With the conclusion of the regular season, we can now begin to see the final numbers on performance bonuses in player contracts from the 2021-22 season. Two of these bonus figures will end up posing a small issue for the Edmonton Oilers, who owe $896K in performance bonuses to Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod (link). Bouchard, who just finished the second year of his three-year entry-level contract, earned $850K in performance bonuses this year for goals, assists, points, and points-per-game. McLeod, who is in the final year of his entry-level contract, earned $46K out of a maximum $57.5K games played bonus. Altogether, Edmonton owes an additional $896K, which counts against the salary cap.
Because the Oilers finished over the salary cap by using LTIR, the entire $896K will now count against next season’s salary cap for Edmonton. While this number may not seem like much at all, the NHL is currently in a flat salary cap period, and therefore every dollar counts. With the salary cap for the 2022-23 season at $82.5MM, Edmonton has already committed just over $70.2MM in salary for next season, and just under $4.3MM of it belongs to James Neal, Andrej Sekera, and Milan Lucic – none of whom play for the team any longer.
The $12MM Edmonton has in remaining cap space may also seem like a comfortable margin, but factoring in their six UFAs, including defensemen Kris Russell and Brett Kulak, who have become key pieces that could each earn a raise next season over their $1.25MM and $925K cap hits respectively, and forward Evander Kane who has rebounded nicely since signing with the club in January, their situation becomes a bit more tight. The Oilers also have three pending RFAs in Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, and McLeod, each likely due at least a modest raise (the two former each made $1.175MM this season).
Edmonton is not exactly in a dire cap situation this offseason, having their core, including two of the best players of their generation, signed long-term for the most part. However, their situation, especially in a flat-cap, is an example of how even the most seemingly harmless of concerns, like an $896K bonus overage, can have a ripple effect for the organization and its offseason planning.
Overages and are gonna lose the series 4-2
How do you know this?
Crystal Ball. Bet serious money on it.
if Oilers lose 4-2 flames lose 4-1.
Playoffs are a crapshoot.
Here is hoping Kassian keeps bringing his playoff A-game and Barrie looks hot and bothered as well so they can be moved out.
The article misses that Nurse is about to get a wage increase and although Koskinen’s 4.5m is out, something equivalent might have to come in… unless Skinner can take the next step.
Im sure the cap total is including Nurses wage increase
Holland will find a way to screw his team. Sign Kane for 8×8 and trade Nuge for a 4th or something of the sort.
He’ll give Dekeyser his second brutal overpay
Holland nearly single handedly destroyed the Redwings his last five years there and he will do so with Edmonton. He is a hasbeen.
Isn’t a goalie signing also needed?
Every competitive team have salary cap issues. All the Oiler haters are changing their tune now. Gone are the comments about the Oilers being a two man team. 17 goals in the first 3 games and McDavid and Draisaitl combined have 3?