Elliotte Friedman hints at strained relationship between CapFriendly & league after Capitals buyout

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Jun 11, 2024 18:25 GMT

Multiple sources report that the Washington Capitals have struck a deal to acquire the CapFriendly website. However, neither the team nor CapFriendly representatives have made any comments regarding the matter.

In a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman hinted at a strained relationship between the NHL and CapFriendly.

Friedman's comments on the podcast provided insight into the League's position on CapFriendly. He suggested that the league feels it shouldn't be responsible for sharing salary cap information.

This viewpoint hints at a potential conflict between the NHL and CapFriendly, which could have influenced the Capitals' interest in acquiring the website.

"The NHL believes that they should not be in the business of publishing this stuff, as a matter of fact, I've been told several times that the relationship between the NHL and CapFriendly was icy," Friedman said (via 32 Thoughts Podcast).

The agreement is expected to be finalized by July 5. Both parties intend for the site to remain publicly available and independently operated through the 2024 League Draft and the start of free agency. Despite this intention, the website will go dark after the transaction officially closes.

CapFriendly came to the scene in 2015 following the closure of CapGeek, which was created by Matthew Wuest.

CapGeek was highly valued for its salary cap information but sadly shut down after Wuest's passing from colon cancer. CapFriendly has since become an indispensable resource for fans and media, offering vital salary cap data and analysis.

Dominik Zrim, co-owner and director of CapFriendly, brings League experience from his time with the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks. There's been recent buzz that NHL teams using CapFriendly's tools and Application Programming Interface (API) were informed of contract terminations.

Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin prioritizes Stanley Cup win over NHL goal record

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's all-time League goals record of 894, with 853 goals scored by now. However, his primary focus remains on securing another Stanley Cup for his team rather than chasing records.

Despite falling short in the playoffs this season, Ovechkin is determined to keep the team competitive during the final two years of his contract.

"Stanley Cup [When asked what is more important]. It's better to do everything together and win," Ovechkin said (via It's Hockey, Brother podcast).

"We have to prepare because we have to try to win another Stanley Cup," Ovechkin added.

Ovechkin is determined to chase another Stanley Cup victory with the Capitals. If he gets the all-time scoring record as well, it would be even better.