Could the NHL ever abandon the hard salary cap and transition to a soft cap similar to the NBA's model?
Today is a big day. Not just because the puck drops for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight in Las Vegas, but because today brings the very first edition of the new weekly Monday Morning Mailbag series right here at The Hockey News.
Fans submitted some solid questions this week, so let's get right to it.
In case you missed it, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stated in his pre-Stanley Cup press conference Saturday that the NHL salary cap is only expected to rise $1 million for the 2023-24 season, claiming the cap will rise significantly more for the 2024-25 season.
But could you imagine if the NHL adopted the NBA's "soft" salary cap? Or, if they got really spicy, abandoned the salary cap completely? That sure would be something.
The NHL currently operates under a "hard" salary cap, meaning teams absolutely cannot exceed the cap under any circumstances. Some teams do manage to work around the hard salary cap by placing players on long-term injured reserve, but for the most part, teams are usually unable to spend more than their allotted budget.
The NBA, however, follows a much different model. Unlike in the NHL, NBA teams are allowed to exceed the league's salary cap. But if they do, there's a price for it. Literally.
If a team exceeds the salary cap, they are then hit with a luxury tax (also called the Competitive Balance Tax). The more a team exceeds the cap, the higher the luxury tax. So, for instance, an NBA team can exceed the salary cap in order to retain players and maximize its chances at competing for a championship.
NHL teams are unable to do this, which helps even the playing field. But as much as (some) fans dislike seeing the formation of "Dream Teams," star-studded teams are a whole lot of fun, and they put butts in seats while bringing in a larger audience.
Do I think the NHL will ever go that route? Absolutely not. Because that would just go against everything the NHL stands for. They take pride in the parity of the league, and it's hard to imagine that ever going away. But it would also be a ton of fun to see a hockey league where teams can exceed the cap in order to acquire that one missing piece needed to create a true juggernaut.
Maybe one day.
Jonathan Marchessault, unsurprisingly, has been outstanding for the Vegas Golden Knights once again this season. He's logged 10 goals in 18 games during the playoffs, and he's emerging as a legitimate candidate to win the Conn Smythe.
In the final third of the regular season, Marchessault was placed on a line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev — the latter was acquired from the St. Louis Blues ahead of the deadline. And throughout the playoffs, that line has been spectacular. When Marchessault, Eichel, and Barbashev are on the ice together, they've outscored the opposition 13-4 at 5-on-5.
That's pretty freaking awesome.
Interestingly enough, though, that line's play-driving numbers haven't been that spectacular. Through 18 games in the postseason, they own a below-average 5-on-5 Corsi For percentage of 47.21, and they've been outshot 102-96. So, what's making them so impactful?
The quality of their scoring chances.
The Marchessault-Eichel-Barbashev line leads opponents 41-32 in high-danger scoring chances while Vegas has only allowed one high-danger goal against in their 165 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time together.
But when you take Marchessault out of the equation, the 5-on-5 numbers of Eichel and Barbashev together dip considerably. The Corsi For percentage drops to 43.48, they break even in Goals For percentage, and they actually allow more quality scoring chances than they generate.
Interesting!
The trio's 21 games together during the regular season weren't quite as fruitful as what we've seen in the postseason. Their 5-on-5 Corsi For percentage of 44.86 was unspectacular and they were outchanced by opposing teams 127-99, but they still led in Goals For percentage (61.90).
And that's because Marchessault was playing out of his mind at 5-on-5.
He led the team with nine 5-on-5 goals and logged a team-leading 5.23 Individual Expected Goals in Vegas' final 22 games of the season.
This isn't to suggest Eichel and Barbashev haven't both been very good, but Marchessault has undoubtedly been the straw that stirs the drink for the Golden Knights' top line.
Given the success of that line in the playoffs, I wouldn't say Marchessault was succeeding in spite of Eichel and Barbashev in the regular season, but I do think he got hot at a very good time while he and Eichel were developing chemistry with their new linemate.
This is easy.
1. Banana
2. Granny Smith Apple
3. Pineapple
4. Orange
5. Strawberry
The banana is the ultimate on-the-go snack. Just grab it, nom away, and you're set for a little while. Zero mess and easy to dispose of. It's a flawless fruit.
Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.