The NHL salary cap is rising and, along with it, are player salaries. While we have seen some big new contracts be signed this summer, the Florida Panthers have sat back and watched.
Their time is coming.
Just not for a while.
With so many of their high-end players already signed to long-term contracts, the Panthers are fairly immune to the rising tide of NHL salaries.
Florida’s highest-paid player is captain Sasha Barkov who has four more years left on his contract that averages $10 million per season.
That looks like an absolute bargain compared to what players have received this summer.
On Monday, Macklin Celebrini was the latest young NHL star to get hooked up — landing a five-year contract from the San Jose Sharks which makes him the highest-paid player in the league at an average of $18.8 million per season.
The Sharks would have given Celebrini $20 million per year had he asked for it.
Celebrini’s new deal eclipses the $18 million Leo Carlsson is getting from Anaheim after the Philadelphia Flyers made him an offer sheet he couldn’t refuse. The Ducks matched it.
Earlier this month, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Connor Bedard to a five-year contract worth $15 million per season.
Now, back to the Panthers.
Florida obviously does not have a young superstar-like player they need to lock up. They have already done that.
Barkov, obviously, was nailed down back in 2021 when the Panthers signed their captain to what remains the richest contract they have ever given out: $80 million over eight years.
Since then, GM Bill Zito has steadily locked down one key player after another.
When Florida traded for Matthew Tkachuk, they did so with an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million annually tucked in his back pocket.
Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, and Brady Tkachuk also all make over $8 million per season.
The first player, as things stand now, who could eclipse the Barkov Bar of $10 million per season is the younger Tkachuk.
Brady Tkachuk will be eligible for a contract extension next summer (he is signed for the next two seasons) and most likely would get more annually than Barkov.
Which is the natural progression of things under a rapidly rising salary cap.
This year’s salary cap ceiling of $104 million is a nearly nine percent rise over last year’s $95.5 million cap.
And it’s not stopping there.
Next summer, the salary cap is expected to rise to $113 million — with another $10 million rise for the 2028-29 season.
The bill will come due for the Panthers, just not for some time.
The Panthers have 13 players under contract through the 2029-30 season including some of their heaviest hitters in Barkov, M.Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennett, etc.
Next summer, per PuckPedia, the Panthers have 20 players under contract and almost $10 million worth of cap space.
In 2028, the Panthers have almost $40 million in cap space but will have a few holes to fill.
Still, that should be enough to get Brady Tkachuk signed, eh?
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERSÂ OFFSEASON