Advertisement

NHL says 2017-18 salary cap could go up $2 million

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 27: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman unveils the League's Centennial celebration plans for 2017 during a press conference at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 27, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Gary Bettman unveils the League’s Centennial celebration plans for 2017 during a press conference at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 27, 2016 in Toronto. (Getty Images)

PALM BEACH, Fla. – After the first day of the Board of Governors meeting, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league’s 2017-18 salary cap could go up around $2 million but also indicated the cap could stay flat.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]

“There’s always a range but it’s something we’re going to have to look at very carefully in terms of how maybe best to approach it,” Bettman said. “We’re not going to give out any numbers now. The cap could range from where it is now to a couple or so million up, but we’re all going to have to focus on what makes the most sense moving forward.”

[Follow Puck Daddy on Facebook]

Numbers released at the NHL Board of Governors tend to not equal the eventual cap. Last year, the NHL said that the salary cap could rise $3 million from its then $71.4 million total. Instead, it only went up $1.6 million to $73 million in 2016-17.

“I think we always have an idea of where we’re going. I think things are going up but not dramatically,” Nashville Predators general manager David Poile said.

– – – – – – –

Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS