The Philadelphia Flyers' five-year, $9 million contract with Maxime Talbot may violate the league's salary cap, according to TSN in Canada.
The 27-year-old Talbot became an unrestricted free agent this summer and signed a deal with Philly on Friday, the first day of free agency period. But much like the Devils' contract with Ilya Kovalchuk last summer, terms of the deal circumvent the NHL's salary cap.
Talbot's deal is currently structured so that the winger earns $2.5 million this season and $2.25 million the next two seasons. The final two years of the contract have the Quebec-native getting $1 million per season.
The league's CBA agreement regarding contracts dictate that the final two years of a contract can not be worth less than half of either of the first two years.
Last summer, when the initial Kovalchuk deal was rejected by the NHL, the Devils were forced to forfeit $3 million, their third-round selection in this summer's NHL draft and a future first-round pick prior to 2014. According to TSN, the Flyers are not expected to receive punishment for Talbot's deal.
Talbot spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins. He scored both goals for the Pens in a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final against Detroit.