Sidney Crosby loves the numbers eight and seven, especially
when used together as in sweater No. 87 and a salary cap hit of $8.7 million
through the 2024-25 season.
Make no mistake; the Pittsburgh Penguins love that number
combination, as well. After the completion of his three-year, entry-level
contract, Crosby signed the first of two long-term deals with the Pens that
averaged to $8.7 million per season. In return, the Penguins received better
than a point per game, not to mention three Stanley Cups from Crosby, the
long-time face of the NHL to boot.
Consider Crosby's contract a bargain, the best in the league
from a team point of view.
On the flip side, that eight-year, $84 million deal the
Montreal Canadiens gave to goaltender Carey Price? Consider that the worst in
the NHL, the other end of the spectrum of Crosby's deal, one the Habs will
regret for myriad reasons for years to come.
So, what are the best and worst contracts for every NHL team
entering the 2018-19 season?
Let's take a look.
PITTSBURGH
PENGUINS
Best: Not often you can pay a player $8.7 million a
season and then sit back and pat yourself on the back with the great bargain
you have. The Penguins can do that with Sidney Crosby, worth every
penny — and so much more — even with seven years left on his deal.
Worst: Carl Hagelin is a real nice
complimentary player who played an important role on back-to-back Cup winners
with the Penguins. He's just not a $4 million player. But this is a bit of a
reach -- especially with Hagelin having only one year to go on
his deal -- because the Pens do not have any really terrible
contracts, pretty much all are justified.
ANAHEIM DUCKS
Best: Rickard Rackell produced consecutive
30-goal seasons and the Ducks have the 25-year-old in for four more years
at $3.789 million.
Worst: This is a toss-up between a pair of
overpaid 33-year-old forwards, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler.
Perry (three years left at $8.625 per) is in the midst of a massive decline in
production the past two seasons, to the point of 17 goals in 2017-18. Kesler
(four years remaining at $6.875 million per) was already overpaid before
staggering through an injury-plagued year last season, one in which he scored
eight goals in 44 games. Both players are wearing down with full no-move
clauses attached to their high salary cap hits. Flip of the coin says Perry is
the club's worst contract right now.
ARIZONA COYOTES
Best: Locking up All Star defenseman Oliver
Ekman-Larsson through his age 33 season at $8.25 million cap hit
was smart, aggressive move by GM John Chayka this offseason.
Worst: There are no real standout terrible contracts
here. Maybe mediocre backup goalie Darcy Kuemper at $1.85 million cap hit?
That's still a stretch. We'll go with Alex Galchenyuk scoring
17 and 19 goals the past two seasons on a $4.9 million hit that runs through
the next two seasons — keeping in mind he is a former 30-goal scorer who
is only 24-years-old and capable of making that contract look good.
BOSTON BRUINS
Best: Defenseman Torey Krug is
getting better by the season, is coming off a career-high 59 points, has been a
terrific postseason performer in his career and is only 27-years-old. He has
two more years at $5.25 million on his fair-market contract.
Worst: David Backes is an inspirational
player as he proved again last season, but at $6 million a season over the next
three years, his contract is cumbersome and not a good one as the 34-year-old's
production continues to slip.
BUFFALO SABRES
Best: The Sabres signed Carter Hutton,
the top free-agent goalie this offseason, to a three-year contract that
averages $2.75 million a year. He's never been a No. 1 goalie, but even if he
splits time with Linus Ullmark — but puts up the kind of numbers
he did previously in St. Louis and Nashville — this is a good-looking
deal.
Worst: Time will tell if Jack Eichel's eight-year $80
million extension which kicks in this season, is going to be an albatross or
bargain down the road for a kid who has not topped 64 points yet. Right now,
though, injuries and declining production make the Kyle Okposo cap
hit of $6 million over the next five years the team's worst contract.
CALGARY FLAMES
Best: Sean Monahan (five years remaining at $6.375
million) is providing great bang for the buck with his five-year run of
top-line offensive consistency, but Johnny Gaudreau is a star,
coming off a career-high 84 points, making the four years left at $6.75 million
on his deal quite palatable.
