How the top teams spend their cap space
by James Mirtle on Oct 8, 2009 11:14 AM
(An occasional buyout isn't crippling, it would seem.....)

This is something I was working on before vacation, a mini-study of how five of the NHL's best teams are allocating their cap space this year. The five I went with are all right up against the cap, and all experienced a ton of success last year: The Sharks, Red Wings, Bruins, Capitals and Penguins.

Part of the reason I wanted to do this was, in looking at how GM Doug Wilson had revamped San Jose's roster by cutting depth and adding a top end stud in Dany Heatley, it was really clear how top heavy he had elected to go. And that's becoming the norm under the cap these days:

In dealing with a 22-man roster, the top 11 players take home 82 per cent of these teams' salary dollars, with the bottom 11 players (the last seven forwards, three defencemen and the backup goaltender) making the remaining 18 per cent.

In other words, these teams' top 11 players average about $4.2-million apiece, whereas the players on the low end, filling out checking lines and minor roles, make an average of about $930,000.

Here are a few more breakdowns of these top five teams:
Avg % Avg %
Forwards $33,220,239 58.5% 4.5%
Defencemen $18,386,166 32.4% 4.6%
Goaltenders $4,901,000 8.6% 4.3%
Buyouts $515,000 0.9%

Avg % Avg %
Starting 6 $33,249,434 58.5% 9.8%
Top F line $18,380,268 32.4% 10.8%
Top six F $26,402,768 46.5% 7.7%
Top D pair $10,610,833 18.7% 9.3%
Top four D $15,692,500 27.6% 6.9%
Starting G $4,258,333 7.5% 7.5%
Bottom 11 $10,153,804 17.9% 1.6%

Some of the noteworthy numbers there? These teams spend nearly one-third of their total salary on their top forward line, with another 19 per cent on their top two defenders. Add in the No. 1 goalie and you have what I'm calling the "Starting 6," a group that takes home nearly 60 per cent of these five teams' payroll.

The top six players on the NHL's top five teams average more than $5.5-million each, which leaves only $23.5-million for the other 14 to 17 players on the roster (depending on the number of healthy scratches involved).

I haven't crunched all the numbers on how this has evolved over time since last season, but I'd be willing to wager that those low end numbers have continued to fall as the "Starting 6" and top 11 players pull in more and more of the pie. Cap or no cap, the skilled players are getting their contracts; it's everyone else who's fighting for what's left.

And that's probably the way it should be.

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Wow, at first I was confused with the Percentages, but that is amazing.

I think the Sabres are one of the few teams who have tried to spread the wealth between all four lines.

Our Top line does make a good chunk of change, but that is because of Vanek's contract.

Our Top six seems like it would make a good chunk also.

7.143 for Vanek, 5.3 for Pominville, 4.5 for Connolly, 4 for Roy, 3.525 for Hecht, and 1.9 for Stafford.

Given those are deemed are our top 6 guys, so our top 6 makes 26.368, an average of 4.395 a person. That isn't too bad really.

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