The National Hockey League (NHL) is home to some of the world’s most talented and revered ice hockey players. Each season, these exceptional athletes showcase their skills on the ice and earn substantial salaries for their contributions to their respective teams.
As we delve into the 2022-23 season, it is fascinating to explore the financial landscape of the NHL and identify the players who have secured the top spots on the list of highest-paid players.
From elite scorers to exceptional goaltenders, these individuals have reached the pinnacle of their sport and become some of the highest-earning athletes in the world.
This next autumn will see the start of a slew of new contracts, particularly for young defenders who have already committed to contract extensions. In fact, in 2022-23, five new players will join the top 25 regarding the highest AAV.
This article will walk you through some of the highest-paid NHL players for the 2022-23 season, shedding light on the immense financial rewards that accompany their remarkable talents.
2022–2023 NHL Highest-Paid Players
1. Connor McDavid, C, Oilers
Annual salary: $12.5 million
Connor McDavid is the only player in the National Hockey League worthy of receiving the highest pay for the next season.
Although he is just 26 years old, McDavid has already dominated the league for over six seasons. He has won the Art Ross Trophy four times, the Ted Lindsay Award three times, and the Hart Memorial Trophy twice — all three wards have been given to Connor.
This is the sixth time in McDavid’s career that he has been selected for the All-Star Game. At this point in the season, he is on track to score 150 points, making him the sixth player in the sport ever to earn 150 points in a single year.
He is bound to the Edmonton Oilers until the 2025–2026 season, and when it comes time to sign a new deal, he will be offered a considerably more lucrative deal than the one he now has.
2. Artemi Panarin, LW, Rangers
Annual salary: $11.642 million
Artemi Panarin, with a 2023 salary of $11,642,857, is the second-most-paid NHL player behind Auston Matthews.
Panarin committed to the New York Rangers for the next eight seasons and $81.5 million in 2019.
Panarin has above 1.25 points per game since signing the contract with the Rangers. Last year was his finest; he scored 96 points in 75 games.
The Rangers are paying him a lot, so they should expect more from him in the postseason. In 23 career playoff games for the Rangers, Panarin has scored only 18 points.
3. Auston Matthews, C, Maple Leafs
Annual salary: $11.64 million
Auston Matthews, the current holder of the Rocket Richard Trophy and a two-time award winner, is the game’s third highest-paid player.
The last player on this list to represent the Toronto Maple Leafs is Matthews, who justifiably earns the highest pay of any club member. After the conclusion of this season, he will have one year left on the five-year agreement he signed in 2019 for a total value of $58,195,000.
Matthews, who is just 25 years old, is already widely considered to be the best goal scorer in the game played today.
He recently finished a season in which he scored 60 goals and did it in only 73 games. In the 2021-22 season, Matthews had the best scoring year of his career, scoring more than 100 points for the first time.
4. Erik Karlsson, D, Sharks
Annual salary: $11.5 million
Erik Karlsson is the best-paid defender in the NHL right now, and he has one of the wealthiest contracts 2023 can give.
Karlsson joined the San Jose Sharks on an eight-year, $92 million deal before the 2019-20 season. Karlsson’s name has been brought up in connection with an agreement before this year’s trade deadline, despite his complete no-movement clause.
Karlsson is on track for the finest season of his career, so the number of clubs ready to make a trade for him is anyone’s guess, but before the year, it seemed doubtful that a team would take on his enormous contract.
Karlsson’s contract will expire after the 2026-27 season, much like Doughty’s. Karlsson has been selected to the All-Star game for the eighth time in his career and is a two-time Norris Trophy winner.
5. Drew Doughty, D, Kings
Annual salary: $11 million
Like Karlsson, Doughty was coming off of a career year in which he scored 60 points when he signed his big ticket with the Kings (eight years, $88 million). He has yet to even come close to completing a season with this sort of productivity since then, which is unfortunate for the Kings.
This season, he averaged just under one point per game despite only playing in 39 games due to injuries to his right knee and wrist, which required surgery. He will be 32 years old next year and still has five more years left on his deal.
6. John Tavares, C, Maple Leafs
Annual salary: $11 million
Drew Doughty and John Tavares both get $11,000,000 this year. They put pen to paper on their agreements on July 1, 2018. Doughty agreed to an 8-year deal for $88 million, while Tavares got a 7-year deal worth $77 million.