Worst: Troy Brouwer is a veteran
leader, a player who wears a letter on his sweater and is a heart-and-soul
member of the Flames. But following three years of declining offensive
production, Brouwer's two years remaining at $4.5 million don't look so pretty.
CAROLINA
HURRICANES
Best: Dougie Hamilton is a durable,
skilled, point-producing, right-shot defenseman that is owed under $6 million
($5.75) a year for the next three seasons. Honorable mention to Justin Faulk,
who scores a bit less from the blue line than Hamilton, but is also a relative
bargain at $4.833 million the next two years.
Worst: Jordan Staal is overpaid at $6 million per
over the next five years — with a full no-movement clause — but the
fashion in which goaltender Scott Darling flamed out last season
makes the three years at $4.15 million left on his deal look far worse.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Best: Not a lot of "best" contracts to
choose from in Chicago, though steady 27-year-old defenseman Jan
Rutta in at $2.3 million fits the bill here.
Worst: The dual $10.5 million cap hits of
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane do not bode well for the future, but they were
the backbone of three Stanley Cup championships and they both can still play at
elite levels. Defenseman Brent Seabrook (six more years
at $6.875 million) is also a three-time Cup winner, but his game is on a clear
decline, and this is an ugly contract moving forward.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
Best: Nathan MacKinnon is
22-years-old, the reigning Hart Trophy runner-up and is coming off a
career-high 97-point season. He is signed for the next five years at a tidy
$6.3 million.
Worst: Not sure 32-year-old Carl
Soderberg is worth nearly $5 million a year the next two seasons.
COLUMBUS BLUE
JACKETS
Best: Landing 22-year-old former 20-goal scorer Anthony
Duclair for one year at $650,000 this offseason really might be an
absolute steal for the Blue Jackets. That is, IF John Tortorella can get
him straightened out and back on track.
Worst: Brandon Dubinsky (three years
left at $5.85 million) was an absolute shell of him this past season and looks
to be on a permanent downward curve at age 32.
DALLAS STARS
Best: John Klingberg is one of the best
offensive defensemen in the NHL, with 58, 49 and 67 points the past three
years. The Stars have him signed up for four more years at only a $4.25 cap
hit.
Worst: Injuries have certainly taken the luster
off Martin Hanzel the past several years — despite his
21-goal output in 2016-17 and continued strong work on faceoffs and defense
— making the final two years at $4.75 cap hit not attractive in the least.
DETROIT RED WINGS
Best: Thomas Vanek was a nice fit in
Detroit two years ago and now he's back on a one-year $3 million contract with
the Red Wings. That's a decent contract for a consistent scorer coming off a
24-goal, 56-point season.
Worst: Not a lot to choose from here, but Andreas
Athanasiou is a three-million a year player? Even understanding
inflated bridge deals this seems like a lot for a skilled forward, though one
that scored only 18 and 16 goals previous two seasons.
EDMONTON OILERS
Best: Signing the speedy Tobias
Rieder to a one-year, $2 million deal this offseason was an underrated
move by the Oilers. Oscar Klefbom's long-term deal through his age 29 season
(five years, $4.167 million per) is solid, too.
Worst: Those five years at $6 million per owed
to Milan Lucic, not looking too good after last season's ten-goal
output.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
Best: Aleksander Barkov is one of the
game's best young centers and the Panthers have him signed for four more years
at $5.9 million. A point-per-game player in his age 22 season last year,
Barkov's deal will be a steal as he gets better and better.
Worst: Hard to find a really bad contract with
the Panthers. Does Keith Yandle produce enough offense from the
back end to offset his sketchy defensive play in order to collect an average of
$6.35 million the next five years? Probably not.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
Best: Jake Muzzin is a solid
puck-moving d-man who recorded 42 points last season and played a big part on
the Kings 2014 Stanley Cup-winning team. LA has him for another two years at an
average of $4 million per.
