NHL Scout - Most teams aren't trying to win

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Joshua Deeds
September 1, 2022 (11:17)

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The Flat Cap in the NHL was instituted in 2021, which was thought to remain for the next few years, as revenues had shrunk in the NHL from 2020 to 2022.

The Flat Cap was a result of escrow being short, as a result of the shortened season in 2020-2021 and the lack of attendance in NHL venues.

However, in 2021-2022 the cap is still restrictive without significant movement until 2023-2024 as far as we know.

"As part of that, the salary cap is basically going to be flat until we recover the overpayments through the escrow that we've built up both in the return to play from last season, which obviously had to be concluded under different circumstances, and this season we're obviously... there's a major escrow building up because of the fact that there's no attendance," Bettman said.

Bettman's short-sighted maneuvering in favor of the owners again has squeezed owners and players alike in this free agency.

With players like Jonathan Dahlen, moving back to Sweden to play as a result of not giving a qualified offer by the San Jose Sharks.

An NHL agent chirped in on the current cap situation in the NHL, as a result of Bettman's bad decision-making.

"The unfortunate part of this year in general is that the marketplace has shifted because of the cap," one NHL agent said. "You have a weird situation where you have 16 or 17 teams that want to lose and you've got the rest that want to win. The cap has incentivized losing in a way: 'Hey, if I'm not going to make the playoffs, I could do better by selling my cap space.'"

There are still big-name free agents left without contracts as a result of this entire scenario, ranging from P.K. Subban, to Evan Rodrigues and Sonny Milano.

We're not far from training camps and the fact that Milano is unsigned after last season's performance is mind-boggling.

This isn't out of normal, with Bettman working in favor of the owners, along with his denial of CTE in the NHL and the players will still be paying for escrow next year.

Gary Bettman Is The Worst Commissioner in Pro Sports