Four NHL stars signed new contracts in the past two weeks.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid signed a two-year deal worth $12.5 million annually on Monday, while Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov signed the richest deal in NHL history at eight years and a $17-million cap hit.
On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Jets re-signed Kyle Connor for eight years at $12 million per season, and the Vegas Golden Knights re-signed Jack Eichel for eight years at $13.5 million annually.
Kaprizov’s new deal is a prime example of how NHL players’ compensation is changing with the increase in the salary cap.
Some were under the impression that McDavid would become the highest-paid player in the league, given his reputation and the boatload of Hart Trophies, Ted Lindsay Awards and more individual honors he’s won over the years.
In any case, it may have to be a different player who overtakes Kaprizov in terms of average annual value before McDavid’s contract extension expires following the 2027-28 campaign.
Some incredibly talented players will require new contracts before then. This raises the question: who will be the first NHL player to earn a $20-million cap hit?
Nikita Kucherov, Auston Matthews, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are among several other high-caliber players who will be requiring contract extensions in the near future.
Kucherov and Matthews have noteworthy individual awards to their name, including a Hart Trophy each, Art Ross Trophy wins for Kucherov and ‘Rocket’ Richard wins for Matthews. Due to their unique abilities and results offensively, they could earn themselves a big ticket, especially Matthews, who is a center, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and located in a high-taxed environment.
When Matthews signed his four-year contract worth $13.25 million per season, he took 15.06 percent of the salary cap. According to the NHL, when his contract expires following the 2027-28 season, the salary cap is projected to be $113.5 million.
This means if Matthews were to sign a contract that paid him $20 million per season at that projected cap number, he would receive about 17.62 percent.
Richest Contracts In NHL History: McDavid Doesn’t Break Kaprizov’s New Record
Kirill
Kaprizov’s new contract is an NHL history-maker, and Connor McDavid chose not to break it one week later.
Makar and Hughes are two superstar defenseman who provide a sense of offensive dominance from the back end that is rarely seen in NHL history. Both blueliners earn a cap hit of under $10 million, and many would believe they’re underpaid.
Each negotiation for every player is different, including the demands and motives of signing a new contract. However, there is a possibility that these two D-men could get massive raises on their next contracts.
When the Colorado Avalanche failed to re-sign star right winger Mikko Rantanen, they traded him and found a replacement who performs nearly as well for less money. They’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone available who can do anything close to what Makar does. The same goes in Vancouver with Hughes, who demonstrates valuable leadership qualities on top of his play.
It’s possible that in the summer of 2028, these players will deserve not only double their current cap hits but potentially $20 million a year as well.
For
action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue,
subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by
subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
