Quoting: kous
Here is an article from SI that explains that I am correct
https://www.si.com/nhl/maple-leafs/analysis/how-rasmus-sandin-can-gain-leverage-with-the-maple-leafs
In 2018, the Maple Leafs were involved in a contentious battle with restricted free agent William Nylander. It took until Dec. 1 — the final day the forward was eligible to play in the NHL that season — for both sides to reach a deal.
Although Nylander's contract called for a $6.96 AAV, his actual salary cap hit in 2018-19 increased to $10.277 million. This happened because the season was well underway and the cap hit was adjusted to reflect how many days had passed in the NHL regular season calendar.
With each day that passes after the regular season, the salary cap hit increases. For example. In a 200-day calendar, a $1.4 million AAV becomes a $1.407 million salary cap hit on Day 2. Then it becomes $1.414 million on Day 3, and so on.
In 2018, the Leafs had their remaining core players on entry-level contracts and had more than enough salary cap space to accommodate an inflated first-year cap hit from Nylander, but that's not the case this season. Every dollar counts and getting Sandin's situation locked up before the regular season not only benefits the player but helps the team get things under control.
I assure you I understand the cba and salary cap better than Sports illustrated. Not that I'm even going to bother to read it to see if they are right or wrong.
Nylander's cap hit was inflated to raise his daily so that it matches aav. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT... hockey players do not earn wages and teams are not charged cap for days missed (not under contract).
Nylanders was paid just shy of 42m. Again because he missed days. The leafs were never charged 10.2m against the cap. The entire reason it was inflated is so they were charged 6.96m over the remaining days in that season.
If it were allowed and Sandin signed 1.4m x 2 on the last day of the season his cap hit would be inflated from 1.4m to roughly 150m and leafs would be charged with one daily hit less than 1.4m. If I still had the exact days nylander missed I could go over the math with you. Let's do the math for Sandin at 1.4m X 2 for one day and round the season to 180 days. (Again no he can't actually sign on the last day of the season but it makes the math easy and the results exaggerated)
1.4 m x 1 / 180 + 1.4m / 2 = $707,778 (23/24 cap hit)
707,778 x 180 / 1 = 127.4m (22/23 cap hit)
Leafs would be charged Sandin's daily (127.4m / 180 x 1 = $707,778) against the cap on the last day of the season.
The part you are missing is that the cap is charged daily. Any player who misses time is always calculated: caphit divided by days in the season multiplied by days remaining. It still makes for a high daily but the cap actual hit does not total up to the first year.
I hope that clears up the confusion. If you would like I could do the exact math for 1, 2,3 or 50 days into this season and give you the exact numbers (assuming 1.4m base salary each year).
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