NHL cap space
Every team's projected cap hit and cap space for 2026-27, with the biggest contract on each roster and the money coming off the books next summer.
Seattle have the most room, Vegas the least
Each team's projected cap hit against the ceiling, most space first. A bar past the line is a projection above the ceiling; teams get there legally through long-term injured reserve, which this data does not include.
Seattle$17M
Detroit$16.8M
Vancouver$15.9M
Calgary$13.9M
Winnipeg$12.9M
Philadelphia$12.5M
Nashville$10.6M
Carolina$9.3M
Pittsburgh$7.1M
Boston$6M
Utah$4.8M
NY Islanders$2.7M
San Jose$2.7M
Tampa Bay$1.9M
Montréal$1.9M
St. Louis$1.9M
Los Angeles$1.8M
Buffalo$1.6M
Chicago$1.5M
Ottawa$1.4M
Minnesota$1.2M
NY Rangers$447K
Washington$125K
New Jersey$56K
Colorado$49K
Anaheim−$453K
Edmonton−$662K
Florida−$871K
Columbus−$1.1M
Dallas−$1.4M
Toronto−$4.7M
Vegas−$8.8MCap hit, space and next summer's free agents
As of 2 Oct 2026. Cap hit is the average annual charge against the salary cap, not a yearly salary. Team cap figures are projections and do not include long-term injured reserve or other relief. "Contracts" is roster players with a contract record over the roster count.
How to read it
- Cap hit
- The average annual value of a contract, the number that counts against the salary cap each season. Bonuses and the way salary is spread across years can make what a player is paid in a given year different.
- Ceiling
- The most a team's cap hits can add up to during the season: $104M in 2026-27.
- Cap space
- Ceiling minus the projected cap hit. Below zero is a projection, not a breach: teams use long-term injured reserve to go above the ceiling while a player is out.
- Expiring
- Contracts that end next summer, and the cap hit they free up.
Contract stories
How the NHL salary cap works
For 2026-27 the salary cap is $104.0 million, the floor is $76.9 million and no single player can carry a cap hit above $20.8 million. Every team’s cap hits must add up to less than the ceiling and more than the floor, with a few exceptions during the season.
What is a cap hit?
A player’s cap hit is the average annual value of his contract: its total salary and signing bonuses divided by its years. A five-year, $40 million deal counts $8 million against the cap every season, even if the salary is paid unevenly.
Why do some teams show negative cap space?
Mostly long-term injured reserve: a team can go over the ceiling by the cap hit of a player on LTIR while he is out. Before rosters are set, our count can also be missing a player; the coverage line on each team marks that.
What happens to buried and retained contracts?
A player sent to the minors still counts against the cap, less a fixed allowance. A team that trades a player can keep up to half of his cap hit, which then counts on both teams. The free agents page shows the money coming off each team’s books next summer.