The NHL and NHLPA’s fast-tracked changes to its Collective Bargaining Agreement will have ripple-effects in the industry that will be fascinating to watch. One such looming change will force teams to operate with salary cap limits applied in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the same way they have to comply with cap constrictions in the regular-season. 

A playoff cap ceiling almost certainly will affect the deals teams make at the trade deadlines – perhaps not in the number of deals, but in terms of the makeup of deals. Specifically, there may indeed be fewer rental-type trades, but instead, we may see more “hockey” trades featuring players who are traded in return for equivalent talent.

That new element of a playoff cap ceiling will give GMs pause before they sign off on trades to bulk up their roster with depth moves galore. Unless they have a solid handle on their team’s roster health, they’ll no longer be able to throw money at every player who catches their fancy. And anyway, just because there are likely to be more balanced trades, that doesn’t automatically mean there will be fewer trades. There’s still going to be pressure to improve in the midst of a season. GMs are just going to have to be more creative – and change the nature of their gambles to move from the short term to the longer term. 

No matter how many times the NHL plugs up perceived holes in the labor deal, there are going to be management teams that push the envelope and try to gain an advantage in any way possible. That’s not going to change. Franchises employ well-paid people whose sole job is to exploit the league’s labor deal for the benefit of their GM. That’s not going to change, either. 

So, while this change in the CBA will require executives to adapt their approach to building a Cup-winner, make no mistake, all GMs are going to adapt to the change. Because if they don’t, they won’t be GMs for much longer.

With every tweak and twist of the CBA, the constant need to adapt is of crucial importance to the well-being of teams. And in the next year, time will tell which teams are ahead of the curve in dealing with this latest wrinkle. Just as it’s important to get the edge on opponents on the ice, so too is it vital to get a leg up on opponents in the big picture off of it. And that's going to be something to keep an eye on all season long.

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