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Vegas Golden Knights: Breaking down the Salary Cap ramifications for 2020-21

By Andrew Steele-Davis

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 31: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Vegas Golden Knights is introduced before the team's game against the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena on March 31, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won 3-2 and clinched the Pacific Division title. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 31: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Vegas Golden Knights is introduced before the team's game against the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena on March 31, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won 3-2 and clinched the Pacific Division title. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Of all the question marks surrounding the Vegas Golden Knights in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, the Salary Cap situation for 2020-21 will be the most fascinating one to keep an eye on.

What a difference a few weeks can make. It wasn’t that long ago that reports suggested the salary cap for 2020-21 could rise to as much as $88 million, which would have been very good news for the Vegas Golden Knights.

In the worst-case scenario, the cap would have come in at around $84 million which still would have been a significant rise on the $81.5 million salary cap for the 2019-20 regular season.

However, the sporting landscape has changed and is still ever-changing in the wake of COVID-19, and it is now nearly impossible to imagine the cap rising for next year.

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I could be wrong of course but, given the financial hit the NHL will take the longer this current hiatus drags on for, the league’s bottom line will take a dramatic hit and everyone associated with the sport from owners to players will be impacted in some way shape or form.

Therefore, it is feasible to project that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will instead opt to freeze the salary cap and all 31 teams will have $81.5 million to play with for the second straight year.

Just how will a cap freeze impact the Vegas Golden Knights?

It is a good question and one we will attempt to answer after first mapping out how they managed the cap this year.

But, one thing is for sure and that’s the fact that the Golden Knights may have to alter their off-season plans in order to deal with the fact that the salary cap won’t rise as initially expected.

Let’s dive in…

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