NHL anticipates 'healthy rise' for salary cap despite weak Canadian dollar

The NHL's seven markets north of the border are paramount to league success, but the value of the Canadian dollar? Apparently not so much. 

That's according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly. 

Canada's sagging unit has generated plenty of concern for many GMs and fans alike, who worry the salary cap will not continue its steady increase if the loonie continues to distance itself from the dollar. 

But the NHL's No. 2 tried to temper that concern in a conversation with the New York Times last week, playing down the degree to which Canada's current financial strife will affect the league, and the teams who spend to the cap limit. 

"I expect there to be a healthy rise in the salary cap for next season," Daly said. "The Canadian dollar would have to continue to fall in a material way for that to change."

The cap, of course, is inextricably tied to league revenue, which will continue taking a hit as long as the dollar falls. In addition, the NHL's seven Canadian teams earn Canadian dollars, but pay their players at the American rate.

The loonie is currently trading at 88 cents American and is projected to drop below 85 - a worrisome figure apparently falling short of "material."