The salary cap for the 2018-19 season was $79.5 million, up from $75 million in 2017-18.
The $81.5 million cap is $1.5 million lower than the projected number NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman used at the Board of Governors meeting in December.
"It doesn't affect us, but I like it, it's going to squeeze some teams some more," Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "They're going to have to solve their problems and maybe we can be a solution."
The lower limit for the salary cap will be $60.2 million and the adjusted midpoint will be $70.9 million.
The key number, though, is $81.5 million, which will be the focal point for the rest of the offseason.
"They gave us two numbers the other day, it was 81.5 or 82," Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. "So how does it impact it? Now you know. You've kind of been planning. We've been modeling it with three different numbers. So now it's just finalizing it."
