The NHL is undoubtedly wealthier than ever. The league’s teams are worth more than ever today; according to Sportico, even the least-valued team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, is worth $1.3 billion. Teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers increased their worth by more than 45% over the year.
Although unrelated to a team’s worth, NHL players’ contracts are another sign of the league’s rising status. Most recently, the Minnesota Wild’s standout winger, Kirill Kaprizov, received the biggest contract in the league’s history. Kaprizov’s $136 million payday was groundbreaking. However, the winger’s new contract does not come into force until 2026. At the moment, who are the NHL’s ten highest-paid players?
NHL’s Top 10 Wealthiest Players
1) Leon Draisaitl is the league’s wealthiest player. The 29-year-old’s eight-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers has a jaw-dropping average annual value of $14 million. Draisaitl’s contract will remain in force till 2033.
2) Auston Matthews, the captain of the NHL’s most expensive franchise, the Toronto Maple Leafs, is in second place. Matthews’ four-year contract with the Leafs has an average annual value of $13.25 million. The center will hit free agency in 2028.
3) Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche is not just the second-best center in the league right now; he is also one of the wealthiest. MacKinnon’s eight-year, $100.8 million contract with the Avalanche has an average annual value of $12.6 million.
4) The second Oilers player on the list is Connor McDavid. Captain McDavid is in his final year of his eight-year, $100 million contract with the Oilers. After prolonged contract negotiations, the standout center signed a two-year extension to stay in Edmonton. His average annual value remained the same between the two contracts at $12.5 million.
5) Mitch Marner is remarkably wealthier after he joined the Vegas Golden Knights. One of the Maple Leafs’ former core four, this standout winger signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with the Knights, putting his annual salary at $12 million.
6) Mikko Rantanen is one of the best wingers in the league. After moving to Dallas to play with the Stars, Rantanen’s average annual value is $12 million. His eight-year contract with the Stars is worth $96 million.
7) Seasoned veteran and one of the New York Rangers’ alternate captains, Artemi Panarin, is nearing the end of his seven-year contract with the team. Panarin’s average annual value is $11.6 million.
8) Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks did not have a great season, which was marred by injuries. However, given his hefty payday, expectations from the forward are high. Pettersson’s eight-year contract with the Canucks is worth $92.8 million and has an average annual value of $11.6 million.
9) Veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins is nearing the end of his eight-year, $92 million contract with the Penguins, which has an average annual value of $11.5 million. Karlsson will hit free agency in 2027.
10) Finally, we have William Nylander as the tenth richest NHL player. The Maple Leafs winger, a Golden Puck awardee expected to reach stratospheric heights this season, has an average annual value of $11.5 million.
Kaprizov’s upcoming contract will soon displace Draisaitl as the highest-paid NHL player, kickstarting a new era in the league.
