NHL Strongly Considering Major Schedule Overhaul for Next Season
The NHLPA has suggested a way to increase the salary cap while not increasing escrow and it would require a major scheduling overhaul.
NHL Strongly Considering Major Schedule Overhaul for Next Season
NHL teams and players want the salary cap to increase. They want to be able to pay players and make more competitive teams. As of now, the salary cap is set to only increase by $1 million which is not a lot compared to the total amount of the cap.
To combat this, the NHLPA has suggested a scheduling change that would make the NHL more money.
Per Larry Brooks of the NY Post:
This would be a major overhaul that actually makes sense on paper.
How It Works
As of now, teams are playing division rivals either three times or four times to maintain the 82-game schedule. This results in something like this happening to Toronto's schedule.
Montreal
Ottawa
Detroit
Florida
Boston
While they only played the following team three times:
Tampa Bay
Buffalo
In the proposed 84-game season, it would mean Toronto would play Tampa and Buffalo once more to even things out and make scheduling come easier.
However, an 84-game season would lengthen the season a bit and either the NHL would need to compromise elsewhere like shortening the preseason or the NHLPA would have to be okay with having seasons lasting about a week longer and/or less recovery time between games with more back to backs.
| POLL | ||
MAI 27 | 231 ANSWERS NHL Strongly Considering Major Schedule Overhaul for Next Season Will an 84-game season be adopted? | ||
| Yes | 129 | 55.8 % |
| No | 102 | 44.2 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
|
YESTERDAY
NOVEMBER 2, 2025
| ||||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Jonathan Huberdeau | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Matthew Schaefer | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Cutter Gauthier | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Guentzel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Beckett Sennecke | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ian Cole | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Lawson Crouse | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sam Dickinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Yanni Gourde | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Simon Holmstrom | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Hughes | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Travis Konecny | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Chris Kreider | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Denton Mateychuk | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Lucas Raymond | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Moritz Seider | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jeff Skinner | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Frank Vatrano | 1 | - | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Canadiens | 12 | 9 | 3 | - | 18 | |
| Red Wings | 13 | 9 | 4 | - | 18 | |
| Lightning | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 14 | |
| Senators | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 14 | |
| Bruins | 14 | 7 | 7 | - | 14 | |
| Panthers | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 13 | |
| Maple Leafs | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 13 | |
| Sabres | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Devils | 13 | 9 | 4 | - | 18 | |
| Penguins | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 18 | |
| Hurricanes | 11 | 7 | 4 | - | 14 | |
| Blue Jackets | 12 | 7 | 5 | - | 14 | |
| Rangers | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 14 | |
| Islanders | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 13 | |
| Capitals | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 13 | |
| Flyers | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 13 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 19 | |
| Jets | 12 | 9 | 3 | - | 18 | |
| Mammoth | 12 | 8 | 4 | - | 16 | |
| Stars | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 15 | |
| Blackhawks | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 | |
| Predators | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 12 | |
| Wild | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 11 | |
| Blues | 12 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 8 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Ducks | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 15 | |
| Golden Knights | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 15 | |
| Oilers | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 15 | |
| Kraken | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 14 | |
| Kings | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 14 | |
| Canucks | 13 | 6 | 7 | - | 12 | |
| Sharks | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 11 | |
| Flames | 14 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 8 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||