The Stanley Cup Playoffs are seven months away, and the NHL trade deadline is still six months from now. Heck, training camps don't open for the New York Rangers and the other 31 teams in the League for another couple weeks.
But there was significant news Tuesday that affects each and every club, now and down the road.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that the NHL and NHLPA agreed to institute the new playoff salary cap format beginning this season. The sides agreed to the new postseason accounting in the memorandum of understanding for the new collective bargaining agreement , set to go in effect prior to the 2026-27 season.
However, the twist is that there will be a "rolling implementation" for parts of the new CBA that will go into effect immediately. And the playoff salary cap is likely the biggest of these changes happening this season.
In its simplest terms, this means each team's 20-player lineup for each playoff game must be under the ceiling cap for that particular season. The NHL salary cap in 2025-26 is $95.5 million.
This new rule specifically targets teams that use long term injured reserve (LTIR) to acquire players during the regular season to replace one of their own injured players.
For example, the Florida Panthers loaded up ahead of the 2025 trade deadline by acquiring Brad Marchand and Seth Jones . They were permitted to exceed the salary cap because Matthew Tkachuk and his cap hit were on LTIR. Tkachuk then was activated off LTIR to play in the playoffs, and the Panthers were more than $5 million over the cap . But the new rule wasn't in place yet, so no bylaws were broken.
Simply, the Panthers worked the old system to their benefit. That is nothing new, since many NHL teams did the same in previous seasons.
Related: No Rangers ranked in top 100 among NHL players, prospects under age 23
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Also going into effect this season is the amount a team can go over the salary cap ceiling when they do replace a player who's on LTIR. Teams will only be allowed to exceed the cap by an amount equal to the prior season's average NHL salary, not the full salary of the player on LTIR — unless the League and union approve the full amount, which will only happen when there is no doubt the player will miss the entire remainder of the season, including the playoffs.
Of course, both sides agreed to these rules back in June as part of the new CBA. The surprise to those of us on the outside, is that they decided to implement these new cap rules immediately.
So, what does this mean for the Rangers and their rivals?
Well, not much in most cases. Like most teams, the Rangers are not entering the 2025-26 season with a need to place a player on LTIR. Of course, that could change at any point, at which point the Rangers, or any affected team, must comply with the new set of rules.
The Panthers are one team that must find a way to cope. Tkachuk is expected to miss the first several months of the season following surgery.
The 2026 trade deadline in March might take on a bit of a different vibe, too. The deadline is when many teams go about zooming past the salary cap by manipulating the numbers with LTIR.
It's certainly something to keep an eye on this season, instead of having it on the back burner until 2026-27.
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