Flyers to get more salary cap relief
On Monday, even before negotiations with free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov set to resume after a weekend hiatus, the Flyers learned they may have a little more money to throw around this summer.
Flyers to get more salary cap relief
On Monday, even before negotiations with free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov set to resume after a weekend hiatus, the Flyers learned they may have a little more money to throw around this summer.
The NHL’s 2011-12 salary cap will be going up by more than anticipated.
Original reports had the cap settling at $63.5 million, up from last year’s $59.4 million, but teams were reportedly notified on Monday that the cap will be increasing to $64 million for next season.
The number has not yet offically been nailed down yet, according to reports, or released publicly by the league.
Still, even $500K extra for the Flyers - who will be teetering at the cap’s upper limit - would be more than half of a contract for a role player.
TSN in Canada first reported the cap increase. It comes at a crucial time, as each team will be crunching their budgets hard this week - either to re-sign a free agent or to see what they can afford - before this Friday’s draft at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
The salary cap floor, or minimum each team must spend, has also been increased to $48 million.
Since the league instituted the salary cap after the 2004-05 lockout, the 2011-12 salary cap floor of $48 million is now a full $9 million above the league’s original upper limit of $39 million.
Here is the league's cap evolution:
2005-06: $39 million (upper) --> $23 million (lower)
2006-07: $44 million --> $28 million
2007-08: $50.3 million --> $34.3 million
2008-09: $56.7 million --> $40.7 million
2009-10: $56.8 million --> $40.8 million
2010-11: $59.4 million --> $43.4 million
2011-12: $64 million --> $48 million
This year, the NHLPA was reportedly able to use a one-time five percent escalator as part of the collective bargaining agreement that is set to expire after next season.
For comparisons sake, the Flyers spent roughly $73 million on player salaries in the 2003-04 season, according to Forbes Magazine, before the salary cap existed. They also spent $62 million in 2002-03.
It may sound crazy, but the biggest number reported on Monday may be the salary cap floor number. Why? Small market, low budget teams like Florida, who have just $18 million committed in salary for next season, will need to spend at least $30 million just to be cap compliant. They may be willing to take on a little more salary than normal off a team like the Flyers looking to dump.
Exactly 11 of the league's 30 teams have $40 million or less committed for next season - which means nearly half the league has some serious spending to do.
Overall, it's been the fans, sponsors and television networks who have been doing the spending. For the first time in its history, after setting new television ratings records with last week’s Stanley Cup Final Game 7 in Vancouver, the NHL is set to exceed $3 billion in revenue this season. Among the major four sports, they are still roughly $1 billion behind the NBA and nearly $6 billion back of the NFL.
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I love the flyers, but money talks and now us fans, whom they paraded out as one of the reasons the cap (family affordable) was needed is suffering again. If you look at it flyer ticket prices have gone up every year and even at the peak of the recession. I am all for a salary cap because it makes the league interesting in all aspects. it also keeps teams competitive unless they are completely mismanaged. baseball is the on going proof of that. besides the recent success of the phillies we all turned off baseball for the most part in late august because of football. Yankees, Sox, Angels, Braves, Cardinals, some bad nlwest team etc seem to be in it every year.— sw-sportsfan
WOW!...The Washington Capitals will actually have to play in a division with teams spending over $40M in salaries. Guess their days of 120 point seasons are over.— drmonday- wow, Holmer could grab a couple cheap vets...risky due to injuries, but the Sharks just let go Nichola Vallin (Carolin Cup Winning D Man), Jamal Meyers (here is your 4th line tough as nails winger), and Scott Nichol (bad year, but was a league leader in faceoff wins 2 seasons ago). I would grab Vallin and Meyers today.— MichaelZoe
- twpman: you're a complete hockey moron. Pronger is a Hart Trophy winner (best NHL player MVP) and Norris winner. He is a Stanley Cup winner. And he has been to the SC Finals with EDM and PHI. He is a leader. He is one the greastest first-passers out of the D zone in the history of the game. He had one bad year with injuries. Last time I checked, Carter has never led the league in points, assists, goals, won an MVP, won a Cup, lead the league in faceoff wins, or playing time. Get a clue, please.— MichaelZoe
- Keys to success:
-Sign a good goalie
-Dump Jeff Carter - his heart doesn't match his arrogance.
-Remove the "C" from Richards and put it on Pronger
-Dump Daniel Carcillo and replace him with Sestito. Carcillo is making way too much money for a spot picker.
— Ferrell31 - I expect almost anything from Flyers GM. After trading Gagne for Walker or trading 1st and 3rd for Versteeg when in reality we needed a goalie, Upshall plus 2nd for Carcillo.
Honestly, I do not know what to expect... Anything is possible.
— Nitroglycerin 
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
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- Well since Carter is HURT every playoff, seemingly, how do we know he's not a playoff performer? 5 goals in 12 games with a broken foot last year, 7 goals in 07-08. Stupid idiot dumb people. Do you really think this team won't do whatever it takes to keep as much talent as possible? You dont give away 40-goal scorers. You dont give away the one guy you can least afford to be without(Pronger). How'd that work out in the Boston series when he missed it? Thats right they got swept. Gustaffson is no more than a 5th or 6th D-Man in this league. Same for Bart. I think Versteeg goes and that frees up what we need to keep everyone except Leino and add Bryz. Leinos not a 3/mil a year player anyway— seaonasdad
- Gustafsson and Bartulis are just as good as Pronger? Oy vey.
I'll be shocked if Carter goes anywhere. I think his contract, along with many the club has offered, is far too long, but they obviously like him. Not seeing it.