Worst: Not sure about three years of 35-year-old Ilya
Kovalchuk at $6.25 million a pop, but still more concerned about the three
years at $5.875 million left on Dustin Brown 's deal even after his
resurgence (28-33-61) in his age 33 season a year ago. The four seasons prior,
Brown had 27, 27, 28 and 36 points, and never scored more than 15 goals.
MORE: What can
we expect from Ilya Kovalchuk in return to the NHL?
MINNESOTA WILD
Best: Hard to beat the bang for the buck provided
by Eric Staal, who scored 42 goals and 76 points last season and
has only one year worth $3.5 million left on his contract.
Worst: Injuries and subsequent diminished production
for 33-year-old Zach Parise make the final seven years at
$7.538 million a real albatross for the Wild. The real money the next two years
is $9 million per.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Best: Even considering last year's aberration of a
down year, team captain Max Pacioretty owns an extremely
team-friendly deal with one year remaining at $4.5 million. Pacioretty already
has five 30-goal seasons on his resume, including 35 just two seasons ago. Of
course, he and his contract may soon be traded away as the Canadiens reportedly
have no interest in signing Pacioretty to an extension.
Worst: Carey Price owns the worst contract
in Montreal, and the worst in the entire NHL (eight years at $10.5 million
per). That Price has been injured two of the past three seasons and is coming
off the worst year statistically in his career doesn't make this picture
prettier. Huge contracts for goalies never seem to work out, and this is the biggest
of them all.
NASHVILLE
PREDATORS
Best: Team captain Roman Josi might
have a Norris Trophy in his future. And the Predators have him signed for
two more years at a $4 million cap hit.
Worst: Ryan Johansen has tons of
potential, a 30-goal season four years ago and a solid track record as a point
producer in the playoffs, but he's got miles to go before he pays off the $8
million he is owed the next seven seasons.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Best: Taylor Hall is 26-years-old
and is the reigning Hart Trophy winner in the National Hockey League after
setting career-highs with 39 goals and 93 points last season. He still has two
years left at only $6 million per on his contract, though an extension
will be in the offing in the not-so-distant future.
Worst: The Devils have a few not-so-great
contracts, though Marcus Johansen's ($4.583 million) deal has only one year
left and might not look so bad if MarJo can stay healthy and keep a
top-six role this season. However, Travis Zajac still has
three years remaining at $5.75 million, and that is too much for a 33-year-old
heading to role-player status.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Best: 40-goal scorer Anders Lee is a bargain in the
final year of a contract that pays him $3.75 million, but the Islanders did
well in securing free agent goalie Robin Lehner on a prove-it
one-year $1.5 million contract, which may end up to be an absolute steal of a
deal.
Worst: Aging, overpaid and underperforming Andrew
Ladd still has five years at $5.5 million per remaining on his
contract. One of the league's worst deals.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Best: He's not a star, but 26-year-old winger Jesper
Fast can play up and down the lineup and is among the smartest players
in the game, and certainly one of the most defensively responsible. He also
scored 13 goals and totaled 33 points last season. The Rangers have him inked
for another two years at under a $2 million cap hit ($1.875 million).
Worst: The Rangers have done a good job in recent
years ridding themselves of some pretty ugly contracts, and did well not to add
any during free agency in the midst of a serious rebuild. So, that leaves the
contract of defenseman Brendan Smith (three more years at
$4.35 cap hit) who was so ineffective last season that he ended up in the minor
leagues. Since the Rangers are so far under the cap, 36-year-old, Henrik
Lundqvist's three years remaining at $8.5 million is negated.
OTTAWA SENATORS
Best: This may not last long, but Erik
Karlsson — who could be traded or signed to a mega-extension
— has one year left at $6.5 million, a steal for one of the NHL's premier
players.
Worst: Mikkel Boedker's two years at $4 million per
is plain ugly, but not in the same league as that $7.25 million cap hit Bobby
Ryan carries for the next four years.
PHILADELPHIA
FLYERS
Best: Now that Sean Couturier added
major production (31 goals, 76 points last season) to his Selke Trophy worthy
play, the four years at $4.33 million left on the 25-year-old's contract seem
like a bargain.
