NHL Free Agents 2012: How the New CBA Will Affect Team Spending

Low-salary NHL teams will be more active due to the pending collective bargaining agreement (CBA). On the contrary, teams with higher payrolls may restrain themselves from delving into free agency also as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the salary cap under this new CBA.

On June 28, the NHL and NHLPA announced that the 2012-13 league year will have a lower-limit cap of $54.2 million, an adjusted midpoint of $62.2 million and a high cap of $70.2 million. That is a near-$8 million rise in cap limit from the previous CBA.

However, these figures are pursuant on the agreement on the CBA by the two sides. The CBA is not set to go into effect until September 15, 2012.

That is, once it’s agreed upon by both the NHLPA and NHL. It could rise again, or more likely fall, before an agreement is met.

One thing is certain in all of this uncertainty: Players are going to be on the move this summer and teams are going to be spending to reach the presumed cap floor. Teams in the middle of the cap ranges may not be as willing to take on big-money contracts for fears that the new agreement will lower the cap space they think they have going into the season.

The last thing a successful team like the Boston Bruins ($69,92 million, $277,857 in cap room) needs to do is spend more money to reach the ceiling only to have to cut more salary if the CBA lowers that limit.

The uncertainty is the key.

However, like the recent NFL CBA, the NHL version will likely have a transitional period that allows for teams to meet the standards over a period of time. What that did in the NFL was create a flurry of one-year contracts in the wake of the agreement.

If the cap limit is lowered from the announced $70.2 million, teams will be able to shed the one-year contracts next offseason.

Will the NHL experience a similar phenomenon this summer? It is very possible contending teams may go out and bring in a big-name, big-contract player for a year while the CBA takes shape and is put into effect.

Smaller-market teams are going to be spending as well. Teams like the Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche and Phoenix Coyotes are all in favorable cap situations, but may need to add in order to meet the cap floor of the new agreement.

If it sticks, that is.

The biggest thing we know is that everything is likely to change. Teams must be prudent, but some will likely not be as each tries to gain a competitive edge for next season.

Who will be the team to shock the world and dare to test the new CBA implementation?

Teams that are keeping themselves in the lower-to-mid salary range should plan on adding a few key acquisitions in order to make sure they are within the cap range in the event this new agreement sticks in September.

Whether it's a low-salary organization or a maverick team looking to take advantage of the uncertainty, this will likely be a summer of spending more than a summer of caution as the new CBA is discussed and takes shape.

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