Latest 2023-24 NHL salary cap update isn't good for Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
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The chances of the NHL salary cap increasing by more than $1 million for the 2023-24 season appear quite slim, and that's not a positive development for the Boston Bruins and several other contending teams.
The salary cap for the 2022-23 season was $82.5 million, and the 2023-24 figure is likely to rise by about $1 million to $83.5 million, league commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters last Saturday before Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.
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A larger increase would have been welcomed news for the Bruins, who are facing a serious cap crunch entering a pivotal offseason for the franchise.
They have more than 10 players eligible for unrestricted or restricted free agency this summer and less than $10 million in cap space to work with. Boston also will have $4.5 million in cap space next season tied up in overages from Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci's 2022-23 contracts. So if the cap rises to $83.5 million, the Bruins will actually be working to get under a $79 million threshold.
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Report: Bruins 'exploring' what they need to do to keep Tyler Bertuzzi
The list of Bruins free agents includes Bergeron (UFA), Krejci (UFA), Tyler Bertuzzi (UFA), Trent Frederic (RFA), Dmitry Orlov (UFA) and Jeremy Swayman (RFA), among others.
The Bruins probably will have to make some sort of trade (or two) and potentially buy out a player to complete their roster and get cap compliant for Opening Night in October. We could see a few prospects on cheap entry-level contracts make their NHL debuts early in the 2023-24 season, too.
The B's went all-in from a roster building and salary cap perspective this past season. It was easily the right decision given how well the team was playing. Ultimately the Bruins failed to win the Stanley Cup, and now they must navigate the hardest part of going all-in: The inevitable salary cap issues.