Worst: Defenseman Andrew MacDonald never
played to the level of the $5 million cap hit he's owed the next two years.
NHL DRAFT 2018: Team-by-team
grades | Winners and
losers
ST. LOUIS BLUES
Best: The Blues got St. Louis-born free agent Patrick
Maroon to sign a one-year $1.75 million contract this summer. That's
pretty terrific value for a 30-year-old top-9 forward who brings physicality
and good hands to his new club.
Worst: Tyler Bozak does a lot of
things well, but the Blues overpaid signing the 32-year-old to a
three-year deal at $5 million per to be a third-line center. The pressure is on
Ryan O'Reilly to justify that $7.5 cap hit he carries the next five years
after the big trade with the Sabres this offseason.
SAN JOSE SHARKS
Best: Similar to Jesper Fast of the Rangers, Joonas
Donskoi is an under-the-radar solid forward for the Sharks, who is
paid less than $2 million a year ($1.9 million) heading into UFA status next
July.
Worst: The Sharks are paying for potential with Tomas
Hertl (four more years at $5.625 million per) than top-flight
production. Hertl turns 25 this season, and maybe he takes his production up to
the next level. Until that happens, this is not a great contract.
TAMPA BAY
LIGHTNING
Best: Considering the contracts being signed by some
of the top d-men in the league this offseason — see Drew Doughty,
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Carlson and, soon enough, Erik
Karlsson — the Lightning have to feel pretty good about the seven
years at $7.875 million owed Victor Hedman, who won the Norris
Trophy this past season.
Worst: Injury-prone Ryan Callahan has
two more years at a bloated $5.8 million per remaining on his contract. Far too
much for the 33-year-old who brings grit, heart and other intangibles, but
falling production, as well, when he can actually get on the ice.
MORE: Maple Leafs'
best line combinations with John Tavares
TORONTO MAPLE
LEAFS
Best: Nazem Kadri is a 30-goal scorer and
routinely goes up against the other teams top lines. He has become an
invaluable member of the Leafs, and his cap hit of $4.5 million the next four
years is well worth it.
Worst: There is a chance that the seven year, $77
million dollar mega deal signed by John Tavares will one day be looked at as a
bad contract, though it's too early to say that now. So, that leaves Nikita
Zaitsev's six years remaining at $4.5 a year as the team's worst deal
— though that can change if Zaitsev plays more to his expected form moving
forward.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Best: There are no real standout great contracts
here, but signing up Bo Horvat — who may have reached 30
goals last year if not for injury (22 in 64 games) — at $5.5 million for
the next five years qualifies based on his growing production and age (23).
Worst: Not in love with giving Antoine Roussel a
four-year contract this offseason (at $3 million per), but that doesn't compare
with Loui Eriksson who has four years at $6 million per coming
his way. The 32 year-old has been hurt often and ineffective when healthy his
first two seasons in Vancouver.
VEGAS GOLDEN
KNIGHTS
Best: There are a lot of really good contracts on
this team -- particularly on defense where Colin Miller (four years at $3.875
million) is the highest-paid defenseman. But Erik Haula, coming off
a career-high 29 goals, owns the most team-friendly deal (two years left at
$2.75 million).
Worst: Not many contenders for worst contract, but
giving Marc-Andre Fleury a three-year, $21 million extension
that kicks in next season when he turns 35 is not going to look pretty, no
matter how popular The Flower is on and off the ice.
WASHINGTON
CAPITALS
Best: Nicklas Backstrom is one of
the premier playmakers in the game. He is paid handsomely (two more years with
a $6.7 million cap hit), but is well worth it.
Worst: Seven more years at $5.75 million per is
not going to be a pretty sight soon enough for 31-year-old heart and soul T.J.
Oshie.
WINNIPEG JETS
Best: Blake Wheeler was a Hart
Trophy candidate all of last season, finishing with a career-high 91 points. He
has one year at $5.6 million due, an absolute steal — though a
possible contract extension would alter those numbers quite a bit.
Worst: Underachieving defenseman Dmitry
Kulikov is no bargain at $4.33 million the next two years.
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