The NHL and NHLPA released their projections for the NHL salary cap for the next three seasons, and the San Jose Sharks will perfectly benefit from this growth.
New:
NHL/NHLPA have released cap estimates for next three seasons:
2025-26: $95.5M
2026-27: $104 M
2027-28: $113.5M— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 31, 2025
The current salary cap is $88 million. San Jose spent some money on players like Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg. If the team is built out as GM Mike Grier hopes, the Sharks should be competing for a playoff spot within three years.
The salary cap will increase to $113.5 million during the 2027 offseason. This is beneficial because Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini’s entry-level contracts will expire then, and extensions will be needed.
Celebrini’s upside and ability show that he will need a massive contract extension at the end of his ELC. It will be interesting to see if he follows the example of Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews for an extension.
In 2019, Matthews signed a five-year $58,195,000 contract instead of a standard eight-year max term deal. He signed a four-year $53,000,000 contract before this season, giving himself room to be paid on the free agent market value at least once more.
With the cap being raised significantly, Grier will also have room for the San Jose Sharks to spend money on free agents. In 2027, players like Quinn Hughes, Alex DeBrincat, Drake Batherson, and Filip Chytil are all set to become UFAs.
While someone like Hughes likely won’t hit the market, the turmoil for the Vancouver Canucks could mean a total change in personal. Jim Rutherford even alluded to the potential of trading Quinn Hughes to restart the core.
🚨Rutherford: “If we were going to completely start over that means [Quinn Hughes] goes… and we’d like to figure out a way that he’s here forever.”#canucks
— BuckFoston (@BuckFoston_) January 28, 2025
The next three offseasons are much clearer, and planning can begin much earlier than many anticipated.
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