The Florida Panthers are an exciting NHL team with a dynamic roster, but even the most talented teams need to work within the constraints of the NHL’s salary cap. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the Florida Panthers salary cap, exploring their current Panthers cap space, player contracts, and how the team navigates these financial restrictions.
How Does the NHL Salary Cap Work?
The NHL salary cap is a league-wide limit on the amount of money teams can spend on player salaries in a given season. This cap is designed to promote parity within the league and prevent wealthier teams from dominating the competition.
The Florida Panthers’ Current Cap Situation
The Florida Panthers salaries currently put their cap hit close to the league’s maximum. This means they have limited Panthers cap space for the current season. Websites like CapFriendly offer an in-depth breakdown of player contracts, salaries, and the team’s overall cap situation.
Key Player Contracts
The Florida Panthers have several key players with substantial contracts that eat up a significant portion of their cap space. Understanding these large contracts is vital to grasping the team’s financial flexibility (or lack thereof).
Navigating the Salary Cap
The Florida Panthers’ front office faces the constant challenge of building a competitive roster while adhering to the salary cap. This involves making strategic trades, negotiating contracts, and potentially utilizing long-term injured reserve (LTIR) to gain flexibility.
Staying Updated with the Florida Panthers
Want to stay on top of the latest Florida Panthers trade rumors and find out their upcoming Panthers TV schedule? Be sure to visit our website! We’re your source for all the latest Panthers news and information.
Understanding the Florida Panthers Salary Cap
| FORWARDS | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | TERMS | POS | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barkov, Aleksander "C" | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | NMC | C | 27 |
| Tkachuk, Matthew | $9,500,000 | $9,500,000 | $9,500,000 | $9,500,000 | $9,500,000 | $9,500,000 | RW | 25 | |
| Reinhart, Sam | $6,500,000 | $6,500,000 | UFA | RW | 27 | ||||
| Bennett, Sam | $4,425,000 | $4,425,000 | $4,425,000 | UFA | C | 26 | |||
| Verhaeghe, Carter | $4,166,667 | $4,166,667 | $4,166,667 | UFA | LW | 27 | |||
| Duclair, Anthony | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 | UFA | LW, RW | 27 | ||||
| Luostarinen, Eetu | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | RFA | LW, C | 24 | ||||
| White, Colin | $1,200,000 | RFA | RW, C | 26 | |||||
| Cousins, Nick | $1,100,000 | $1,100,000 | UFA | LW, C | 29 | ||||
| Lundell, Anton | $925,000 | $925,000 | RFA | ELC | C, LW | 21 | |||
| Lomberg, Ryan | $800,000 | $800,000 | UFA | LW | 28 | ||||
| Dalpe, Zac | $750,000 | $775,000 | $775,000 | UFA | C | 33 | |||
| Smith, Givani | $750,000 | RFA | LW, RW | 25 | |||||
| Staal, Eric | $750,000 | UFA | 35+ | C | 38 | ||||
| TOTAL | $45,366,667 | $42,691,667 | $28,866,667 | $19,500,000 | $19,500,000 | $19,500,000 | 27.4 | ||
| DEFENSE | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | TERMS | POS | AGE |
| Ekblad, Aaron "A" | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | UFA | NMC | RD | 27 | ||
| Montour, Brandon | $3,500,000 | $3,500,000 | UFA | RD | 29 | ||||
| Forsling, Gustav | $2,666,667 | $2,666,667 | UFA | LD | 26 | ||||
| Gudas, Radko | $2,500,000 | UFA | RD | 32 | |||||
| Benning, Michael | $916,667 | $916,667 | $916,667 | 10.2(c) | ELC | RD | 21 | ||
| Fitzgerald, Casey | $750,000 | RFA | RD | 26 | |||||
| Mahura, Josh | $750,000 | $925,000 | RFA | LD/RD | 25 | ||||
| Staal, Marc | $750,000 | UFA | 35+ | LD | 36 | ||||
| TOTAL | $19,333,334 | $15,508,334 | $8,416,667 | 27.8 | |||||
| GOALIES | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | TERMS | POS | AGE |
| Bobrovsky, Sergei | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | UFA | NMC | G | 34 | |
| Fitzpatrick, Evan | $750,000 | UFA G6 | G | 25 | |||||
| Lyon, Alex | $750,000 | UFA | G | 30 | |||||
| TOTAL | $11,500,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | 29.7 | ||||
| LONG-TERM INJURED RESERVE (1 - $5,300,000) | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | TERMS | POS | AGE |
| Hörnqvist, Patric | $5,300,000 | UFA | M-NTC | RW | 36 | ||||
| Salary Relief: $5,300,000 | |||||||||
| P.Bonus Relief: $0 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | $5,300,000 | 36 | |||||||
| NHLPA PLAYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (1 - $925,000) | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | TERMS | POS | AGE |
| Knight, Spencer | $925,000 | $4,500,000 | $4,500,000 | RFA | ELC | G | 22 | ||
| Salary Relief: $925,000 | $4,500,000 | ||||||||
| P.Bonus Relief: $1,566,667 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | $925,000 | $4,500,000 | $4,500,000 | $4,500,000 | 22 | ||||
| DEAD CAP | |||||||||
| BUYOUT HISTORY (2) | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | |||
| Yandle, Keith | $5,391,667 | $1,241,667 | $1,241,667 | ||||||
| Darling, Scott | $1,183,333 | ||||||||
| TOTAL | $6,575,000 | $1,241,667 | $1,241,667 | ||||||
| ROSTER & BURIED CAP HIT | $82,425,001 | $72,700,001 | $51,783,334 | $34,000,000 | $19,500,000 | $19,500,000 | |||
| DEAD CAP HIT | $6,575,000 | $1,241,667 | $1,241,667 | - | - | - | |||
| CARRYOVER BONUS OVERAGES | $637,500 | $212,500 | - | - | - | - | |||
| PROJECTED CAP HIT | $87,391,384 | $74,154,168 | $53,025,001 | $34,000,000 | $19,500,000 | $19,500,000 | |||
| SALARY CAP | $82,500,000 | $83,500,000 | $87,500,000 | $92,000,000 | $92,000,000 | $92,000,000 | |||
| PROJECTED CAP SPACE | $0 | $9,345,832 | $34,474,999 | $58,000,000 | $72,500,000 | $72,500,000 | |||
| CURRENT CAP SPACE | - | - | - | - | - | - |