At the NHL’s Board of Governors meeting, commissioner Gary Bettman stated that the salary cap for the 2024-25 season could be between $87 million and $88 million, which would be a pretty substantial increase from the current $83.5 million salary cap today. It is to be taken with a grain of salt, but it is very possible at this point in time.
For reference, an increase of that magnitude has not been seen since the 2018-19 season, where there was a boost of $4.5 million in the league’s maximum salary. If the projected increase is what has been reported, what would that mean for the Philadelphia Flyers?
Flyers’ Trading Potential Skyrockets
NHL general managers (GMs) aren’t necessarily the brightest when it comes to making moves in the offseason once they get a large portion of cap space freed up. Oftentimes, teams are very aggressive in the offseason attempting to either change the direction of the team or simply react to their competition who is also making big moves.
For a rebuilding Flyers team, they should be thrilled to be on the opposite end of this. This was exemplified by their trade of Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets during the offseason, where they got a haul for a defenseman they no longer needed without having to retain a cent on his contract.
With more money available to teams, the Flyers can sell even more next offseason. With veteran assets like Scott Laughton and Cam Atkinson likely to draw attention with their short-term deals coupled with the ability to trade higher salary contracts with term such as Travis Sanheim or Sean Couturier, this is a major benefit to Philadelphia.
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Of course, much of the value the Flyers get back for these players depends on how they play, which is why their success in 2023-24 will correlate with the Flyers’ success in the future. If Philadelphia can get premier play out of their tradeable players and combine that with a rising cap, their rebuild will be made significantly easier with the returns they could get.
Some players who might have been untradeable can become sought after by other teams, and the Flyers would be able to sit back and let the bidding war begin. Sure, the contenders of the NHL also get a big boost from a salary cap increase, but a team like the Flyers would have long-term advantages from it rather than the short-term gains that the better teams in the league would get.
Flyers Have Potential For Free Agent Splash
Unless the Flyers can at least improve from where they were last season, the team probably won’t be in the market to sign a big-name free agent for a little bit. Having cap flexibility gives them this option without mortgaging their future, so it could be something to consider.
Ironically, the current GM of the Flyers, Danny Briere, was a huge free agent splash himself when he got to Philadelphia. This contract came after a franchise-worst 56-point finish in the standings, so it wouldn’t be unheard of for the organization to go after a great player who can have longevity, such as William Nylander if he’s available.
Making a single massive move has been enough to turn the tides of teams in the past. Although that’s a basic way of looking at it, a team like the New York Rangers wouldn’t be where they are today without the help of Artemi Panarin, who signed what may have seemed like a lucrative deal at the time. The Rangers team that went after him had a 77-point season the year prior, while the Flyers are coming off of a 75-point finish in 2022-23.
Without a global pandemic halting the advancement of the salary cap in the NHL, a big cap hit today could seem much lesser by the time the Flyers are competing for the playoffs whenever that time may be. If they really wanted to, a higher salary cap allows them to take a shot.
Flyers Would Have Flexibility
Above all, the Flyers would have flexibility of their own. Much like any contender needs, Philadelphia has to have the money to be able to do what they want in the offseason. If they want to sign their key restricted free agents (RFAs) to long-term contracts, they can do that. If they want to go out and trade for a cap dump like Cal Petersen again, they can do that, too. Flexibility is needed to rebuild, just like it is to win a Stanley Cup.
After this season, the Flyers will have some huge RFAs that they will need to sign. Giving them that much more cap space allows the team to negotiate in good conscience without having to worry about cap ramifications. Of course, a team will always do what’s best for the organization and its future, but the space that the team has in 2024-25 shouldn’t hinder that ability.
With a flat cap, the Flyers probably wouldn’t be able to trade for a salary dump that would get them assets to take on money. These moves can be pretty helpful, as exemplified by when Philadelphia traded the contract of Shayne Gostisbehere to the Arizona Coyotes along with draft picks, and he went on to have a career-reviving next couple of seasons with the team.
It might not seem like much, but the difference of just a few million dollars could really help the Flyers. With a GM that has done nothing but free up money, Briere can be trusted to use it wisely. He can take advantage of those that do not, and he would have all of the leverage over a team desperate to contend.
Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but if the salary cap can increase by upwards of $3 million in the offseason, a rebuilding team like the Flyers could arguably get more good out of this than anyone. It would make for a more exciting offseason, and could surpass the one the team just had in terms of the moves they make.
