Kirill Kaprizov’s eight-year, $136 million extension at a $17 million AAV reset the winger market and sharpened the league’s focus on price-to-output value. With the cap rising, several star contracts look underpriced relative to production, usage and window alignment.
These five contracts deliver star-level impact at below-top-tier cap hits, with term and performance context following Kaprizov’s $136 million deal. Each entry includes the player’s AAV, length, and why the number rates as a bargain at the current time.
Leon Draisaitl: 8 years, $112 million (AAV $14 million; signed Sept. 3, 2024)
Edmonton secured a perennial Hart-level producer at an AAV $3 million below Kaprizov’s. Draisaitl posted 106 points in 71 games in 2024-25 and 33 points in 22 playoff games, anchoring elite offense across all situations. The term encompasses the Oilers’ contention window, delivering elite impact without incurring a top-tier cap tax.
With the cap projecting upward, a $14 million AAV on a true first-line driver gives Edmonton rare flexibility to sustain depth scoring and special-teams support while keeping an MVP-caliber piece locked in long term.
David Pastrnak: 8 years, $90 million (AAV $11.25 million; signed March 2, 2023; through 2030–31)
Boston locked in a premier scorer through his prime at a number meaningfully below top-of-market wingers. Pastrnak delivered consecutive 100-plus point seasons with elite 5-on-5 rates and durable usage.
His price-to-output ratio remains among the league’s best as comparable AAVs push into the $14-$17 million band. The structure aligns with Boston’s annual contention window, stabilizing top-line goal scoring while preserving cap room to reinforce the middle six and the blue line.
Nick Suzuki: 8 years, $63 million (AAV $7.875 million; signed Oct. 12, 2021)
Montreal’s captain carries 1C responsibilities, plays heavy minutes, deploys matchups, and uses special teams, and produced 89 points last season. True top-line centers under $8 million AAV are rare.
As the cap climbs, Suzuki’s deal provides cost certainty and flexibility for roster construction while delivering two-way reliability and rising offense. For a rebuilding club transitioning into contention, banking a dependable 1C at this number is the foundation that allows Montreal to layer in finishing talent and defensive insulation.
Sidney Crosby: 2 years, $17.4 million (AAV $8.7 million; signed Sept. 16, 2024)
At 38, Crosby remains a top-line driver–91 points in 80 games last season, high faceoff win rates, and sustained power-play impact. The short-term mitigates age risk while the AAV stays comfortably below the top tier, delivering star performance without a star-level cap penalty, precisely the definition of a late-career bargain.
Pittsburgh secures elite leadership and consistent top-six production at a number that doesn’t crowd out the pursuit of scoring depth and transition speed.
Nathan MacKinnon: 8 years, $100.8 million (AAV $12.6 million; signed Sept. 20, 2022; effective 2023–24)
MacKinnon’s extension set a high-water mark at the time, yet continues to look efficient relative to MVP-level production and Colorado’s contention arc. His cost against team success and personal output remains favorable with the cap rising, especially compared to the latest top-of-market winger contracts.
The deal balances paying for peak dominance and maintaining the flexibility to sustain a contending roster around a high-possession, high-danger play driver.
Kaprizov’s $17 million AAV is a landmark for the winger market, but it also highlights how several franchises secured elite value ahead of the spike. These five deals balance price, performance, and term to define today’s bargain tier in a rising-cap NHL.
