Cap space is king in the NHL right now.

Many teams are hamstrung by the lack of it. Others have an abundance and will try to exploit it for unique opportunities.

One type of summer trade that’s become popular during the flat cap era is when a win-now team will dump a bad short-term contract to a club with ample cap flexibility. It gives a contender the financial wiggle room necessary to build the best team possible, meanwhile, the rebuilding club is happy to receive premium draft picks and prospects, not bothered by taking on a problematic short-term contract. Third-party brokers — teams that retain a percentage of a player’s contract to help two other clubs work out a trade — have also exploded in popularity.

Which teams could be in the market to weaponize cap space for future assets this offseason? What prices could they charge? Let’s dive in.

• Chicago Blackhawks
• Arizona Coyotes
• Anaheim Ducks
• Philadelphia Flyers
• San Jose Sharks

https://theathletic.com/4621057/2023/06/19/nhl-cap-space-trade-targets/