Canadiens Dead Cap Hit Impact On 2024-25 Salary Cap Situation

Montreal Canadiens Retained Salary Total: $4,268,750

The Habs retained 50 percent of Jeff Petry’s salary cap hit in the trade that saw him join the Detroit Red Wings, as well as 50 percent of Jake Allen’s salary cap hit in the trade that sent him to the New Jersey Devils.

The Petry trade will cost the Canadiens $2,343,750, whereas Allen’s will occupy $1,925,000 in dead salary cap space.

Neither deal significantly improved the Canadiens, making the dead cap space hits rather unfortunate from an asset management standpoint.

Fortunately, Karl Alzner’s buyout ($833,333) and Joel Edmundson’s retained salary ($1,750,000) come off the books this summer, easing some of the financial impact of the Allen and Petry trades.

Impact On The Salary Cap Situation Next Season

Management has suggested it’s an important summer, as they’re preparing to take the biggest step in the team’s rebuild process; becoming a legitimate playoff contender.

When we originally projected the Montreal Canadiens salary cap situation heading into 2024-25 we came to the conclusion that the Habs would have a little over $17 million in available funds under the salary cap.

However, we also noted that this did not include dead cap hits, as the exact information on the performance bonuses was not available at the time.

This means Kent Hughes will have closer to $12 million in salary cap space next season, which is still more than enough to improve the team via trades or free agency.