Top 3 alternatives to CapFriendly following the site’s reported acquisition by Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are set to close on a deal for the purchase of popular NHL salary information site CapFriendly, The Hockey News reported. CapFriendly has operated since 2015, providing updated information on team payrolls and individual player salary histories.

According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the site’s sale will finalize around July 5. At that time, the site will become unavailable to the public. Moreover, the contract of NHL clubs that use CapFriendly’s tools will be terminated.

Per Friedman, the reported sale will be delayed till July 5 to allow the public to access CapFriendly’s tools during the draft and the opening of free agency.

With the Washington Capitals set to take CapFriendly offline, here are three alternatives to consider.

Top 3 options to CapFriendly following its purchase by the Washington Capitals

#1: Hockey-reference.com

Hockey-reference.com is a vast database with statistics, player bios, team history, and other relevant data. The site provides just about every possible tidbit of information the public would want to know.

However, there is one considerable drawback. Hockey-reference.com does not provide the detailed breakdown of salary information that CapFriendly does. The site displays individual salary information and cap hits per player and team but very little beyond that.

Still, hockey-reference.com is a good place to start for the casual fan or observer.

#2: Hockeydb.com

Hockeydb.com is very similar to hockey-reference.com. The site provides a plethora of information on individual players, their bios, and even a list of trading cards. As for salary information, hockeydb.com lists individual players’ salaries and team lists but not much in terms of analytics tools.

Like hockey-reference.com, hockeydb.com can become a solid source of salary data now that the Washington Capitals have reportedly bought CapFriendly. However, hockeydb.com could fall short of expectations for those fans and observers looking for highly detailed analytics and predictive tools.

#1: Puckpedia.com

The best alternative to CapFriendly by far is puckpedia.com. Like CapFriendly, puckpedia.com presents information on total team salaries, current space, projected cap space, number of players on the active roster, and contract status for all players on a team’s roster. Furthermore, puckpedia.com displays information on injuries, player news, and available draft picks.

On the downside, puckpedia.com’s interface looks a bit crude. The visual impact is not particularly soothing to the eyes. It seems like old websites from the 90s. But after getting used to it, puckpedia.com’s interface is as good as CapFriendly’s.

Overall, this site is a very good alternative to CapFriendly. It’s a good idea to try it out before the Washington Capitals officially purchase CapFriendly.