from Damien Cox at the Toronto Star,

Hockey, or at least the National Hockey League, remains in a period of labour peace that began in 2013 and will last until at least 2026. The salary-cap system first instituted in 2005 has essentially survived intact, and the question of whether it’s working probably lies in the eye of the beholder.

Teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers undoubtedly yearn for the days when they could spend as much as they liked on players. Both would have a $120-million payroll today if they could. Or more.

Has it created a level playing field for one and all? Five seasons ago, the worst teams included Arizona, Colorado, Vancouver, Detroit, New Jersey and Buffalo. As of Thursday, only the Avalanche had managed to climb into the top half of the NHL in winning percentage, not exactly convincing evidence of an economic system that is truly helping the weak.

What we do know is that managing the cap has become arguably the most important task for any team, rivalling player acquisition, drafting and player development. It’s not the stuff of hockey poetry, but if you can’t play the cap game you can’t win in today’s NHL. Tampa Bay got away with salary-cap murder last season and it paid off in a Stanley Cup.

read on, which looks at the Minnesota Wild and the Toronto Maple Leafs...