It sounds like some of the new CBA changes we’ve discussed all summer will come into play earlier than next September. And the Avalanche could take advantage of at least one of them.
NHL Insider Frank Seravalli reported on Tuesday that the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association have agreed to an implementation schedule for CBA changes.
Sources: The #NHL and #NHLPA have agreed to a rolling implementation schedule for CBA changes.
Among them: the new playoff salary cap system will come into effect *this season* for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 2, 2025
The most notable of the bunch is the implementation of the new playoff salary cap system for the upcoming 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. That means teams won’t be able to bury players on LTIR until April and then activate them in the postseason despite being above the salary cap.
How could the Avs take advantage of this? Simply by having cap flexibility.
The fact that the Avalanche currently have cap space flexibility already puts them at an advantage. And if that cap continues to grow and accrue over the course of the season, they’ll be able to utilize it to their advantage at the trade deadline.
Most importantly, they can take advantage of teams struggling to remain cap compliant. And I’m willing to wager that no team hates this early implementation of the playoff salary cap system more than the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Earlier in the summer, I wrote that Colorado should target Evan Rodrigues from the Panthers. He looks like the obvious odd man out if the team needs to trade someone to remain under the cap ceiling. But then rumors started to circulate that Matthew Tkachuk was going to start the season on LTIR, and that was all but confirmed in recent weeks.
The Panthers suddenly have time to decide what to do. They don’t have to trade Rodrigues or anyone else to get under the cap right away. But they’ll have to eventually.
They won’t be able to play the LTIR game all season. If someone else gets hurt when Tkachuk returns, they can kick the can further down the road, but they won’t be able to do that all the way until the playoffs start. The roster, as currently constructed, with everyone healthy, is not cap compliant, and won’t be able to all dress at the same time in the regular season or playoffs.
Should the Avs still target Rodrigues? We’ll have to wait and see. It depends on how Victor Olofsson looks on the third line and if they decide they need an upgrade. And after that, they’ll have to determine if Rodrigues at $3 million until 2027 is the best option.
But even if not him, or the Panthers, the Avalanche’s cap flexibility will allow them an opportunity to get someone from a cap strapped team before the playoffs.
The next advantage for the Avs is confirmation from Seravalli’s report that new contract structures will not take effect until Sept. 16, 2026.
You can click the article below for more on why this helps the Avalanche. But in short, Cale Makar can sign a new deal under the current rules after July 1, but before Sept. 16. And the same rules will apply for all free agents on July 1, including UFA Martin Necas and RFA Jack Drury.
Read More: New CBA Changes Likely Won’t Affect Cale Makar’s Next Contract with Avalanche
