10 NHL superstars on incredibly team-friendly deals
Today's NHL is all about finding value.
Mega-contracts are certainly out there - Connor McDavid and John Tavares, for example, are set to count for $12.5 million and $11 million, respectively, next season, but there remains a handful of superstars across the league locked into highly valuable team-friendly deals.
Here are 10 players who are assisting their teams both on the scoresheet and the payroll.
Nikita Kucherov, LightningCap Hit: $4.76M (2018-19)
2017-18 points: 100
Kucherov's cost is only a steal for the Lightning for one more season, as his recent extension will double his cap hit starting in 2019-20. Still, in the two seasons since coming off his entry-level contract, Kucherov trails only Connor McDavid in points (185) and Alex Ovechkin and Patrik Laine in goals (79) while earning less than teammate Ryan Callahan. His impending raise may cause cap issues down the road, but for now, no one provides more bang for their buck than Tampa Bay's superstar.
Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
Cap Hit: $6.3M (2022-23)
2017-18 points: 97
MacKinnon entered a new stratosphere last season, earning the second-most MVP votes after scoring 97 points in just 74 games. His dominant breakout campaign makes the Avs' decision to ink him long term out of his ELC in 2016 look like a stroke of genius, and if he produces similarly through his prime years, Colorado owns one of the league's top bargains.
Taylor Hall, DevilsCap Hit: $6M (2019-20)
2017-18 points: 93
The only player deemed more valuable to his team than MacKinnon was Hall, who put forth 93 points in his career season. Despite scoring 41 more points than his most productive teammate, and finishing sixth league-wide in the Art Ross race, Hall's modest cap hit ranks 62nd in the NHL.
Brad Marchand, BruinsCap Hit: $6.125M (2024-25)
2017-18 points: 85
Over the past two seasons, Marchand tops all left wingers with 170 points in 148 games, yet ranks seventh in AAV the position, making less than the likes of Zach Parise, Patrick Marleau, and Evander Kane. He's priceless to Bruins, as he plays in all situations and makes up one-third of the best top line in hockey. He also leads the league in licks per 60, so there's really no understating his value.
Aleksander Barkov, Panthers
Cap Hit: $5.9M (2021-22)
2017-18 points: 78
Barkov's flown under the radar a touch since the Panthers surprisingly drafted him behind MacKinnon at second overall in 2013, but 2017-18 was a coming-out party for the hulking Finnish pivot. Barkov racked up a career-best 78 points in 79 games and routinely made highlight reels due to his Datsyuk-esque hands. He also ranked sixth among all forwards in playing 20:54 per contest and excelled against top competition at both ends of the ice.
All that for under $6 million? The Panthers have themselves a keeper.
Tyler Seguin, StarsCap Hit: $5.75M (2018-19)
2017-18 points: 78
Seguin's another player on the list that will offer extreme value for only one more season, as barring a long-term extension with the Stars, the 26-year-old will headline a potentially star-studded unrestricted free-agent class next summer. Since joining Dallas, Seguin's averaged 0.99 points per game over five campaigns, doing so while criminally underpaid as one of the league's top centers.
Mark Scheifele, JetsCap Hit: $6.15M (2023-24)
2017-18 points: 60
After breaking out with 82 points in 2016-17, Scheifele was on track for yet another monster campaign before a shoulder injury suffered in December limited him to just 60 games. He still managed 60 points, then cemented his status as an elite first-line center in front of the world with an incredible playoff run that featured 14 goals in 17 contests. The Jets are inching toward some salary headaches in future years, but Scheifele's pact will stand out as one of the league's best for six more seasons.
Seth Jones, Blue Jackets
Cap Hit: $5.4M (2021-22)
2017-18 points: 57
Jones, only 23, has just begun to scratch the surface of his all-world potential. Last season with the Blue Jackets, Jones finished second among all NHL blue-liners with 16 goals and ranked 11th with a career-high 57 points. He was also fourth in Norris Trophy voting and earned a second-team All-Star nod for his outstanding campaign in which he played over 24 minutes per night and owned a sterling 54.3 Corsi For percentage at even strength. Jones is stepping into his own as one of the league's top rearguards, and the Blue Jackets have him secured on the cheap as he enters his prime.
Dougie Hamilton, HurricanesCap Hit: $5.75M (2020-21)
2017-18 points: 44
It's hard to pinpoint exactly why the Flames felt the need to deal Hamilton, but the Carolina Hurricanes were smart to pounce on the chance to acquire the 25-year-old. Hamilton tied for the league lead in goals among defenseman with 17 and added 27 assists on Calgary's top pair. He's also 6-foot-6, shoots right, and owned the second-highest Corsi For percentage of all blue-liners at 57.8 percent. Plain and simple, Hamilton is a foundational piece to any D-corps in the NHL, even if he isn't paid like one.
David Pastrnak, BruinsCap Hit: $6.66M (2022-23)
2017-18 points: 80
One year ago, Pastrnak's negotiations with the Bruins lingered all the way into September, and after the first season of the six-year, $40-million deal, Boston certainly has no regrets. Along with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, Pastrnak completes the Bruins' powerful top trio and is the most dynamic of the bunch. The 22-year-old right winger registered 35 goals and 45 assists last season, before adding 20 more points in 12 playoff contests. The contract stalemate is nothing but a distant memory now, and Boston is reaping the benefits of its reasonably paid superstar.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
(Salary cap info courtesy: CapFriendly)
(Advanced stats courtesy: Corsica)
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