The piece breaks down the NHL’s salary cap structure into four distinct tiers—each with its own cap hit range—and explains how teams use these categories to balance star talent with depth. It highlights how a player’s tier placement can influence draft value, trade prospects, and salary cap flexibility, and offers practical tips for fantasy managers to align their picks with real‑world roster construction. By mapping cap tiers to draft strategy, the article helps readers understand why certain players are more valuable in fantasy drafts and how to build a competitive lineup while staying within league rules.

Use these forward tiers to help you plan out your fantasy hockey draft strategy.