NHL players soak in new record salaries

NHL players soak in new record salaries JOSHUA CLIPPERTON THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO Open this photo in gallery: Ducks centre Leo Carlsson celebrates his empty net goal against the Edmonton Oilers in Anaheim, during their first-round playoff series last season. MARK J. TERRILL/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Leo Carlsson was in the car with his dad when the phone rang. The Anaheim Ducks centre’s agent was on the other end. Carlsson couldn’t believe the numbers being rattled off. “I was surprised,” he said at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas earlier this month. “A weird feeling, [but it’s] where the league is heading.” The Philadelphia Flyers were proposing an eye-popping five-year, US$90-million offer sheet in restricted free agency carrying a record-breaking – for a few weeks, at least – average annual value of US$18-million to pry Carlsson out of California. He signed the deal and the Ducks eventually matched to keep the 21-year-old in their brood. Carlsson putting pen to paper, however, was one of many lucrative pacts agreed to during hockey’s cash-heavy summer. The NHL’s salary cap is jumping to US$104-million in 2026-27, up from US$95.5-million last season and a far cry from the flat US$81.5-million-to-US$83.25-million range coming off the COVID-19 pandemic. The system is now flush with currency thanks in part to big-money national television contracts and increased advertising revenue. Players are taking advantage. “These deals are crazy,” Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser said. “Definitely didn’t see that coming, but it’s awesome.” The biggest swings saw Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard snag a five-year, US$75-million extension (US$15M AAV), San Jose Sharks counterpart Macklin Celebrini get US$94-million (US$18.8M AAV) over the same term, and Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar secure an eight-year, US$163.2-million agreement (US$20.4M AAV). Open this photo in gallery: Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks skates against the Boston Bruins during a game in March this past season in Boston. MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES “It shows where the cap’s going and where the league’s going,” Celebrini said. “An amazing thing.” The NHL has historically been well behind the NFL, NBA and MLB in terms of compensation. The gap remains wide, but has closed some over the last…