| abstract
| - After the 2004–05 season was cancelled, a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was agreed upon between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association. This CBA included a salary cap for team salaries (formally defined in the CBA as the "Upper Limit"), which would potentially increase from one season to the next depending on league revenues, and a cap for player salaries, set at 20 percent of the team salary cap. The teams also have a minimum payroll requirement (formally defined as the "Lower Limit"), which was $21.5 million in 2005–06, but fixed from 2006–07 onward at $16 million below the salary cap. From the 2003–04 season to the 2005–06 season, the implementation of the salary cap caused a marked normalization of team payrolls, and a decrease in the payroll disparity from team to team. Ten teams (of thirty) decreased their payrolls by more than $15 million, with four decreasing their payrolls by more than $30 million; only seven teams increased their payrolls, with four increasing their payrolls by more than $5 million. The standard deviation of the payrolls decreased from $15,898,399 to $6,371,263 after the salary cap was introduced. Between the 1998–99 and 2007–08 seasons, the total players' payroll was $9,990,698,194, which is an average of $37,700,748 per team per season. The division with the highest total payroll over this nine year period is the Atlantic Division, paying out $1,912,252,452 ($42,494,499 per team per season). The division with the lowest total payroll over this period is the Southeast Division—considered perhaps the weakest hockey market in the league—with total payrolls of $1,180,291,667 ($32,377,083 per team per season). The team that spent the most on players' salaries over these nine seasons are the New York Rangers, who spent a total of $517,076,928 for players, averaging $57,452,992 per season. The Detroit Red Wings have the second highest total payroll over this period, with $483,801,165, for an average of $53,755,685 per season. The Nashville Predators have the lowest payroll per season over the same period, totalling $218,136,880 ($24,237,431 per season), followed by the Atlanta Thrashers with a total of $212,616,075 ($26,577,009 per season). The absolute lowest payroll belongs to the Minnesota Wild, who joined the league in 2000–01. In the seven seasons since the Wild joined the league, they have the lowest total payroll, at $187,278,126 ($26,754,018 per season). Nashville's payroll over this period was slightly higher, at $187,936,880 ($26,848,126 per season). The Calgary Flames hold the unique distinction of being the only team to have increased their payroll every year between the 1998–99 season and the 2007–08 season. Sergei Fedorov, Paul Kariya and Jaromir Jagr have each had the highest salary on three different teams between 2000–01 and 2007–08:
* Sergei Fedorov: Anaheim Ducks (2003–04), Columbus Blue Jackets (2005–06, 2006–07), Washington Capitals (2007–08)
* Paul Kariya: Anaheim Ducks (2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03), Nashville Predators (2005–06), St. Louis Blues (2007–08)
* Jaromir Jagr: Pittsburgh Penguins (2000–01), Washington Capitals (2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04), New York Rangers (2005–06, 2006–07)
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