The cap number is tied to revenues. Teams can/must spend within the same percentage window as they have every other year of the new CBA. They're on a fixed income. Talk of impending doom is stuff and nonsense.— sklandog 
A lot of fans are against keeping Jeff Carter, however they're about a dozen players in the league that score like him every season. His goals account for wins in the regular season that get the team into post season. He is a valuable piece to this team because he commands defensive attention from opposing teams and it gives other players on FLYERS less focus by top defense men so they can score. Of course, Carter has to mature into a playoff performer. He has the skating ability and size to evolve into a playoff scorer and defender.Defensive hockey is easier to teach than offensive skill. I think he can switch his game and turn up the intensity when motivated. Get motivated Carter!!! I agree with the notion that Versteeg doesn't fit in with this team and needs to be traded or become a salary dump. Keeping Leino would be a plus while signing Bryzgalov. Hopefully it ALL falls into place.— Phillyflashgordon- Super! Now that they've raised the cap the country club boys can still hang around together. Just when there was a chance we might rid ourselves of a couple of the slackers this news comes along. The Sixers will win a championship before the Flyers ever do.— schnitzelboy
- 'Salary Cap Floor Number' increased = more future team re-locations or worst yet, contraction.....so this is what Bettman wants? Look for a NHL lockout in a few years---a dozen owners or so will be hurting.— Romus
- Comment removed.
- From Columbus Dispatch.....'As for a center, GM Ken Howson hopes to acquire Jeff Carter, but a plan b has not been openly discussed just yet'
— Romus - With all the idiotic talk of trading Carter, get rid of aging contracts if someone will have them. Pronger can go for one. He has one year left in him so get what you can of value now, thats 5 million and than get rid of a guy who should never have been brought here, Versteeg, and there's another 3 million. 8 million saved. You have 2 guy's on D that can step in and play. Bartulis and Gustaffson. The only thing Pronger has on either is a shot, the other 2 have MUCH better wheels and probably would hit somebody.— twpman
- twpman:
Two questions: 1)What are you smoking and 2) where can I buy some! If you could stuff Bartulis & Gustaffson into one pair of skates they still would not equal Pronger. I agree that Versteeg can take a hike. Carter & his 35 or 36 for-the-most- part meaningless goals can also go. I'm sure another team would be interested in a guy who can't put that "heralded" wrist shot actually on the net from 30-35 feet out, won't back-check and won't pass the puck.— Dennyb21 - Comment removed.
- I think this is good for the Flyers in 2 ways. it gives them more money obviously to help with signing Bryz and it may save Leino. Also since Florida has to take on a ton of salary, Flyers can dump salary on them hopefully.Tallon might take a "flyer" on Versteeg— debbyt
- awesome, now the flyers can sign another player who won't take them anywhere and we'll be saddled with a bigger contract. sweet.— DennyP
- Pelti - They need to move to new cities - or fold. I think the better than average and above players are spread way to thin right now. I would love to see the league condense by a few teams so the talent could be a bit more concentrated.— CTL
- Yikes! Ya gotta think the owners in the cheaper cities must be cringing at being made to spend $20-30 million more in salaries this year......and yes, it certainly makes for an interesting salary dump year for a lot of teams.....the question is, will those lower rung owners want out of the existing agreement and what penalties do they face if they don't spend the money this year? There are no cities left to expand to, as one poster on here advocated doing....some say we should actually fold a few franchises and I agree with that thinking. In any event, Homer seems to have done the organization good with the way he has structured these long term contracts and their cap hits. Hopefully it will allow the manuevering we need to do to get who we want. Of anyone, I'd like to see Versteeg go first, this team just went into the tank after they acquired him for the stretch run and the playoffs. He was the only one brought in, it's gotta be his fault, right?????— Mark1npt
- Hartnell has a no trade clause. But I could see DET asking about him to replace Bertuzzi. One slow, imoble knucklehead for an old, slow immobile dodo.— MichaelZoe
Yeah, it's going to turn into a similar absurdity of the "expiring contracts" in the NBA. I think it's hilarious. All the small market teams that stole a season from us now have to suffer under the rules they created, while the big market teams are back to pre-lockout levels. If the Panthers or Islanders can't afford to pay the floor, they need to move to new cities.— Pelti- If I'm Scott Hartnell, Carter, Versteeg or Carle I'm a little worried this week knowing that I could be shipped off to low life teams like Florida, Columbus, NY Islanders, Winnipeg etc.— Fabulous
- yeah...great idea...tax them 200%....whatever... The NHL's cap system does work. If those small market teams would spend the money they're being given (by the TV contract...GUARANTEED money), then the lower limit wouldn't be needed. It's there so they don't simply pocket the money as profit for the owner(s).— uncle meat
- Like the Pittsburgh pirates. They get money from every team in the league and the MLB and when a player gets good they trade them away. Its called a fall safe so teams don't do this.
— azguz - Contracts like Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen's become incredible assets at this point because of the increased cap floor. Cap hits of 4.2 and 6.3 respectively versus actual salary 3.7 and 5. The last 2 years Daniel Briere's deal will be a ridiculous value for a cap floor team (6.5 million cap number/ 5 million total for 2 seasons)... the new NHL.— mike
- So basically, the NHL's cap system doesn't work. Teams that couldn't afford to spend $35mm 5 years ago now have to spend $48mm. Should have gone with a highly punitive luxury tax system-say a 200% tax on every dollar above the threshold....meaning if a team is $1mm over the tax threshold, they get taxed $2mm.— JSaq
