NHL teams get creative negotiating free agency with limited cap space

Max Pacioretty's short contract with bonuses allowed the Washington Capitals to sign him at a lower cap hit.
Many teams opted for short-term deals with performance bonuses to work within the flat salary cap.
The Capitals acquired Joel Edmundson from Montreal, who retained half of his cap hit.
Pacioretty is recovering from tearing his Achilles tendon twice but will miss the start of the season.
Teams were forced to find alternative ways to sign free agents with the expectation of a bigger salary cap increase next summer.