Oilers Catch a Break With Clarified LTIR Rules Ahead of Opening Night

The Edmonton Oilers — and NHL teams in general — received a timely clarification on the league’s new “no paper loans” rule, which requires a player to play at least one AHL game before being recalled. According to PuckPedia, the rule will not go into effect until October 10, giving teams flexibility for opening roster submissions.

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For Edmonton, this creates a key opportunity. Waiver-exempt players, such as David Tomasek, Ike Howard, and Matt Savoie, can be sent down, the opening roster submitted under the salary cap, and then players can be immediately recalled after placing someone like Zach Hyman on LTIR. This allows the Oilers to optimize their LTIR pool while avoiding the risk of losing players on waivers, all without exceeding the 23-player active roster limit.

How Does LTIR Work For Teams In Tight Situations?

PuckPedia provides detailed information on how LTIR works for teams, but this season’s implementation was expected to be slightly different. Clubs cannot simply add players under the assumption that their cap hits won’t count in the playoffs, considering active playoff rosters must remain under the cap ceiling.

When it comes to the rest of the season, LTIR, or long-term injured reserve, allows a team to exceed the salary cap for a player expected to miss at least 10 games and 24 days. Under the new CBA, there are two types: standard LTIR for players who may return, capped at the league average salary ($3,817,293 for 2025-26), and Season Ending LTIR (SELTIR), which allows the full cap hit for players out for the remainder of the season.

The Florida Panthers, for example, will need to make a decision on Aleksander Barkov. Do they put him on full-season LTIR, knowing he won’t be back, thus getting his full $10 million cap hit to spend on someone else? Or, do they avoid doing so with the hope he’s able to return in the playoffs?

Teams calculate their LTIR pool based on their position relative to the cap ceiling, often making strategic roster moves prior to placing a player on LTIR to maximize flexibility.

While LTIR can be a powerful tool, it comes with consequences: teams do not accrue cap space over the course of the season, and any performance bonus overages carry over into the following year. With the clarified rule in place, the Oilers and other teams have an extra week to optimize their rosters, ensuring they can start the season under the cap while retaining maximum flexibility.

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