The NHL and NHLPA today announced the team payroll range for the 2024-25 season, with the maximum salary cap set at exactly $88 million. This is welcomed news for the Philadelphia Flyers, as the salary cap was previously expected to be at $87.7 million and the team already has the highest cap hit in the NHL for next season.
The cap floor will be $65 million, with the midpoint coming in at $76.5 million and the cap ceiling set at $88 million on the dot.
At the moment, the Flyers’ cap hit is currently a whopping $87.2 million, meaning that until they make some moves, they’ll only have $800,000 in real cash to work with. The general consensus with the Flyers is that one of Cam Atkinson or Cal Petersen will be bought out of the last year of their contracts this summer, unless something changes.
One such change could be a Flyers trade; some players whose names have been thrown out there in trade rumors include Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Scott Laughton though, clearly, nothing is imminent in that regard.
Another is a complete wildcard, and that is a change in the status of Ryan Johansen’s health. The Flyers originally planned on buying the 31-year-old out this summer after acquiring him near the NHL trade deadline in the Sean Walker deal, but the CBA prohibits NHL clubs from buying out players who are injured.
After playing 63 games with the Colorado Avalanche this season, including playing two days before the Flyers trade, Johansen was revealed to have an injury and has not played for the Flyers organization after clearing waivers on March 7.
Had Johansen not been injured, a buyout would have created $2.667 million in cap space for the Flyers in 2024-25 and cost them $1.33 million against the cap in 2025-26. In contrast, an Atkinson buyout would save the Flyers $3.517 million in 2024-25 and cost them $1.758 million against the cap in 2025-26.
Although the NHL’s surprising but minor increase to the salary cap benefits the Flyers this year, it won’t be enough to truly make a difference, save for covering performance bonuses or something of the like.