Tavares has been a reliable contributor to the Maple Leafs’ success since joining the club. He scored 76 goals in 79 games last year and is on course to achieve even more this year.
For the last 15 years, Doughty has been an integral part of the Los Angeles Kings’ success. He received the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2016 and contributed to the Kings’ 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup victories.
The future outcomes of these agreements will be fascinating to see. Since Tavares is a year younger and his contract will expire after the 2024–25 season, it seems to be the superior offer.
Doughty, on the other hand, will continue to earn $11 million a year through the 2026-27 season despite being 33 years old.
7. Mitch Marner, RW, Maple Leafs
Annual salary: $10.903 million
This season, Mitch Marner will receive a salary of $10,903,000 as part of the six-year, $65,408,000 deal that he presently has with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Marner has been putting up an outstanding performance with his skills this season. He has been selected for All-Star consideration for the second time and has a point-per-game average of more than one.
Earlier in the season, Marner had a stretch of 23 games in which he recorded at least one point in each game, which established a new record for the team and is tied for the ninth-longest streak in the league’s history.
Marner is just 25 years old and is now improving, which means he has not even reached his peak yet. In his career’s inaugural season, he can achieve a remarkable milestone of scoring 100 points, surpassing his previous personal best.
However, even if this feat eludes him this year, there is no doubt that he will inevitably reach that milestone in the coming years.
8. Patrick Kane, RW, and Blackhawks
Annual salary: $10.5 million
The careers of these three athletes are winding down. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are a year younger than Carey Price, at 35.
This season has generated much talk about whether Kane and Toews will be traded. Both players are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the season, so the Chicago Blackhawks will likely attempt to sell them before the deadline.
They have no-trade clauses but would consider waiving them if it meant being transferred to a team with a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup.
Before the start of the season, Price suffered a knee injury and was put on the long-term injured reserve list.
Price’s future in the NHL is a topic of much discussion, but it seems increasingly unlikely that he will ever suit up for Montreal again.
In this situation, the Canadiens and Blackhawks compensate great players for their previous performances, even though the resulting contracts could appear better for the teams.
Despite not having played professionally since the season of 2021-22, Price has been a top goalie in the NHL for almost a decade and has given his all to the Canadiens organisation.
After helping Chicago win three Stanley Cups, Kane and Toews deserve this massive payday. While Kane continues to score and is coming off a 92-point season, Toews has experienced a more significant drop in production over the last two years.
9. Jonathan Toews, C, Blackhawks
Annual salary: $10.5 million
Toews and Kane signed identical contracts on the same day in 2014, each committing to play for the same team for $84 million over eight years. Along the same lines as Kane, Toews would probably choose to play for another team in the next season rather than the Blackhawks.
However, Kane’s worth is far more than the other players. His health prevented him from playing during the 2020-21 season, and he is coming off of a 37-point effort in the just-completed season.
Even if he is not worth the cap cost of $10.5 million, there is just one year left on his contract before he can become a free agent.
10. Carey Price, G, Canadiens
Annual salary: $10.5 million
Price is the goalkeeper with the most significant average annual value, $10.5 million. In the summer of 2017, he and the Canadiens agreed to pay him $84 million over eight years.
This came only two seasons after he had won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player, which is unusual for a goaltender.
Price had just turned 30 when he signed the contract, and as some had predicted, age was starting to catch up with him.
He missed most of this season to recuperate from knee surgery, and it is still uncertain what his situation will be moving forward. There are still four years remaining on Price’s current deal.
11. Anze Kopitar, C, Kings
Annual salary: $10 million
Kopitar was able to cash in on an eight-year contract after assisting the Kings in winning two Stanley Cups—an $ 80 million contract renewal in 2016.
Since then, the club has gone through some difficult years, but the tremendous two-way centre has been a steady force for Los Angeles down the middle. The contract that the Kings skipper is now under just has two years remaining to go.
12. Jack Eichel, C, Golden Knights
Annual salary: $10 million
In 2017, when Jack Eichel signed a contract with the Buffalo Sabres for $80 million over eight years, the Sabres were securing their franchise player of the future. Or so they believed at the time.
