The coronavirus pandemic that has shut down the NHL for the past 2 1/2 months has cost the Penguins an untold amount of revenue, and the team will be giving many employees a four-month furlough next week.
Nonetheless, Jim Rutherford said Wednesday that owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle have assured him the club will continue to spend to the salary-cap ceiling during the 2020-21 season.
"Our ownership is terrific," Rutherford said. "We've had those discussions. We've had a lot of discussions about projections, as to where this goes next year and everything. It's very hard to project.
"But the one thing Ron and Mario have said is that, with the group we have, we will contend for a Stanley Cup, and we'll be a cap team."
The salary-cap ceiling for the 2019-20 regular season, which commissioner Gary Bettman formally proclaimed Tuesday to be complete, was $81.5 million.
The cap range, which is based on the league's Hockey Related Revenues, has not been set for next season, but might shrink because of the decline in revenues caused by the loss of, among other things, gate receipts because 189 regular-games were canceled and fans will not be present even if the league is able to stage the Stanley Cup playoffs later this summer.
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