How the new rumoured AHL paper transaction rules favour teams like the Canucks

The NHL is looking to make some sweeping changes with the new collective bargaining agreement set to take force in the 2026-27 season, and tucked into it is the elimination of teams being able to paper players between the big club and farm club. This happened a lot in Vancouver, but it wasn’t just limited to the Canucks, as teams like Carolina and Colorado took full advantage of the cap loophole presented by this. Essentially, the teams would “assign” a player to the minors, earning cap relief for the days that they were in the AHL, before “calling them back up” conveniently in time to dress in a game (and where they never left the big club at all!).

While from a pure cap standpoint, this is a loss of flexibility, it’s a big win for the NHLPA. Usually, these players who are papered up and down are on two-way deals, meaning that the rate at which they earn in the AHL differs from the NHL. Read that as them taking a pay cut for the chunk of time that they’re being assigned to the minors, without actually reporting there. That definitely isn’t fair, and is something that the players’ association addressed with players’ interests in mind.

With the new rule stating that a player needs to dress for a game in the AHL before being recalled, it opens up an interesting discussion. Vancouver’s proximity to Abbotsford means that if the rules still allow for cap space accrual, they still stand to gain quite an advantage, especially over a good chunk of the rest of the league.

Vancouver moving their affiliate from Utica to Abbotsford has already done wonders for the prospect development pipeline. Having the farm team so close to the big club means that staff, personnel, and players are much more intertwined, allowing for more collaboration and integration into the day-to-day operations. Not only has that seen more players getting looks in the NHL, but more recently, a Calder Cup championship for the Abby Canucks.

More logistically, however, it allows for easier player movement between the two clubs. Previously in Utica, with a lack of an international airport, transportation from upstate New York to Vancouver was extremely difficult. Now, even despite Highway 1 traffic, Abbotsford to Vancouver or vice versa is a lot more straightforward. That isn’t as easy as some teams have it – for instance, the San Jose Sharks and Barracuda share the same practice facility, and the Calgary Flames and Wrangers literally play in the same arena. But, compared to the likes of Syracuse to Tampa, or Springfield, MA to St. Louis, it’s a welcome benefit for the Canucks organization.

This also means that it is very realistic for the club to send a player down to the minors, have them play a game, before calling them up again. It’s gaming the system, absolutely, but the Canucks are one of the few handful of teams who are in a position to take advantage of that one game played stipulation. There are only 11 other teams that have their farm team approximately 50 or so miles away. That’s not an insignificant advantage compared to the rest of the league, and if the CBA allows for cap space accrual to still happen with that game played – well, perhaps Vancouver can open up a new aspect to reap the benefits of their Abbotsford affiliate.