CONTROVERSY: The Golden Knights strike again, and they will significantly exceed the salary cap in the playoffs
Last year, the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup with a small asterisk. It is certainly legal to exceed the salary cap during the playoffs, but it always sparks controversy when an injured player returns to play a key role right from the first game.
Think of past examples like Patrick Kane with the Blackhawks, or Stamkos and Kucherov with the Lightning. Last year, it was Mark Stone, and this year, the Knights' captain is still sidelined, as is Jack Eichel, among others.
The cap space created by their absence allowed the team to acquire Noah Hanifin, Anthony Mantha, and now Tomas Hertl, right at the end.
Remember in 2021 when Shea Weber was placed on the injured list, Gary Bettman immediately intervened to ensure the injury was legitimate. It's interesting that we don't hear about this kind of intervention with the Golden Knights.
They've added over 10 million to their salary cap, and it seems to go smoothly. Remember that if a player is fully recovered, they must be reinstated on the active player list.
Here's a video from Ryan Whitney summarizing what many people currently think about the Golden Knights and the NHL.
| POLL | ||
Do you believe Gary Bettman should take action against the Golden Knights? | ||
| Yes | 480 | 81.1 % |
| No | 112 | 18.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
