Frustration is mounting among several National Hockey League teams as they navigate newly implemented salary cap rules ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, according to reports from ESPN. The changes, stemming from the recently ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, were unexpectedly accelerated into the current 2025-26 season, leaving some general managers feeling blindsided.
The new CBA, which extends through the 2029-30 season, was ratified in July 2025, according to ESPN. While the agreement itself was finalized months ago, the NHL moved to implement certain cap-related provisions immediately, rather than waiting for the scheduled start date of September 16, 2026. This expedited timeline, and the timing of the communication regarding these changes, has drawn criticism from team executives.
“Teams made plans and then, in September, the league changes the rules. It’s bush league,” one anonymous NHL team executive told ESPN. The core of the discontent centers on rules designed to address teams exceeding the salary cap during the playoffs, a practice that has become increasingly common with the use of Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR).
Under the new rules, teams utilizing LTIR to create cap space will face limitations if the injured player returns during the playoffs. A team’s 20-player game-day lineup must now have an “averaged club salary” that remains under the regular-season salary cap upper limit. Previously, a team could potentially field a playoff roster exceeding that limit if a player returning from LTIR pushed them over.
Changes to LTIR rules as well restrict teams from fully replacing an injured player’s salary cap hit. Teams can now only replace an injured player’s salary up to the previous season’s average league salary, unless the player is declared out for both the regular season and playoffs. The Dallas Stars recently utilized this strategy, declaring forward Tyler Seguin out for the remainder of the season to maximize their available cap space.
Another significant change restricts trades involving “double retention,” where two teams each retain a portion of a player’s salary cap hit to facilitate a trade to a third team. The new CBA mandates a 75-day waiting period between instances of salary retention on a player, effectively making such trades impractical at the trade deadline. One general manager estimated this rule could prevent “2-3 trades” from occurring.
The current salary cap is set at $95.5 million and is projected to rise to at least $104 million next season, according to ESPN. Several teams are prioritizing re-signing existing players rather than engaging in significant deadline acquisitions, aided by the rising cap ceiling. Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin noted that many teams “can preserve their players. They can sign who they have.”
Despite the changes, opinions diverge on the expected activity leading up to Friday’s deadline. One general manager described the market as “dead,” while a player agent anticipates a flurry of deals involving players earning $1.5 million or less on expiring contracts.
Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney acknowledged the ongoing adjustment to the new CBA rules. “I think the CBA stuff is still unfolding as we go along,” Sweeney said. “Those are things we have to get in and live [with] and figure out how they’re going to do.” The full impact of the expedited CBA rules on team strategies and trade activity will become clearer after the deadline passes.
