The NHL salary cap ceiling has finally been set at $71.4 million, only a slight increase from the 2014-15 upper-limit of $69 million.
For most teams, like the Blackhawks and Flyers, that means an even tighter budget with which to operate heading into next season. For other teams, like the Arizona Coyotes, that means figuring out a way to spend, because the salary cap floor was also set at $52.8 million and, according to Five For Howling, the Coyotes and GM Don Maloney will need to spend a minimum of $18.321 million just to reach the lower limit for next year.
As such, the Coyotes could prove the perfect trade partner this offseason for teams like the Blackhawks, who are frantic to shed salary.
"Arizona is a team that's going through another rebuild, trying to expedite the process," said TSN's NHL Insider Darren Dreger, while appearing on Edmonton's TSN 1260, via TodaysSlapShot.com. "Whether this comes to fruition or not, I've heard that they may have some interest in Bryan Bickell of the Chicago Blackhawks."
Hawks GM Stan Bowman is facing a tricky cap situation after his team won their third Stanley Cup championship in the last six seasons. Stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are just about to start massive matching contract extensions which will pay them $10.5 million in 2015. Bowman already has about $64 million tied up in 15 players for next year and he still needs to find room to sign an up-and-coming restricted free agent like Brandon Saad.
Patrick Sharp's name has already been bandied about in NHL trade rumors and Bickell, 29, is likely to be another one of several casualties Bowman will be forced to part ways with in order to remain cap compliant.
"Chicago isn't looking for anything but a draft pick or draft picks in return, and maybe Arizona needs the help to get up to the floor of the salary cap as early as next season. There's an opportunity for one GM to help another guy, but in Bryan Bickell you're also getting a decent player," said Dreger.
Bickell performed as part of the second unit for the Blackhawks during their final run to the Cup. He finished the 2014-15 regular season with 14 goals and 14 assists in 80 games and added another five assists in 18 postseason contests - though he was a healthy scratch in five of six finals games.
Bickell will never be a front of the line scorer and is likely closer to the end of his NHL career than the beginning, but a deal between the Hawks and Coyotes does make ample financial sense - the fact that Maloney and Co. will get a pretty good player back in this hypothetical deal is really just icing on the cake.