Corey Perry adds a penalty that the Edmonton Oilers are happy with
With the Edmonton Oilers advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, Corey Perry receives a bonus which has implications for the team's salary cap next season.
As we previously wrote towards the end of April, the Edmonton Oilers face the highest salary cap overage bonus penalty in the NHL for next season. They are one of 11 teams needing to carry a performance bonus overage cap hit into the 2024-25 campaign.
At that time the Oilers' penalty amounted to $3.45 million, mostly accounted for by Connor Brown's $3.225 million bonus for reaching 10 games this season. The other $225,00 was applied to Corey Perry, for similarly playing 10 games this season.
Now though, the Oilers are on the hook for more, with $50,000 coming as a result of the forward playing 50 percent of games in the first two rounds and the team reaching the Western Conference Final. As per Puck Pedia, another $50,000 will also be paid due to him playing in 50 percent of the games in round three and the team reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
Increase in the Oilers' salary cap penalty for next season
As a result of this extra $100,000, the Oilers' overage bonus penalty now comes to $3.55 million. This in turn puts the organisation in even more of a tight situation when it comes to next season's salary cap.
As per Cap Friendly, the Oilers have just $9,733,333 of projected cap space as things stand for the 2024-25 campaign, which is eighth lowest among all 32 NHL teams. Now consider that they have 10 unrestricted and two restricted pending free agents on their current roster, and it gives you some idea of just how tough things are going to be in Edmonton once we hit July 1.
In some respects, the extra $100,000 being paid to Perry and counting against next season's salary cap is worth it for the Oilers, just by virtue of the fact it means the team is in the Stanley Cup Final. As per Josh Cybulski of Pro Hockey Rumors, he's actually a good luck charm of sorts, having now set a record by becoming the first player in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final with five different teams.
Regardless, given the increasingly precarious nature of the Oilers' financial situation heading into 2024-25, it places even more urgency and pressure on this season. In some respects, it's almost a case of now or never when it comes to finally winning it all for the first time since 1990.