Leo Carlsson was in the car with his dad when the phone rang.
asserted
phone → ring → dad
Carlsson couldn’t believe the numbers being rattled off.
asserted
Carlsson → believe → numbers
“I was surprised,” he said at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas earlier this month.
asserted
he → surprise → Vegas
“A weird feeling, (but it’s) where the league is heading
asserted
league → ’ → ?
The Philadelphia Flyers were proposing an eye-popping five-year, US$90-million offer sheet in restricted free agency carrying a record-breaking — for a few weeks, at least — average annual value of $18 million to pry Carlsson out of California.
asserted
Flyers → propose → California
He signed the deal and the Ducks eventually matched to keep the 21-year-old in their brood.
asserted
Ducks → sign → brood
Carlsson putting pen to paper, however, was one of many lucrative pacts agreed to during hockey’s cash-heavy summer.
asserted
putting → put → summer
The NHL’s salary cap is jumping to $104 million in 2026-27, up from $95.5 million last season and a far cry from the flat $81.5-million-to-$83.25-million range coming off the COVID-19 pandemic.
asserted
cap → jump → pandemic
The system is now flush with currency thanks in part to big-money national television contracts and increased advertising revenue.
asserted
system → increase → contracts
Players are taking advantage.
asserted
Players → take → advantage
“These deals are crazy,” Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser said.
asserted
Boeser → say → ?
“Definitely didn’t see that coming, but it’s awesome.”
asserted
it → see → ?
The biggest swings saw Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard snag a five-year, $75-million extension ($15M AAV), San Jose Sharks counterpart Macklin Celebrini get $94-million ($18.8M AAV) over the same term, and Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar secure an eight-year, $163.2-million agreement ($20.4M AAV).
asserted
Makar → see → agreement
“It shows where the cap’s going and where the league’s going,” Celebrini said.
asserted
Celebrini → show → ?
The gap remains wide, but has closed some over the last stretch.
asserted
gap → remain → stretch
And even youngsters with thin resumes have also made bank.
asserted
youngsters → make → bank
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The Ducks re-upped winger Cutter Gauthier (six years, $81 million), the Canucks signed defenceman Zeev Buium (eight years, $75.04 million) and the Washington Capitals locked in centre Justin Sourdif (eight year, $50.8 million), just to name a few.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was the league’s highest-paid player from 2019 through 2023 with a $12.5 million AAV before signing for the same dollar value last October over this season and next.
asserted
McDavid → get → season
The superstar forward left money on the table for the rest of the roster in hopes of winning that elusive Stanley Cup — something Celebrini said was part of his calculus with the Sharks.
asserted
Celebrini → leave → Sharks
“Trying to find that balance,” he said before adding with a grin: “Sounds dumb because at the time it was the highest AAV ever, but it really was just a number that made sense.”
asserted
that → try → sense
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s AAV has stood at $8.7 million — a nod to his No. 87 jersey and below market value for at least the last decade — since 2008-09 when the cap ceiling was $56.7 million.
asserted
ceiling → stand → 2008
“It just evolves,” Crosby, a three-time Cup winner who consistently took less to leave more of the pie for teammates, said of the NHL’s financial ecosystem.
asserted
who → evolve → ecosystem
“I don’t try to compare because now is different than then.
asserted
I → try → ?
“The reality of where everything’s at.
asserted
everything → ’ → where
And while Celebrini and Carlsson went for shorter-term deals, other players made the call to lock in for the long haul during the recent flat-cap era.
asserted
players → go → era
Some of those contracts now look like bargains.
asserted
Some → look → bargains
Vegas Golden Knights centre Jack Eichel bagged an eight-year, $108 million extension around the time McDavid signed last fall, and shortly after Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov agreed on the same term for $136 million.
asserted
Kaprizov → bag → million
“We understood the numbers would continue to increase,” he said.
asserted
he → understand → ?
“It’s an incredible deal for me and my family.”
asserted
It → ’ → me
Boeser, who signed a seven-year, $50.75-million contract in July 2025, is in the same boat.
asserted
who → sign → boat
“I’m not going to sit here and whine,” he said.
asserted
he → go → ?
Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson, meanwhile, agreed to an eight-year, $64-million extension in 2023.
asserted
Sanderson → agree → 2023
“You love to see guys sign those deals for themselves, but maybe for your future self as well,” he said.
asserted
he → love → self
“I’m still very happy.”
asserted
I → ’m → ?
Buffalo Sabres centre Tage Thompson also remains pleased with the seven-year, $50-million extension he inked in 2022, but there’s a small “what if?” that lingers
asserted
that → remain → 2022
“Tough to gauge where the cap’s going to go and, honestly, where your career is going,” he said.
asserted
he → gauge → ?
“Do I think there’s guys that wish they would have held out a little bit?
asserted
they → think → ?
“Obviously you would have liked to sign a big ticket and get as much money as humanly possible.
asserted
you → like → money
But at the end of the day, you’re still talking about (lots of money).”
asserted
you → talk → money
Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak, who signed an eight-year, $90-million extension in 2023, said today’s player has past generations to thank.
asserted
player → sign → generations
“Bobby Orr was not making same money I’m making,” he said.
asserted
he → make → money
…and 8 more, not listed.
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