NHL & NHLPA Fast-Track CBA Changes for Playoffs & Beyond
The NHL adn NHLPA are expediting several changes from their recently ratified collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with a key focus on postseason cap compliance.These adjustments aim to refine existing rules and introduce new regulations impacting player contracts, endorsements, and game play.
A meaningful change involves playoff cap rules.Teams will now be required to submit a roster of 18 players and two goaltenders to NHL central Registry by 3 p.m.local time (or five hours before game time, whichever is earlier). The “playoff playing roster averaged club salary” for that roster must fall under the team’s salary cap upper limit.This calculation includes the sum of player salaries, bonuses, and all amounts charged to the team’s cap.
“I think overall it’s a good thing because it’s a competitive advantage. I mean, that’s how most people view it, especially if you’re able to use it in the proper way,” Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri recently told ESPN. “You never want to see injuries and you never want to see guys get hurt, but the fact of the matter is [teams] could take advantage of that. And with the new CBA, I think we’ve kind of tightened the rules up a little bit to make it a little more challenging.”
The CBA also addresses Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) rules, with changes taking effect in the 2025-26 season. the combined salary and bonuses of players replacing those on LTIR cannot exceed the amount of the injured player’s salary and bonuses. Furthermore, the average salary of replacement players cannot exceed the prior season’s average league salary.
an exception exists: teams can exceed these average amounts, but the injured player would then be ineligible to return for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. This exception requires approval from both the NHL and NHLPA.
Beyond the immediate playoff adjustments, several other CBA changes are being fast-tracked for the 2025-26 season:
Deferred Compensation: The practice of deferred compensation in player contracts will be outlawed, effective October 7th.
Dress Code: Player dress codes will be relaxed. Endorsements: Players will be permitted to endorse “wine and spirits.”
Salary Retention: “Double salary retention” in trades will be prohibited. This practice, common at the trade deadline, involved teams retaining portions of a player’s salary in multiple trades.
According to PuckPedia, the remaining CBA changes will be implemented gradually over the next year. This includes an increase in the minimum player salary, scheduled for next March.More ample changes, such as contract value variance and term limits (seven years for re-signings with the same team, six years for signings with new teams), will not take effect until the full CBA is implemented on September 16, 2026.
the NHL’s planned shift to an 84-game regular season will be implemented beginning with the 2026-27 season.