When he was transferred to the Golden Knights in the autumn of this past year, the two sides decided to go their separate ways after some conflict with the organisation that arose from neck surgery. This decision led to the two sides going their different courses.
Eichel has shown that he is capable of becoming one of the bright young stars in the game when he is healthy, and the Golden Knights are hopeful that he will become the great centre that the Sabres had thought he would be when they handed him his massive contract when he was just 20 years old.
13. Aleksander Barkov, C, Panthers
Annual salary: $10 million
The eight-year, $80 million agreement that Barkov signed with the Panthers in the autumn will begin with the 2019 season, making it the first year of the deal.
Coming off of a season in which he scored 88 points in 2021-22, the Florida captain has established himself as one of the most excellent two-way centres in the game.
Because Barkov is under contract for the next eight seasons, the Panthers will have a first-line centre and a leader for the foreseeable future.
14. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Panthers
Annual salary: $10 million
During the free agency period of 2019, the Panthers and Bobrovsky agreed on a seven-year contract for $70 million. This contract was another one of the Panthers’ big-ticket deals.
Although he had a phenomenal run of seasons with the Blue Jackets, during which he won two Vezina Awards, he has yet to achieve the same success with Florida.
His career goals-against average with the Panthers is 2.93, and his save percentage is 906. He has played for the Panthers for three seasons.
15. Tyler Seguin, C, Stars
Annual salary: $9.85 million
In the summer of 2018, Seguin signed a contract worth $78.8 million over eight years. He is one of two Stars who appear on this list. He had just finished his sixth season in a row with at least 70 points scored in his total tally.
Seguin has not reached that milestone in the three years since the agreement was enacted. Even though he is already 30 years old and has had a few injuries, he is still under contract for the next five years.
16. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, Blue Jackets
Annual salary: $9.75 million
We knew that Gaudreau had a decent chance of being included in this list, and he accomplished this goal by reaching an agreement with Columbus to sign a very lucrative deal.
It has been claimed that the winger turned down money from the Flames; Calgary’s offer was supposedly for an average annual salary of $10.5 million.
The 28-year-old Gaudreau had a breakout season in which he scored 115 points. He undoubtedly received compensation befitting a player who scored 100 points.
17. Zach Werenski, D, Blue Jackets
Annual salary: $9.583 million
This next upcoming season will mark the beginning of the first year of the six-year, $57.5 million contract that Werenski signed.
Werenski, who is just 24 years old, received a wage raise that was well deserved when the Blue Jackets sent Seth Jones to another team, elevating Werenski to the position of starting defender for the Blue Jackets.
He has accumulated 237 points in his brief career while playing for Columbus in 403 games.
18. Seth Jones, D, Blackhawks
Annual salary: $9.5 million
About Jones, the Blackhawks offered him a contract worth $76 million over eight years after acquiring him in a trade with Chicago during the summer of 2017.
When Jones signed the dotted line, he did not think the club would be travelling how it is now going, and the first year of the contract would begin this fall. At least Chicago will go into the future with their starting defensemen in place.
19. Brayden Point, C, Lightning
Annual salary: $9.5 million
Point was rewarded with an eight-year, $76 million contract deal by the Lightning, which will begin in the 2022–23 season. The extension was given to Point in recognition of his leading the playoffs in point totals in the last two postseasons.
Over the last several years, Point has been essential to the team’s ability to maintain its winning streak. His whole career has been spent with the Lightning, where he has accumulated 368 points over 417 games.
20. Jamie Benn, LW, Stars
Annual salary: $9.5 million
The Stars decided to keep their captain in Dallas by offering him a contract worth $76 million over eight years after he won the Art Ross Trophy in 2015 and then had an even stronger season the following year (2016).
Benn has yet to reach the 20-goal plateau in the past three seasons, indicating that he is a different explosive attacking performer than in previous seasons. The contract for the 32-year-old player still has three years remaining on it.
21. Charlie McAvoy, D, Bruins
Annual salary: $9.5 million
The Bruins saw McAvoy as one of the most promising young defensemen in the league and signed him to a long-term deal over the summer of 2018, inking him to an eight-year contract worth $76 million starting in the fall. His previous season was his finest, and he has 178 points in 313 games played for Boston.
