Here’s the latest on the NHL salary cap as of this year.
- The NHL salary cap rose to 88 million USD for the 2024-25 season, up from 83.5 million the prior year. This was the first sizable jump in several years and reflected solid league revenues.[1][2]
- NHL teams gained about $4.5 million of cap headroom for 2024-25, with the floor set at 65 million USD. The cap increase was part of a broader trend toward normalizing post-pandemic financials.[2]
- Beyond 2024-25, reports across 2025 and 2026 suggest continued increases, with multiple outlets noting expectations of further sizable rises as the league’s revenues and escrow dynamics improve. Some analyses projected upper-limit figures into the mid-90s and beyond for 2025-27 and 2026-27 in optimistic scenarios, though exact numbers depend on collective bargaining outcomes and escrow status.[3][5]
Illustration: A typical season-to-season trajectory post-pandemic has been gradual increases in the cap, punctuated by larger jumps when profits and escrow resolve—allowing teams more payroll flexibility while preserving the hard cap framework.
If you’d like, I can pull the very latest official cap numbers for 2025-26 and 2026-27 and summarize them in a quick table. I can also track any announced CBAs that might affect future cap projections. Would you like me to do that?
Sources:
- NHL cap increase to $88M for 2024-25[2]
- Cap rise context and details[1]
- Future-cap projections and related reporting[3]
Sources
On top of the NHL salary cap's upper limit increasing to $95.5 million next season, the cap is expected to jump to $104 million and $113.5 million in the following two seasons.
thehockeynews.comTo increase by $4.5 million from this season; lower limit will be $65 million
www.nhl.comFor the first time since 2018-19, the NHL salary cap is seeing a significant increase.
bleacherreport.comThe NHL salary cap is rising above $100 million for the first time in league history.
bleacherreport.comIt will be a great time to be a free agent in the NHL again.
www.yardbarker.com‘State of the League is very strong,’ Commissioner says after Board of Governors meeting
www.nhl.comA comprehensive guide to the NHL salary cap for the 2024–2025 season. Learn how the NHL salary cap works, the current \$88.5M cap ceiling and $65M floor, cap hit rules, historical cap figures, and FAQs. Updated with the latest NHL salary cap news to help fans and experts understand team payroll limits and regulations.
capwages.comThe NHL is finally out of the shadow of the COVID pandemic and there are expectations that a stagnant salary cap will be a thing of the past. After a few years
www.si.com