NHL Team Advantages: A Closer Look

It raises an interesting thought: perhaps the Panthers and Stars executives have insights others might not. Maybe these teams could thrive in similar conditions.

Still, it’s tricky to evaluate this within the NHL framework, especially since some teams kick off each season with a 5 or 10 percent advantage in their salary cap. Take Seattle and Nashville, for instance—they’re in states that don’t impose personal income taxes.

Interestingly, over the past decade, six out of five states—Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington, and Tennessee—have produced 13 teams that made it to the playoff semifinals. Starting from the 2020 bubble tournament, about 18.5% of participants have reached the Final Four, which is a significant proportion, over 54%.

And here’s the thing: the league has a real opportunity to tackle this documented imbalance during their ongoing collective bargaining discussions. If a new agreement is approved by July 1, they could make adjustments as early as next season.