NHL’s big salary cap bump isn’t as unprecedented as it may seem

BOSTON — Here’s the thing about the unprecedented projected increase in the salary cap jointly announced by the NHL and NHLPA that will take the upper limit from this season’s $88 million to $113.5M in 2027-28.

It is not unprecedented at all.

In fact, the 28.98 percent increase over that span is significantly lower than the 45.38 percent increase in the cap from 2005-06 through 2008-09 when the ceiling went from $39M to $56.7M.

How did the league ever survive?