Heading into the 2024-25 season, the New Jersey Devils are one of the 11 teams affected by salary cap overages.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, the New Jersey Devils are one of the 11 teams affected by salary cap overages.
The salary cap is projected to have a $4.3M increase next season going from $83.5M to $87.7M.
The Devils' overage penalty is $1,538,897. None of the overages or dead cap space can be traded meaning the Devils' effective cap space is $85,911,103.
According to CapFriendly, the Devils are heading into next season with a cap hit just over $67M. Even with the salary cap rising, the Devils will have less than $20M in space. They are projected to have 16 out of 23 active roster spots filled with 25 out of 50 possible contracts. A few things are leading into that, one of them being that it's the last year the Devils are paying a $250,000 penalty for the cancelled Ilya Kovalchuk contract.
Where the bulk of the salary cap overages come from is the bonuses given to players on entry-level contracts. Dawson Mercer, Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec and Alexander Hotlz are the four Devils players able to receive performance bonuses.
According to PuckPedia "Level "A" Bonuses are worth $212,500 each, to a maximum of $850,000 (maximum 4 achieved). For signed players starting in 2022, "A" bonuses are worth $250,000 each, to a maximum of $1,000,000 (maximum 4 achieved).” A forward can receive one of the Level “A” bonuses by finishing the season with either 20 goals, 35 assists, 60 points, top six in time on ice among forwards (in total and/or per game) on team (minimum 42 games), top three in +/- among forwards on team (minimum 42 games), 0.73 points per game (minimum 42 games), End-of-Season All-Rookie Team, All-Star Selection or All-Star MVP.
Defensemen can achieve these bonuses by scoring 10 goals, 25 assists, 40 points, top four in time on ice among defensemen (in total and/or per game) on team (minimum 42 games), top three in +/- among defensemen on team (minimum 42 games), 0.49 points per game (minimum 42 games), top two among defensemen on team in blocked shocks and all of the same rookie and all-star awards as the forwards.
Level "B" Bonuses are worth a maximum of $2M (up to $2.5M for players drafted in 2022 and later), and the full amount of the bonus is awarded if any of the following is achieved by forwards; top ten in NHL for goals, assists or points by a forward, or points per game (min 42 GP). For defensemen; top ten in the NHL for goals, assists, or points by a defenseman, ice time or points per game (min 42 GP). If they win any of the following trophies: Hart, Selke, Richard, Conn Smythe, Norris and 1st or 2nd team All-Star.
Hughes eclipsed 25 assists and 40 points. He was also top four among defensemen in ice time and above the 0.49 points per game mark earning his full bonus. Mercer was eligible for $400,000 and earned "A" bonuses for Goals and TOI. Mercer's contract called for a reduced Time on Ice bonus amount if the team missed the playoffs. Holtz had a bonus of $850,000 but didn't meet any requirements and Nemec's maximum bonus was for $3.25M and earned "A" bonuses for Time on Ice and Blocked Shots according to PuckPedia. With $1.74M in bonuses earned, the Devils finishing the season $200,000 below the cap reduced the overage to $1.54M.
GM Tom Fitzgerald has plans to acquire a top-end goaltender, add pieces to the defence and depth forwards. Because of the salary cap overages, the Devils could have to move out current pieces on the roster.
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