What will be biggest sticking point in next NHL CBA negotiations?

The NHL and NHL Player’s Association are expected to begin talks on a new collective bargaining agreement in the coming weeks.

The current agreement is set to expire in September of 2026, and it’s going to be very entertaining to follow, as we get a sense of where the salary cap is headed, and what exactly will become the sticking points that potentially hold up an agreement.

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli discussed the upcoming talks, and what exactly could get in the way of the NHL and NHLPA reaching an agreement.

Yaremchuk: Frank, let’s get one from the chat here as well, JRock asks – ‘call it past trauma but with CBA negotiations starting this year, what do you think might be the biggest sticking point between the players and the owners?

Seravalli: I wonder if it’s going to come down to escrow again. Every player wants the salary cap to increase, but they love the way that escrow is capped. And, a big reason why its been able to remain capped, and in fact, some sources from the players indicate from last season, that they might be receiving a cheque back for more than what they had withheld from their cheques, really for the first time in a long time, it’s worked because the salary cap has been kept artificially low.

So, because of that, that’s certainly something to keep in mind. Look, it always comes down to business and economics. We’ll see what’s on the NHL’s wish list. We don’t know what that is yet. Until we do, I’m going to hold back on making any prognostications about this will going swimmingly.

For more on CBA talks, complete coverage of the 2025 World Juniors, and all the very latest from around the NHL, watch the full episode below.