An excerpt form the Ottawa Sun (Bruce Garrioch):

Some executives aren’t happy. Sources say during a meeting last month at the Stanley Cup final in Detroit, NHL GMs unloaded on commissioner Gary Bettman because the cap has forced some of them to spend to the floor, irritating their stingy owners.

“We’re going to spend like crazy because we have to do that to compete,” said a league executive. “We’re still going to have empty seats and we’re going to have to battle to make the playoffs. (Bettman) sits there and everything rolls off him. He’s got Teflon skin, this guy.”

Habster:

No question about it, there will be the usual UFA feeding frenzy come July 1st and with a weaker than usual talent pool, some teams will be greatly overpaying for marginal NHL talent.

You can also add into the market equation the fact that most NHL general managers and their Capologists have finally figured out how to work their budget around the salary cap. Teams are signing 6-8 core players (i.e: 1-goalie, 2-3 defensemen and 3-4 forwards) to long term deals and fill the rest of their roster with younger, cheaper players who are capable of fulfilling their roles.

It also doesn’t hurt when the salary cap for the upcoming season will increase by $6.4 million!!!! There are teams like Detroit, Montreal, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Vancouver and even Toronto who had plenty of cap space (Salary cap Team Comparison) before the salary cap was increased so there isn’t a shortage of suitors to be had………..hang onto your seats and let the crazy bidding begin!!!