Latest Buzz from BOG Meetings
Salary Cap could increase by $1.5-$2 million
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met with general managers and owners on Tuesday at the Board of Governors meetings and projections for next years salary cap has the cap in the $56.8 – $58.5 million range .
The league does not expect a decrease and early projections show the possibility of even a $1.5-$2 million increase at the max.
The projections now set the stage for general managers to begin preparations for next season. The Canadian franchises are the markets that carry the salary cap.
They make up for teams like Phoenix, Florida and Atlanta which don’t bring in adequate revenues.
It’s astounding that the league is against relocating a team like Phoenix to Canada. It’s time for the league to admit their mistake and do what’s best for the entire league.
Cap projections set stage for Gonchar negotiations
Not that executives with the Penguins have the cap projections for next season, they will move forward in contract talks with defenseman Sergei Gonchar.
Penguins general manager Ray Shero and J.P. Barry the agent for Gonchar, will conduct their first set of substantive talks in early January.
Pittsburgh’s top priority is to re-sign Gonchar but Pittsburgh will only have a window of 6 weeks to strike a deal as the Penguins have set a deadline that they won’t negotiate with Gonchar after the trade deadline.
If the two sides are unable to agree to a deal before the trade deadline, striking a deal after the season before July 1 will be unlikely I’m told.