Money can’t buy Stanley

The NHL salary-cap has been set at $75 million for the 2017-18 season but bigger isn’t always better

As the NHL salary-cap continues to climb, more money doesn’t necessarily mean winning. According to an NHL assistant general manager however, the key is managing that money properly.

“Money is a useful tool and having a team that has the finances to spend is advantageous,” said Vancouver Canucks assistant GM John Weisbrod. “But it’s not any stronger than intelligence, planning and quality spending.”

The salary-cap in the National Hockey League is based on the league’s revenues as a whole, meaning it can go up or down any season. This year, it is set at $75 million.

“The main trick now is knowing where the cap is going,” said Weisbrod. “You have to plan what it will be years from now when players have developed to use every bit of the cap as effectively as possible.”

The salary-cap was first introduced by the NHL as a way to create balance between the big and small market teams after the lockout in 2004-05.

“Think of the cap like a pie. You got two or three (players) taking majority of it and then it’s the general manager’s job to slice the rest for the remainder of the team,” said NHL agent Jarret Bousquet. “With no cap, there was no pie.”

Bousquet of Titans Sports Management represents many players, including Montreal Canadiens assistant captain Shea Weber. In 2014, he negotiated him a contact making Weber the highest paid NHL player that season.

Players are broken down into three categories: Entry level, restricted free agent and unrestricted. Their category reflects their salary.

According to Bousquet, entry-level players are the young players coming from college, junior, or Europe. They can make roughly $1 million. Restricted free agents are players who have been in the NHL prior but are still under 27 years old. They normally make around $1.5 to $4 million. Lastly are unrestricted players. They must be over 27 years old and are at the “mercy of the marketplace.” In other words, they have no salary limit.

Even though the cap is increasing, Bousquet said he believes only superstar players generally stand to make more money on their next contract.

“There is a lot less middle ground,” said Bousquet. “Teams want a one-two-punch, meaning two players making a combined total of $20 million … then you fill the rest of the roster with really young and talented cheap guys … that’s how you win.”

But for Bousquet, it’s not all about the cash.

“Even with entry-level contracts, we get some guys when they’re 15 years old, they’re just a kid. You’re there opening night, it’s just so rewarding that you can be any small part of a kid reaching his dream,” said Bousquet. “Then the bigger deals, it’s just such a great feeling as an agent when they get married and have kids, they’re stable. You’re just so proud.”

However, it’s important to remember the NHL is a business and as Bousquet puts it, “Every dollar counts in the cap-system.”