Edmonton Oilers will face major salary cap disadvantage next playoffs

The NHL announced this week that rule changes from the upcoming CBA will be implemented in the 2025-26 season, including a hard salary cap through the playoffs. Edmonton will have a few contracts taking away from their pool of limited playoff cap.

According to salary cap expert JeanFrancoisCBA on social media, both dead cap hits and salary cap overages will apply to the new playoff cap. The Oilers will be dinged in both categories.

Jack Campbell will be paid $2.3M by the Oilers this season for his contract buyout in 2024, and now that cap will be applied to the team's limited space in the playoffs.

The Oilers also have to pay overage penalties this season as a result of Corey Perry's bonuses last year. Thankfully, that number comes out to a much smaller $250K, but that will still be significant when icing full playoff lineups. Every dollar matters when competing against a top-end team for a Stanley Cup.

The new salary cap rules will be a clear disadvantage for Edmonton in the playoffs, but it also shows how poorly the organization has managed the cap in previous years. Goaltending is still an issue for the Oilers, and paying Campbell $2.3M will severely sting this year.

No matter how it happens, the Edmonton Oilers need to find a way to work around these cap penalties, and ice a Cup-Calibre team in next year's playoffs. Anything less will be a major disappointment.