The NHL 2018-19 NHL salary cap is set

Though it’s been assumed for quite some time, we finally have a salary cap figure for the 2018-19 season. The salary cap ceiling has been set at $79.5 million while the basement $58.8 million

This is a pretty decent jump from last year’s $75 million total, though it didn’t get quite as high as the $82 million figure that some suggested it could all the way back in December. Still, a hefty jump like this will be helpful for a team like the Oilers navigating through some salary cap difficulties.

Edmonton has spent about $70 million on their current roster for next season. They still need to give new deals to restricted free agents Darnell Nurse and Ryan Strome. Depending on how much those two sign for, the Oilers will have a little bit of money left over to add a depth forward in free agency. At this point, we know the team won’t be making a big free agent splash, but this increase means it isn’t out of the question for the Oilers to add someone like Thomas Vanek or Michael Grabner to the mix.

The $4.5 million jump from last year’s ceiling is the biggest we’ve seen since it was raised $4.7 million between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.