Evan’s NHL Daily: Salary Cap Rising, Fans And Players Want Olympics

After a few years of a flat salary cap in the NHL, it appears teams will actually have some wiggle room next summer, because the salary cap is expected to go up 5%. Did the Colorado Avalanche already use that money?

With the NHL Board of Governors meeting, there was other news to come out, including the players making it known that they really want to play in the next Olympics. The fact that Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t been able to compete in an Olympics yet is mind boggling.

All that and more in this Tuesday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

Taking a look back at the loss to the LA Kings, where the Avalanche played well for two periods, but struggled in a big way in the third. The lack of a second line center is a problem at the moment.

You may have noticed a lack of “Turning Point” this weekend. That’s because I’m evaluating the content and seeing if some changes are needed. Do people still enjoy it? My concern is they can all kind of bleed together, so I’m spitballing some ideas on what can replace it as + content.

The Avalanche will be back home on Tuesday night, and will look for a bit of revenge against the Anaheim Ducks.

NHL News

Good news for every team in the NHL: The salary cap is going up for the 2024-25 season, and not just by a little. It sure sounds like the number, as of right now, is $87.675 million. That’s a $4.175 million jump from what it’s at this season, so it’s a significant change.

The Avalanche might have already spent that money, though. With the Devon Toews extension kicking in next summer, that takes up $3.15 of that $4.175 million. Colorado really doesn’t have many big contracts coming off the books, so Chris MacFarland is going to have some work to do. There’s also the expectation that Gabriel Landeskog will return next season, so you have to account for his $7 million cap hit as well.

In other news, the NHL is trying to finalize the NHL Draft taking place at the Sphere in Las Vegas. That would be a good time, and I’d definitely look to get out there to cover that.

The big topic that will be discussed in the coming days is the Olympics. The players want to go, and the fans want the players to go. Why is this so difficult? Just make sure it happens. It helps grow the game in a big way. I still remember the first game back at the Pepsi Center in 2010 after the Olympics. It was a full house, and the fans were into it. The league needs that excitement, and it’s criminal that Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t played in an Olympics yet.

The 2026 Olympics are set to take place in Italy. Figure it out, NHL.

National Hockey Now

With the amount of talent the Pittsburgh Penguins possess, it makes no sense why their powerplay is atrocious.

For the first time since the pandemic, the Florida Panthers are hanging with their fans.

What long-term lessons must Eklund and the Sharks learn? (+)

Patrick Kane will not be making his debut against the Buffalo Sabres after all.

The New Jersey Devils aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders, but Jack Hughes is.

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