Chandler Stephenson, Dmitrij Jaskin, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Devante Smith-Pelly.
The Capitals are also expected to talk to Nicklas Backstrom about a contract extension this summer.
