Stanley Cup Final: Why Salary Cap Jail Pays Off

The time has come; the Stanley Cup Final is set and we will see the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning compete for glory. The Blackhawks could be considered a modern-day dynasty; while the Lightning are the new kids crashing the party, but both teams call salary cap jail home. The Lightning have the second highest cap number (available cap space $2,006,191) only behind the Flyers who are an estimated $613,096 over the current cap. The Blackhawks have most of their cap money tied into two superstar players, but they are a little better off. Chicago is listed with the sixth highest cap number of the 2015-2015 season (available cap space $5,704,871).

On the up side while cash is tight right now Chicago can look forward to roughly ten-million in additional funds available once contracts expire at the end of the season. Tampa’s

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relief is far more helpful as they will see an addition twenty-two-million available. But, that number will be drastically reduced if they hope to lock up

Steven Stamkos

for the long-term.

Both teams have their share of superstar power, and both teams have been in on the Stanley Cup Final conversation for months. In reality we are seeing the old guard vs. the new kids on the ice. There will be many story lines as there is with any Stanley Cup Final, but this year’s battle will bring to light the ever-changing salary cap numbers of the NHL. With talks about the cap only going up to $71 million both teams are going to have some issues getting everyone under contract next season.

After the strikes and hold outs the NHL is left with two high spending teams that push the limits of the salary cap in an attempt to be contenders and it paid off. Whiles some markets struggle with high cap numbers and little return the Lightning and Blackhawks seem to have found a balance with into their spending ways. This season we saw teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets call the top spending teams ten home only to fall short and have nothing to really show for it.

Both Tampa Bay and Chicago have shown that locking up a few star players and spending the money to keep their talent can pay off. In today’s NHL it has become clear that it is a spend now to win now league and the “smaller” markets will only challenge for a cup once they suffer for years. The NHL and their salary cap still need work. The system is not great, and the league has shown it hasn’t really learned much after the lock out shortened season of 2012. But, Tampa and Chicago seem to have master the art of spending money and getting results.

One thing that has been working is growing young talent and keeping them on your roster. Even with the great possibility of players from both Stanley Cup Final teams being picked over once the season is done; their core players will most likely remain the same. In today’s NHL structure it defiantly pays to go to jail.

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