There is one player who is bearing an unfortunate consequence of the Vancouver Canucks’ recent salary cap moves.
The team recalled winger Arshdeep Bains and defenceman Erik Brännström from the AHL this morning. This marks the second time over the past few days these two players have been sent up and down as the Canucks maximize their cap space savings.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that D Erik Brännström and F Arshdeep Bains have been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL).
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 28, 2024
Cap space in the NHL is calculated on a daily basis. Because Bains and Brännström are currently waiver-exempt, this means the Canucks can send them to the AHL on off days and accrue more cap savings which can be spent at a later date.
The Canucks accrue five times the cap space with Brännström and Bains in the minors compared to when they’re on the active roster.
These smart cap manoeuvres are maximizing the team’s total salary cap space so that when the trade deadline rolls around, the Canucks are in the best position to add to their roster.
However, there is an unfortunate consequence for the rookie winger.
Because Bains is still on an entry-level contract, he is paid differently in the NHL and AHL. His base NHL salary for this season is $775,000 USD per season, while his AHL salary is $70,000.
Since salary is calculated on a daily basis, this means that Bains is taking a major pay cut as he bounces between the NHL and AHL.
The NHL calendar year is 192 days, and thus, Bains makes $4,036.45 per day when he’s at the highest level. When he’s in the AHL, he makes $364.58 per day, a much smaller amount.
This means that for every day that the Canucks stash Bains in the minors to maximize their cap space, he’s taking a $3,671.87 pay cut.
While it’s not great, that’s likely not a huge concern for the local kid who just scored his first NHL goal. It’s a lot better than staying in the AHL full-time.
Because Brännström is on a one-way contract, he gets paid the same in the NHL and AHL. The team can freely send him up and down without using waivers until he reaches 10 games or 30 days on the roster. He has thus far played four games with the Canucks this year.
General manager Patrik Allvin is making the smart moves to ensure the Canucks are as competitive as be. Accruing cap space now will let the team ice the best roster possible when the games actually matter in the spring; it just has an unfortunate consequence for Bains.