22. Mark Stone, RW, Golden Knights
Annual salary: $9.5 million
Stone extended his tenure with the Golden Knights by committing to the franchise by signing a new deal worth $76 million over the next eight years shortly after being moved to Vegas by the Senators in 2019.
Although injuries limited him to playing in just 37 games this season, the winger has lived up to his billing with the Golden Knights, compiling 165 points in 175 games since joining Vegas.
23. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Lightning
Annual salary: $9.5 million
In 2018, one of the finest wings in the game agreed to an extension of his deal with the Lightning that would pay him $76 million over the next eight years.
Since then, Kucherov has contributed to Tampa Bay Lightning’s success, helping the team win two Stanley Cups. Since the 2016–17 season, he has averaged over a point per game and has twice reached the century mark in point totals.
24. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Lightning
Annual salary: $9.5 million
Another Lightning player to extend his contract, Vasilevskiy’s agreement was for eight years and $76 million, and it was finalised in 2019, shortly after he was given the Vezina Trophy.
He has been the top goaltender in the NHL for a couple of seasons now, and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the most valuable player in the playoffs when the Lightning won the Cup in 2021.
25. Adam Fox, D, Rangers
Annual salary: $9.5 million
In November last year, Fox put pen to paper on an extension to see him get $66.5 million over seven years beginning in the autumn. Fox is yet another promising young defender.
In 2021, he was recognised as the most outstanding defensive player in the league and was awarded the Norris Trophy. Fox has accumulated 163 points during his career, with 74 coming from this season. He has played in 203 games.
26. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Capitals
Annual salary: $9.5 million
The Great Eight has served as one of the game’s finest goal-scorers for a significant amount of time, and he undoubtedly receives compensation commensurate with his status.
To retain Ovechkin in the nation’s capital after his massive contract of 13 years came to an end in the summer of 2018, the Capitals signed him to a new contract for $47.5 million over five years.
After that, he scored fifty goals for the eighth time in his career during the most recent season and achieved the ninety-point plateau for the first time since the 2009–2010 season.
27. Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Panthers
Annual salary: $9.5 million
Tkachuk informed the Flames that he was not interested in signing a long-term agreement to remain in Alberta, and the Panthers were able to acquire him as part of a trade with the Flames.
After Florida completed the business to earn the 24-year-old player, they immediately signed him to a brand-new deal for $76 million over eight years.
Tkachuk had just finished a season with 104 points and was a restricted free agent. It’s a great bargain for one of the few genuine power forwards still in the game, considering how skilled he is and how much he brings to the table regarding toughness.
28. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are a favourite among analytics experts, but it also means some of the team’s role players are being given too much credit. Because of this, Jalen Chatfield and Stefan Noesen are rated higher than they should be.
Despite earning close to the league minimum, Chatfield and Noesen were outstanding this season. Chatfield had a breakthrough year playing good hockey on the third line, while Noesen chipped in with 36 points.
There were many sweetheart deals in Carolina. Martin Necas, who earned just $3 million, scored 71 points. Seth Jarvis went off and scored ELC, scoring 39 points. Jaccob Slavin, a legitimate starter in defence, makes only $5.3 million annually.
29. Chicago Blackhawks
MacKinnon’s cap hit will double to $10.3 million in 2023-24, the last season of his $6.3 million per year deal. MacKinnon carried the Avs during an injury-plagued season, demonstrating that he is still the team’s most valuable player.
If we’re talking about Cale Makar, his $9 million contract seems like a steal, given he’s in the conversation for the top NHL defender with Adam Fox.
If not for the games-played requirement, Bowen Byram, dressed for just 42 games this season, would otherwise be included as an ELC contributor. To me, $4.5 million is a steal for Devon Toews.
With a $2 million contract, Evan Rodrigues was reliable all year long, contributing 39 points in 69 contests.
30. Boone Jenner
Captain Boone Jenner was the most productive player, both offensively and defensively, with 26 goals in 68 games.
With his ELC, Kirill Marchenko scored 21 goals and added four assists in 59 games. The model penalised Kent Johnson’s questionable two-way stats too much; therefore, his 40 on the ELC should be celebrated.
