NHL history is generally divided into four eras:
- The founding era (1917-1942)
- The Original Six era (1942-1967)
- The expansion era (1967-2005)
- The salary cap era (2005-present)
Based on some recent changes, it might be time to crown 2025 as the beginning of a new era.
Since the implementation of the salary cap in 2005, the maximum amount teams could spend has typically risen by anywhere from $1 million to $5 million per year, with a handful of exceptions.
Now, with franchise values quadrupling in the last decade and more people watching hockey than ever before, the cap has taken a $7.5 million jump, and is projected to increase another $8.5 million next year and $9.5 million the year after that.
Free agents are getting paid accordingly. In 2018, the highest cap hits in the league belonged to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who both made $10.5 million. Next year, there will be 18 players at or above that number.
Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild just inked the largest deal in NHL history, both by total dollars and average annual value: $17 million for eight seasons, for a total of $136 million. Jack Eichel and Kyle Connor each signed mega deals, and Connor McDavid took a discount to give his team a better chance at winning. He’s “only” making $12.5 million.
With those front-of-the-pack contracts in place, the restricted free agents are now figuring out where their values fall. Jackson LaCombe, Luke Hughes and Lane Hutson have each signed in the $8.5 million-$9 million range on long-term deals — a number that was unheard of for unproven players just a few years ago.
Now, a number of fan bases are wondering where their RFAs will land salary-wise. One of those is the Utah Mammoth with budding star Logan Cooley.
How much will Logan Cooley’s next contract be worth?
Cooley is among a group of high-end forwards set to be restricted free agents when the season ends. While many of the defensemen in that boat have already signed their extensions, the forward salaries are still waiting to be determined.
Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson are with him in that boat. All four players are eligible to sign at any point, and they all have the potential to set their families up for generations.
Cooley reportedly rejected an offer from the Mammoth that would have paid him $9.6 million each of the next eight years.
He’s leaving the negotiation up to his agents, Brian and Scott Bartlett, whose job it is to get the best deals possible for their clients. If they advised Cooley not to take that deal, it’s because they think there’s something better in store for him.
Here’s the thing: Barring any extreme circumstances, Cooley’s value can only go up. He’s already proven himself as a 70-point player (he played at a 71-point pace last season, though he missed seven games). If he can reach the 80-90 stratosphere this year, which is entirely possible playing between Dylan Guenther and JJ Peterka, his value could reach another level.
Even though he doesn’t have the leverage of an unrestricted free agent, Cooley’s representatives know that the Mammoth can’t afford to let their franchise-center-to-be get away. He’s not necessarily a “blank check” player like Kaprizov, but it would be shortsighted for the team to give up on him over the difference of a few million dollars — especially with the ever-rising salary cap.
What Cooley’s camp doesn’t want to see happen is for him to be considered underpaid as the salary cap rises. If it continues to inflate as dramatically as it currently is, it’s not out of the question that nine years from now (when an eight-year deal would expire if Cooley were to sign one), middle-of-the-road players could be making $10 million.
“I’m not too worried about (negotiations) right now,” Cooley told the Deseret News after reiterating that his agents are handling everything contract-related. “When the time comes, it’s going to come, but for right now, I’m focused on my game and this team.”
So, while it’s unwise to try to predict the exact contract, just know that he’s a special player and he’ll get paid accordingly.
Long-term vs. Bridge deals
As of a few years ago, general managers have adopted the theory that when it comes to signing elite, young players, you lock them up as soon as you can for as long as you can. They’re only going to become more expensive, so don’t wait.
If a team is unsure or a player isn’t getting the offer he’d like after completing his entry-level contract, the two sides might agree to a bridge deal. These are typically between one and three years and they don’t carry nearly as high of a value as long-term deals.
Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson is a good example of a successful bridge deal — from the player’s perspective, at least.
In 2021, the team signed him to a three-year deal worth $7.35 million after back-to-back 66-point seasons (pretty much exactly what Cooley achieved last year, by the way). At the time, he was probably worth closer to $9 million, but he agreed to take less and show why his next contract should be worth more.
By the time that deal was set to expire, he’d had a 102-point season and he was nearing the end of what would be an 89-point year.
Pettersson was a proven star when it came time to put pen to paper the second time, and he got paid accordingly. They agreed to an eight-year deal worth $11.6 million annually, which is far more than the team would have paid if they’d given him more in the first place.
Now, here comes the word of caution: Players still have to focus on self-improvement, even after getting paid. In 2024-25, the first year of Pettersson’s new deal, he receded to just 45 points in 64 games (a 58-point pace). The team is hoping that last season was an anomaly, but his singular assist through three games this season is not a great start.
The new collective bargaining agreement makes Cooley’s situation slightly different than Pettersson’s. Beginning in September 2026, players returning to their teams will be able to sign for a maximum of seven years — one year less than the current limit.
If he were to opt for a bridge deal, he’d miss out on the eighth year. Depending on where things stand both personally and league-wide nearly a decade from now, that could prove to be a mistake on the player’s part.
Two things are certain: Cooley is an excellent hockey player and he’s about to become a very wealthy man. But his decisions and his play over the next few months will determine just how many vacation homes and supercars he’ll be able to afford.
