Pens/NHL Tidbits: Increased cap won't influence Pens to overpay free agents to be

*NHL executive Bill Daly told reporters in Vancouver that the NHL salary cap could be as high as $63.5 million for the 2011-2012 season.

That is great news for teams like the Flyers, Penguins, Rangers but not good news for small market teams who are struggling to spend to the minimum cap floor.

It's amazing how much the cap has increased since the lockout when the league had a $39 million cap in 2005-2006.

The transformation of the Penguins as a franchise has also been something to watch. They have evolved into one of the strongest financially and they are right up there with big market teams like the New York Rangers, when it comes to being able to spend what they want.

*The Penguins I'm told have gone into the off-season with expectations that the cap will be in the $62.2 - $62.5 million range. With around $55 million committed for the 11-12 season, the Penguins figure to have at least $6.5 million to spend this summer.

If the cap increases anymore than that, it's considered a great thing for them but don't look for some extra wiggle room to lead the Penguins to overpaying any of their free agents to be.