The Most Dysfunctional NHL Teams of the Salary Cap Era
by Spencer Toth / February 24, 2026In an effort to create parity, the NHL created the salary cap after the 2004-05 lockout. A league-wide figure that can’t be exceeded under any circumstances successfully leveled the playing field for the richest and poorest NHL franchises. While this idea was good in theory, mismanaged contracts and poor drafting decisions left some teams in utter chaos over the last two decades. One bad contract can set a franchise back several years, and the introduction of the salary cap only added to that equation.
