Top Five Best Value Contracts in the NHL
Leon Draisatl recently signed a contract extension, making him the richest NHL player in history. His eight-year, $112 million contract surpassed Auston Matthews, who signed a four-year, $53 million deal after winning the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for the third time in four seasons. As NHL contracts get bigger and bigger, it begs the question: what great players are making less money than they should? Based on average annual value, or AAV, there are a lot. Here are the top five best-value contracts for great players who are playing on team-friendly contracts.
Sidney Crosby ($8.7 million AAV)
Sidney Crosby’s contract is second in total value to only Draisatl, but he’s still underpaid on a year-by-year basis. Crosby initially signed the deal back in 2012 after scoring eight goals and accumulating 37 points in just 22 games. Between 2010 and 2013, he missed 113 games, leading to concerns that Crosby was injury-prone and undeserving of the contract. However, since signing the deal, Crosby has made six All-Star Teams: three first-team and three second-team. Since then, Crosby has also earned two Ted Lindsay Awards, two Conn Smythe Trophies, and an Art Ross Trophy. He’s still widely considered a top-five center despite making only the fourteenth-highest salary among centers.
JT Miller ($8 million AAV)
Speaking of underpaid centers, JT Miller has been exceptional since coming to the Canucks. Miller has produced three consecutive 30-goal seasons and has 402 points in 364 games for the Canucks. Also, the 31-year-old has been elite in power-play production, ranking sixth in power-play points since the 2019-20 season. Though Elias Pettersson is still considered the best center on the team, Miller making under $10 million per year is shocking considering his production.
Quinn Hughes ($7.85 million AAV)
Another superstar for the Canucks in need of a raise is Quinn Hughes, the team captain and reigning Norris Trophy winner. Hughes has gotten better every season on both offense and defense. He went from three goals and 41 points with a -5.9 expected +/- in 56 games back in 2020-21 to 17 goals and 92 points with a 12.1 expected +/- last season. Hughes has been one of the top defensemen for a long time, yet he's 23rd among defensemen in annual contract value.
Jason Robertson ($7.75 million AAV)
Jason Robertson has established himself as one of the top forwards in the league, eclipsing 40+ goals in back-to-back seasons from ‘21-22 to ‘22-23. The Arcadia, California native scored just 29 goals last year, but he still put up a team-leading 80 points, which helped the Dallas Stars earn home-ice advantage in the Western Conference. Speaking of the playoffs, Robertson has excelled in the past two postseasons, leading the Stars with 13 goals and 34 points in 38 playoff games. He’s due to become a restricted free agent after the ‘25-26 season, so expect him to get a huge contract before then.
Thatcher Demko ($5 million AAV)
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin strikes again! Last but not least is Thatcher Demko, who finished second in Vezina Trophy voting after posting career-highs across the board with 35 wins, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.45 goals-against average. The main concern with Demko has been injuries. The 28-year-old netminder missed 35 games two seasons ago with a groin injury. Also, Demko has been dealing with a knee injury that sidelined him for 14 games in the regular season and then 12 playoff games since he was rushed back to start in the postseason. However, considering what Crosby went through injury-wise, it’s not impossible for Demko to bounce back and string together multiple elite seasons. Assuming Demko stays healthy, he’ll likely continue his elite play, which makes his $5 million-per-year contract a bargain.
