Player Prompt:
Honestly, I hate the NHL cap, and going on a little tangent I think the SHL salary cap doesn't really achieve what it is meant to, but I also don't know of a way to fix it.
The NHL cap just seems to have teams find ways to circumvent it however they can, and this happens just because things can get overly complicated. The more rules added are likely in an attempt to shore up holes, but instead have the effect of opening up a loophole. The trade deadline is in place for a reason, right? Why not tie salary caps for playoffs to the trade deadline team. What about LTIR cap flexibility? Why not reduce it from 100% potentially to something like 33%. That way teams still feel the hit from taking on LTI-Retired players and makes financial decisions more prudent.
Similarly the cap floor is implemented for a reason to reduce teams being completely noncompetitive, but teams can skirt it by picking up big contracts of injured players and just not having them play. Making their team worse. Keeping things simpler is the best approach - You must be compliant, and penalties will be assessed accordingly - Forefit games over the cap, and monetary penalty for teams under the cap, for however much they are under by. That way they have to pay the minimum regardless and we never again have to deal with teams having an all star on reserve for literally the entire season, only to come back and dominate playoffs.