From the manufacturer's website:

Object: Your job is to out-maneuver your opponents and build a fantasy championship roster of 15 players while staying under the salary cap.

In TRADE DEADLINE HOCKEY The Board Game, the trading is fantasy but the salary cap is real. Here is your chance to get behind-the-scenes of pro hockey as a General Manager. Spots on the on-ice game board will initiate trades while “Penalty” and “Action” cards drive play. The Deadline Scorekeeper will track your progress while the action builds to a flurry of trading as you approach the end of the game and, possibly, a shootout.