In five years, the Canadiens will have a significant advantage over most clubs

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
In five years, the Canadiens will have a significant advantage over most clubs
Credit: Getty Images

Right now, the parity we're entitled to in the NHL is pretty crazy.

Take the standings, for example. If there are worse clubs in the West, you can't say that there are many teams in the same boat in the East.

All the clubs are within seven points of the playoffs – if you take into account that the Penguins have fewer points than the Bruins and Sabres. That includes the Rangers, who announced a renovation process recently thanks to a Letter 2.0.

(Credit: NHL.com)

It's crazy to see such a tight ranking, we agree. But will it always be this way?

According to a player agent who agreed to speak to Kevin Dubé(Québecor), we shouldn't necessarily expect the current parity to last for several more years.

Why not?

Because, in reality, the salary cap is going to rise so fast that some of the “poorer” clubs won't necessarily be able to keep up within the next five years or so, according to his estimates.

In recent years, the cap hasn't really gone up (not by much, at least) and the NHL made money once the corner was turned after the pandemic. So everyone can keep up with the current cap.

The NHL also solved its problems by stabilizing its at-risk organizations. The Hurricanes and Panthers, for example, are doing better… and the Arizona Coyotes have become Utah's Mammoth.

Still according to the agent in question, in a few years' time, the seven or eight richest teams in the circuit will be spending up to the ceiling, and a third of the teams will be closer to the floor than anything else.

Obviously, such an imbalance would not be as intense as in baseball, where the Los Angeles Dodgers are in a league of their own in terms of spending.

But there could be a change coming in hockey's current parity.

I don't need to tell you that Kent Hughes' club is a wealthy team—and a good one at that. All indications are that the agent interviewed by Kevin Dubé had the Habs in mind when he spoke of wealthy teams at the top of the pyramid.


overtime

– Interesting.

– Brewing.

– Good for the Habs.

– All bets are off.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!