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Columnist: Gap between cap and floor to grow wider

Fehr-Bettman-Getty

A little something to chew on during a slow news day – the Globe and Mail’s Eric Duhatschek believes the gap between the salary cap and salary floor will be wider once the NHL and the players’ union negotiate a new collective-bargaining agreement. (The current CBA expires in September.)

Here’s Duhatschek’s explanation:

Coming out of the lockout, teams were limited to a $39-million payroll, but were required to spend a minimum of $23-million. Because the business has prospered since then, the ceiling is now $64.3-million and the floor $48.3-million - and the latter is an unsustainable figure for small-market U.S. teams.

…There will probably be a floor in the new CBA as well, but the gap will be wider than $16-million, just so the Nashvilles, Phoenixes and St. Louises can set their budgets and spend to their limits. The gaps between the haves and have-nots will widen financially, although how that actually plays out on the ice remains to be seen.

For fans of cost-conscious clubs like Nashville or Carolina, there are two ways to look at this.

From a pessimistic view, the Leafs, Flyers, Rangers and the rest of the rich franchises will be able to outspend your team to an even greater degree.

On the other hand, if the cap floor is too high and your team is forced to spend money it can’t afford to spend, there’s always the risk your team calls it a day and moves somewhere else.