Finally Finances: NHL Salary Cap for 2016-17 set at $73 million

We finally can put a number to all the furious rosterbating. The NHL has set the upper limit of its salary cap at $73 million for next season, per a release from the league.

Thanks to the escalator clause raise agreed upon by both the NHL and Players Association, the cap actually rises by about $1.6 million over last season’s ceiling. That’s almost the price of one 2011-12 Marty Reasoner! That guy’s the best.

So, how does this affect the Islanders going forward? I have no idea. General Fanager is already updated and says the team has $15, 421, 025 to work with as of right now. Actually, General Fanager is the best.

At the very least, it means Garth Snow can (maybe) start getting some of his various free agents to sign on the line that is dotted. Recent reports had unrestricted free agent Frans Nielsen talking with the team about a long term deal. It’s highly unlikely that the new cap changes the conversations with fellow UFAs Kyle Okposo and Matt Martin, who are both expected to move on.

Meanwhile a cadre of restricted free agents including Shane Prince, Alan Quine, Jean-Francois Berube and Ryan Strome all need new deals. Plus, July 1st, a.k.a Free Agent Christmas, is right around the corner.

The small jump might (if you’re an extremely cock-eyed optimist) lessen the blow of the recent large extension given to Casey Cizikas. But I doubt that.

We had expected the cap to be right here, so chances are Snow has already been working with a number around where it ended up. Now the rest of us can get on with our lives and start doling out someone else’s money all summer long.