Tom Wilson just got straight paid.
News broke on Friday night that the recent Stanley Cup champion was awarded a six-year contract with an AAV of $5.166,666 million.
A lot of hockey fans are under the impression that Wilson was given too high of a raise. The 24-year-old’s highest single-season point total is just 35 and a majority of those were collected while playing on the team’s top line. To give some perspective on just how much he’s getting paid, here’s a look at 5 players whose cap hit will come at a lower price than the former’s next season.
*Players in their rookie deal have been excluded from the list.
NIKITA KUCHEROV- $4,766,667
Kuch was recently extended by the Tampa Bay Lightning but the team will have him at just $4,766,667 next season. After that, he’ll come at a cap-hit at $9.5 million going forward. Pretty safe to say that next year’s a big one for GM Steve Yzerman and his squad.
JOHN KLINGBERG- $4,250,000
It’s pretty crazy to think that Dallas Stars defenceman John Klingberg will come with a cap hit at just $4,250,000 for the next FOUR seasons. The guy finished a single point behind Caps blue-liner John Carlson for points by a defenceman with 67 while easily serving as Dallas’ best defenceman. One of the best bargains in the NHL?
… Yup.
RYAN MCDONAGH- $4,700,000
McDonagh also received a lengthy extension by the Lightning, but like Kuch, it won’t kick in until the following season. At $4,700,000, the American is an absolute steal and will serve a huge role on T-Bay’s back end going forward.
Again, the pressure is on for Tampa to win a Cap next year
SEAN COUTURIER- $4,333,333
Couturier is coming off of his best campaign, proving his worth with 31 goals and 45 assists in a full 82 game season. His defensive numbers are easily as impressive and he’s become a fan favourite in Philadelphia. They’ll take him at $4,333,333 all day.
JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT- $5 million
Marchessault was arguably Vegas’ best player last year, yet he agreed to a pretty reasonable contract midseason. As if Vegas didn’t already have enough cap space, they managed to lock up the Quebec native with a six-year $30 million contract. Not bad for a player coming off of a 75 point season in just 77 regular season games.
FREDERIK ANDERSEN- $5 million
Andersen has been a rock for the Leafs over the past two seasons, and has done so at a very reasonable price. The 28-year-old led the league in both shots (2211) and saves (2029) while holding his own with a .918 sv% and 2.81 GAA. After finishing fourth with 38 wins, there’s no question that Andersen would come at a much heftier cap hit if he were a free agent this summer.
Honourable mentions: Morgan Rielly, Josh Bailey, Brayden Schenn, Reilly Smith
