NHL Rumors: The Salary Cap, and the Winnipeg Jets

Teams planning for a big salary cap jump next season and beyond?

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Colonel Sanderson episode on the salary cap starting to go up next season. The two were discussing Jake Sanderson‘s eight-year, $64.4 million contract extension.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Marek: “Sometimes there are deals Elliotte that give you an indication of where the salary cap is going. My first thought when I saw this is, the salary cap is going up, and it’s going up big time.

Jake Sanderson goes from $925,000 to $8.05 million.”

Friedman: “They’ve been planning on that for the last two summers. About $4.5 (million) next year and $5 (million) the year after.

I mean, we’ll see but that’s what they’re telling people. Yes.”

Marek: “The reminder more than anything else.”

Uncertainty hovers around the Jets, Hellebuyck and Scheifele

Murat Ates of The Athletic: Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has recently said that he’s had an open dialogue with goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and that they will talk face-to-face when he gets to Winnipeg. hasn’t found any evidence that the idea of a short-term deal is closed. The Jets plan on doing a rebuild, a short-term deal would be unlikely.

If the Jets hold on to Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele, they have a shot at the playoffs. They are deeper than they were last year upfront. If they move them, the return they get would determine if they would remain playoff contenders.

Both Hellebuyck and Scheifele will be on the other side of 30. For two or three years you’d expect them to continue to play at a high level, but after that? At the trade deadline, the Jets should still be able to get a good return for the potential rentals.

The Jets have about $2.5 million in projected salary cap space, and that number projects to $10 million at the deadline. That is another trade deadline asset. If they are in the playoff race at the deadline they could be in a good position to add.