Significantly Insignificant said:
Because a bonus isn't a gaurantee, it isn't calculated in to the current year cap. Therefore any bonuses achieved come off the cap the following year if you were at the limit. There is something when you use LTIR, that the bonus automatically come off the next year. However, if you have enough cap space to pay for the bonus in the current year, then there is no overage.
Basically, LTIR can't pay for bonuses.
That sums it up pretty nicely - and, the reason LTIR can't be used for bonuses is it's only valid for use during the season - so, before bonuses are calculated. And, the reason going into LTIR space pushes every penny of earned bonuses onto the next season's ledger is that, in order to qualify to use LTIR space, you have to have hit the cap ceiling.
To answer the second part of Frank's question, the effect is that the Leafs will be carrying up to ~$5M in dead cap next season d
ue to the all the rookie bonuses Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Brown, and Zaitsev will have earned this season.