While it was a quiet week around the league on the transaction front, there was still some notable news which is highlighted in our top stories of the week.
Cap Range For Next Season: The preliminary range for the Upper Limit of the salary cap for next season is now available and it runs from $81.4MM to $85.4MM depending on how much of the annual inflator the NHLPA chooses to use. In the past, the inflator was used at the maximum five percent but in recent years, it has been reduced in order to try to limit escrow. Even at the low end, that would still represent a jump of nearly $2MM on the current Upper Limit and with a few teams projected to be capped out, every little bit will count.
Wilson Gets Non-Roster Status: While this largely flew under the radar, the NHL granted suspended Capitals forward Tom Wilson non-roster status. This allows Washington to essentially replace Wilson on the active roster without him counting against the 23-player limit. This is granted on a case-by-case basis by Commissioner Gary Bettman but rarely is it granted for suspended players. For comparison, Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt is also on a 20-game suspension but has not been granted non-roster status. This has the potential to be a precedent setter and it will be interesting to see if other teams petition the league for similar treatment for their players as the season progresses. Meanwhile, Wilson’s appeal will be heard by Bettman this coming Thursday.
Nash Still Undecided About Future: Rick Nash was slated to be one of the more notable players available in free agency back in July but withdrew himself from consideration, citing he was undecided about playing this season. While there was some speculation that the 34-year-old was about to retire, he indicated that he remains undecided about playing or not, adding that he is still dealing with the side effects from his latest concussion. If he does decide to play, he’ll have to be on an NHL roster by the trade deadline in February.
Van Riemsdyk Injured: The Flyers will be without their key offseason addition for more than a month as winger James van Riemsdyk will miss five-to-six weeks with a lower-body issue. The injury was sustained last Saturday against Colorado. That’s not the start that the veteran was hoping for to kick off his second stint with the organization that initially drafted him second overall back in 2007. Injuries have hit Philadelphia early as goalie Michal Neuvirth and center Nolan Patrick are also on the shelf.
Watson’s Suspension Reduced: The NHLPA’s appeal of Predators winger Austin Watson’s suspension for a domestic violence incident yielded a sizable reduction in his punishment. Instead of missing the first 27 games of the season, he will now miss the opening 18 games of the season. That means that Watson will be eligible to return in just over a month from now on November 15th against Arizona. The NHL released a statement expressing their disappointment in the arbitrator’s decision but they are not able to change it.
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