A few years ago I did a comparison of CBAs. Now that the NHL deal framework is in place, it’s time to update the table. Here’s what we have now.

MLB remains the only major pro sports league in the US/Canada that has no salary cap. NHL cap and NBA salary floor figures are for 2013-14 season.

The untold story is league debt. The NFL is far and away the richest league, but it also has a massive amount of debt. In 2008 that figure was $9.5 billion and has only grown with the expensive new stadia in New Jersey, Arlington, and Santa Clara. MLB’s credit facility, which is meant as a short-term solution for teams, had $1 billion going into this summer and issued $300 million more since then. None of the leagues are in jeopardy because of their respective debt positions because in most cases, that debt is backed by long term TV deals. Individual teams are at greater risk due to the lack of revenue stability in weaker markets, which is frequently the case in the NHL.

Luxury tax structures implemented in MLB and the NBA have worked to reign in many free-spending teams. The NY Knicks are under the NBA’s luxury tax threshold for the first time in recent memory, and the Yankees are set to follow suit in baseball.

All of this goes to show that for all of the talk of economic parity in pro sports, there are instances of haves and have-nots everywhere. It’s unavoidable, and thanks to CBAs that will run for as long as a decade, it’s enshrined. Cheers!