 Beginning with the 2005 NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NHL assigned a salary cap ceiling and floor for each season, so teams must spend money more wisely.This means it is more likely that general managers will offer a contract to a younger player with potential that their team does not see as much value in matching, rather saving money for other players.This also leads to teams signing their own players to long-term contracts before they are eligible for restricted free agency, possibly locking them in at a lower rate than they will have to pay later, depending on each player's future performance; contracts cannot be renegotiated under the current CBA.