Connor McDavid made history on Wednesday after signing a record-breaking eight-year $100 million contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers.
The number is nothing to sneeze at, but the 2017 MVP could have demanded even more if he had chosen to. So essentially, the Oilers were able to keep the 20-year-old at a very reasonable price.
Though his skill is nearly unmatched, there are other players around the league who bring similar value to their team. Their contracts, however, are not nearly as large, and some are even cheap by today’s NHL standards. Below, we pointed out some of the league’s most team-friendly contracts.
Rules
• All contract information was found at CapFriendly
- Players on entry-level contracts were excluded from the list.
- The list does not include current UFAs or RFAs.
- The cap hit is the player’s number for the 2017-2018 season.
DEFENCEMEN
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Erik Karlsson- Cap hit: $6.5 million
This one’s a gimme.
It’s ridiculous to think that the NHL’s best defenceman will earn just a bit more than half of what McDavid will make in the first year of his new deal. The Swedish blue-liner is signed with the Senators through the 2018-2019 season and is sure to receive a hefty raise. Time will tell if he becomes the NHL’s next highest paid player.
Duncan Keith- Cap hit: $5,538,462
Keith was currently named one of the NHL’s top 100 players of all time, yet his cap-hit is less than $6 million per year. The three-time Stanley Cup champ anchored Chicago’s backend during each of their championship runs, and particularly excelled in 2015 when he was named the Conn Smythe trophy winner. At 33, Keith’s best years could already be behind him, but it’s tough to deny that his number should be higher.
Ryan McDonagh- Cap hit: $4.750 million
McDonagh has been a rock for the Rangers since being dealt from Montreal in a seven player trade involving Scott Gomez. His resumé with the team includes a playoff appearance in each of the seven seasons he’s played in New York, and a Stanley Cup Final birth in 2014 against the Los Angeles Kings. The American is a strong skater and definitely worthy of a raise. McDonagh is signed through the 2018-2019 season.
Nashville’s Defenders
Okay, so P.K. Subban has a juicy cap hit of $9 million per season. But Nashville’s other three top-four studs, comprised of Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis, make up almost less than Subban per season combined.
Josi- $4 million through 2019-2020
Ekholm- $3.75 million through 2021-2022
Ellis- $2.5 million through 2018-2019
Total: $10.250 million
The three defenders were paramount in the Predators’ most recent Stanley Cup run, and their relatively low total will allow general manager David Poile to land a big free agent if he chooses to in the coming years.
Talk about strong value.
Jacob Trouba- Cap hit: $2,812,500 million
After holding out for the first chunk of the season, Trouba eventually agreed to a two-year $6 million contract. The deal ultimately bared fruit for the Winnipeg Jets, as the Rochester, Michigan Native managed to tally 33 points in 60 games, finished with a +/- 4, and averaged the second most minutes per game on the team (24:57). Trouba is sure to receive a massive long-term deal, it just remains to be seen if it will be with the Jets or not.
FORWARDS
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John Tavares- Cap hit: $5.5 million
Tavares is another player whose future is up in the air. One of the best centers in the game, ‘Johnny T’ is going to cash in on his next contract. The only questions are: when, and where?
Tavares is signed through the 2017-2018 season and many have speculated he will leave New York. General manager Garth Snow could extend his captain this summer, but the longer they wait, the likelier he is to walk. His contract status will be one to closely monitor over the next year.
Tyler Seguin- Cap hit: $5.750 million
After a rough start to his career, the 2010 second overall pick emerged into an elite NHL scorer. When healthy, Seguin has been one of the most consistent players in the league (let alone his team), having recorded at least 72 points in each of his four seasons with the Stars. The former Plymouth Whaler is signed through 2018-2019 and might see his stats escalate following the additions of Martin Hanzal and Alexander Radulov.
Sidney Crosby- Cap hit: $8.7 million
Why not throw Sid on the list?
His contract may have been viewed as pricey at the time, but having the world’s best player at just $8.7 million today is a steal and a half. Yes, his endorsement deals are through the roof. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Sid’s reasonable cap hit has allowed the Penguins to add vital pieces to their roster over the years.
Crosby’s contract runs through 2024-2025 and he doesn’t appear to be going anywhere in the near future.
Jonathan Marchessault- Cap hit: $750,000
Marchessault’s name doesn’t stand out quite as clearly as some of the others on the list, but he might be the biggest bargain of them all.
The undrafted center gained notoriety last season after scoring 30 goals and 21 assists in just 71 games with the Florida Panthers. In June, Marchessault was suspiciously exposed, and the Las Vegas Golden Knights were quick to snag him in the expansion draft. He is a player the team will likely build around, and should provide tremendous value going forward.
Nikita Kucherov- Cap hit: $4,766,667
The only Russian on the list has been scoring at an impressive pace over the last two years. During the 2015-2016 campaign, Kucherov scored 30 goals and increased that number by 10 the following season. To simply put it, a 40-goal scorer at less than $5 million is tough to come by in today’s NHL. The 24-year-old has two years remaining on his contract.
J.T. Miller- Cap hit: $2.750 million
Miller quietly had a very respectable 2016-2017 season, scoring 22 goals and 34 assists in 82 games. He ended the regular season only behind teammate Mats Zuccarello (59), and should be an integral piece of the Rangers’ forward corpse for years to come. After scoring just 33 points in his first 114 games, Miller has totaled 99 in his last 164 and is finally starting to hit stride.
He is due for a new contract in 2018.
Paul Byron- Cap hit: $1,166,667
If you foresaw Byron reaching 22 goals last season, good on you.
The Canadien more than doubled his previous career high in points (21) with 43 and was an integral part of Montreal’s success. Byron has gained a reputation as one of the quickest players in the league and is signed through 2018-2019, to the delight of Montreal fans. His goal total was good enough for second on the team behind captain Max Pacioretty.
GOALIES
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Matt Murray- Cap hit: $3.750 million
Murray has been nothing short of superb since entering the NHL, managing to capture two Stanley Cups as a rookie (that’s tough to fathom, right?). A third-round pick in 2012, the Penguins net-minder gained full control of Pittsburgh’s crease after Marc-Andre Fleury was snagged by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft. Murray is signed through the 2019-2020 season and is just 23 years old.
Devan Dubnyk- Cap hit: $4,333,333
Dubnyk has shined in Minnesota with the exception of a rocky second half in the 2016-2017 season. Solid goaltending is difficult to come by, but the Wild managed to find their guy at a very reasonable cap hit. The 6’6 giant finished fourth in wins (40), seventh in save percentage (.923) and eighth in goals against average (2.25) last season.
John Gibson- $2.3 million
Gibson is another young goaltender on a very affordable contract. The Pittsburgh native finished the 2016-2017 season fifth in save percentage (.923), fifth in GAA (2.22) and with six shutouts (sixth); all in just 52 games (22nd). Gibson is signed through the next two seasons and may see a similar number of starts next year considering the Ducks recently inked goaltender Ryan Miller to a two-year $4 million contract.
Cam Talbot- $4,166,667
It’s been a long road for Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot, but he’s finally making a nice living for himself on a deal that Edmonton should have no issues with. This contract would have seemed insane three years ago, but it’s starting to have the look of a steal when you take into account the goaltender’s absurd numbers last season. Somehow, Talbot managed to play 73 games and ended the year with an impressive 42-22-8 record. Behind McDavid, an argument can be made that he is the Oilers’ most valuable piece.
This list isn’t to say that there aren’t other valuable players from around the league, but you can only tack off so many. Let us know who else you think should have made the cut at @BarDown!
