NHL rumblings: Postseason salary cap to be discussed in CBA negotiations, plus Flyers' plan for draft capital

New York Times

04-04-2025

The very first comment on my story earlier this week about injured NHL stars was telling.
'Pierre, do you think the next CBA will include the need for teams to be salary-cap compliant in the playoffs? It's a shame that recent miraculous 'Playoff Game 1' returns from long-term injuries are starting to make people question the legitimacy of injuries (or at least the timing of their returns) on teams who went shopping at the trade deadline,' wrote Athletic subscriber G.K.
Advertisement
Long-term injured reserve issues and the idea of a playoff salary cap have, I believe, been blown out of proportion over the past several years, but the topic is very much on the mind of many hockey fans.
It began with Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. Then, of course, there was the Nikita Kucherov and Tampa Bay Lightning situation in 2021. And then Mark Stone and the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.
But in between, all kinds of teams have used LTIR around the trade deadline to maximize cap space, etc.. All-in clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers have been very good and clever at it in recent years.
This isn't about a few isolated cases. It's about the entire league.
But to answer G.K.'s question from above? Yes.
As I reported on TSN's 'Insider Trading' on Thursday, the league plans to bring up the LTIR playoff salary cap issue with the NHLPA in CBA extension talks, which began this week in New York. As to whether there's a CBA tweak that can be figured out, who knows? But at the very least, it's on the agenda for discussion.
As for a solution, it's too early to tell what shape or form that could take.
From an NHLPA perspective, it's always been difficult to know exactly how 750-plus players feel about this issue, but the hook I've always landed on is that one would think players would want as level a playing field as possible come playoff time, as far as teams competing evenly for a Stanley Cup.
Solutions?
Some GMs liked an idea that was floated last season by then-Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland and Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill. Nill shared it with me at the March 2024 GM meetings.
'You should be cap compliant for that game (in the playoffs),' Nill said. 'You can add $20 million if you want (via LTIR) for the playoffs, but for that game, your active roster has to be cap-compliant. That's how I would do it.
Advertisement
'Because, you know, we don't know what injuries we're going to get. We can't dictate injuries. You can get an injury two days before the start of the playoffs. So if you have an opportunity, if you can add something to your team, you have to do it, that's your job. But within the cap world, we want fair competition for each game. Just be cap-compliant for a game. If you added $10 million, someone's going to have to sit out for a playoff game. That's just my take. Just be cap-compliant for a playoff game.'
Ironically, Nill and the Stars have benefited from the LTIR rules this season, allowing them to make a splash at the deadline with injuries to Miro Heiskanen, Tyler Seguin and Nils Lundqvist opening up cap space. But I can assure you Nill feels the same way today as he did last year when I quoted him saying that.
It's about finding something that works for everyone. But NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in the past has found solutions like Nill's suggestion too simplistic for a complicated LTIR system.
So honestly I'm not exactly sure what a tweak would look like, and perhaps in the end, the NHL and NHLPA won't find enough common ground.
But at least they're going to talk about it. We'll see what, if anything, comes of it.
Since Daniel Briere took over as GM in May 2023, the Philadelphia Flyers have been unflinching in their bigger-picture vision of what it's going to take to turn over the roster and build something with lasting power.
It is a soul-sucking exercise at times, and the firing of head coach John Tortorella last week was no fun at all for the young Flyers GM.
But through it all, there's been a consistent vision from Briere of where he wants this thing to go.
Even after surprisingly flirting with a playoff berth last season, Briere and team president of hockey ops Keith Jones were transparent in communicating to everyone that they weren't done with the pain part of things — not that early into a rebuild that began less than two years ago.
Advertisement
In fact, they said, odds are the 2024-25 season would have more pain. And after selling off more pieces before the trade deadline, there was certainly more pain.
Well worth it, the GM told The Athletic in Toronto last week, if they deliver on the overall plan.
'Our goal is not to just become a team that makes the playoffs and kind of just squeezes in. We want to be a team that when it's time, we go and eventually be a contender, and that's what we're trying to build,' Briere said. 'But to get there, you've got to go through some pain. … We believe in the end, this will help us be a better team.'
The Flyers have three first-round picks in this June's draft: their own, plus picks acquired from the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche. They also have four second-round picks.
They could use those in trades, as well.
'We're going to explore everything we can,' Briere said. 'Obviously we're excited about the picks, but it's more than just picks, it's assets. That's the way we see it. If we have a chance to make our team better quicker, we'll use those picks. It might be to move up in the draft. It might be to acquire a player or something that we need. We did a little bit of that in the trade with Toronto with (Nikita) Grebenkin. Him being 21 years old, he's a bit more mature, a bit more ready to help us sooner rather than later. Whereas you draft a player at 18 years old, sometimes it can take three or four years before they're ready to play.
'So we're definitely open to explore all kinds of different ways to start making our team better.'
Would the Flyers be willing to trade one of their first-round picks?
'Yes, absolutely, we're open to different things,' Briere said. 'You need to two to tango, and you can't do that by yourself. But yes, if there are teams that are interested in doing that type of deal, yes …'
Advertisement
The idea is to try to move the rebuild up a phase this summer and hopefully add real pieces. Easier said than done, of course, but that's the plan. If they can pull it off, maybe they can contend for a playoff spot next season.
The fear in any rebuild is getting stuck in forever-building mode and not getting over the hump. How does Briere make sure he never gets into that scary situation?
'You're a little bit at the mercy of the players when it comes to that,' he said. 'The players will tell you when they're ready to take that step. And we've seen it, we've seen guys take steps. We saw a lot of guys take a big step last year. It's part of the reason we almost made the playoffs last season. But we're going to need more.
'And the guys are aware. I like the mentality of our young guys. They want to be part of something special down the road. They know they got to put the time in for now.'
(Top photo of Gary Bettman: Elsa / Getty Images)