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Report: Salary cap ‘may be around’ $70 million next season

kaneandtoewsgetty

From TSN’s Bob McKenzie, ahead of next week’s NHL Board of Governors meetings:

The current salary cap is $64.3 million, so a jump up to $70 million, or around there, for next season would be a significant one.

How much higher could the cap go? According to an estimate by the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle, the answer is, a lot higher.

Projections

Granted, not everyone is as bullish on the NHL’s revenue growth.

“I don’t know if I’m in the minority, but I’m hesitant; there’s no accountability for these random people making these predictions the cap is going to be $80 million [in four seasons],” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told ESPNChicago.com on Friday. “I might be wrong. I think there’s folly. There’s so many factors that go into the salary cap.

“Because there’s a new television deal, I’m not going to assume it’s going to be $80 million. I don’t operate that way. If you base your assumptions on predictions and you’re wrong, I can’t say, ‘They said it was going to be $80 million.’ I’m going to wait to see where it goes. I think it’s safe to say it’s going to go up. It’s think it’s a little bit irresponsible to say where it’s going to be unless you have intricate knowledge of the cap.”

Bowman, of course, will soon need to find room to sign Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, each of whom can become an unrestricted free agent after next season. So the ‘Hawks will be particularly interested in the league’s projections next week.

Related: Will the Rangers use a compliance buyout on Richards?