31. Roope Hintz
The least expensive option was Roope Hintz, who had a $3.15 million cap hit but scored over 36 goals and more than 70 points in 70 games in his last season.
This season, Jason Robertson was one of the best players in the NHL, yet he still has three years remaining on his contract at a salary of less than $8 million. Joe Pavelski posted a season-high 77 points and a stellar postseason once again.
Wyatt Johnston’s first-season ELC totals of 24 goals and 41 points are worthy of recognition.
While the Stars’ five-on-five record was 61-38 with Colin Miller on the ice during the regular season, the model overestimates his influence as he played in just ten postseason games.
32. Jake Walman
Moritz Seider had been having trouble before Walman joined the team. Seider had a disappointing year compared to his lofty standards, but he still contributed significantly as a defender.
The Red Wings’ top duo is one of the most cost-effective in the NHL at a little over $2 million.
Michael Rasmussen has matured into a reliable middle-six forward, offensively and defensively. He now averages 0.51 points per game.
Even though he struggled as a sophomore, Lucas Raymond scored 45 points in 78 games for his ELC.
33. Evan Bouchard
While Evan Bouchard’s season got off to a sluggish start, he heated up down the stretch.
He led the team in play-driving statistics, driving a 61% share of scoring opportunities and a staggering 27-8 margin in goals when teamed with Mattias Ekholm, earned 40 points overall, and went off for over 15 points in 12 postseason games.
Bouchard accomplished everything in the last year of his ELC, and the Oilers now have a difficult choice: bridge the gap or sign him to a long-term deal despite their salary limit restrictions.
However, the Oilers’ most valuable contract is with Leon Draisaitl, who has two years and $8.5 million remaining on his deal. Before the expiration of that theft, Edmonton must do all in its power to win a Cup.
Although the model cannot completely account for the advantage of playing with two of the finest players in the world on the power play or at even strength, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were both offensive monsters on discount rates.
34. Brandon Montour
In the regular season, Brandon Montour’s 73 points tied for fifth-most among all NHL blueliners. Even in the postseason, he has been an enormous asset offensively while only costing a steal of $3.5 million in salary.
To say that Matthew Tkachuk drives the Panthers would be an understatement. He’s been, outside McDavid, the best player in the NHL this year.
A total of 42 goals were worth $4.166 million to Carter Verhaeghe.
Gustav Forsling, Josh Mahura, and Radko Gudas are just a few examples of Florida’s productive defensive trio.
35. Gabriel Vilardi
The RFA Vilardi has arbitration rights after scoring 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games on an annual salary of less than $1 million.
Once his new contract with the team kicks in, Mikey Anderson, one of the league’s best shutdown defenders, will see his salary increase from $1 million to $4.125 million. Also effective this next season is the $4.2 million per year contract Trevor Moore signed recently.
Given their goaltending and defenseman requirements (whether re-signing Vladislav Gavrikov or finding a replacement), the Kings will likely face a significant cap crunch this summer.
Quinton Byfield’s late-season performance indicated his potential as a critical player in the Eastern Conference.
36. Matt Boldy
Boldy finished his ELC with 31 goals and 63 points. However, he had a terrible postseason and will be under intense scrutiny to justify his $49 million in guaranteed salary over the next seven years when his agreement kicks in.
Ryan Hartman has his ups and downs, but at $1.7 million, he’s a steal considering he can play centre and scored 37 points in 59 games.
A decent deal, but not nearly as good as it seems on paper since Jared Spurgeon usually underperforms in the playoffs.
Jonas Brodin also had a rough first round, but he seldom lets his team down in the playoffs and is still one of the greatest defensive defensemen in the NHL for a bargain of $6 million.
37. Cole Caufield
Jordan Harris, who is 22 years old, was a consistent two-way player on the Canadien’s blue line, and as a result, he was given an extension of his contract for the next two years.
Harris and the rookie Kaiden Guhle performed well despite significant use early in the season. Veteran back-end injuries drove the two young players into more challenging minute positions, and they conducted themselves well in such situations.
Once he returned to total health, Mike Matheson was an incredible asset for Montreal. Over the last several years, he has done an outstanding job of reestablishing his standing in the market.
38. Roman Josi
Cody Glass produced 35 points in 72 games, barely beyond the league minimum, while Tommy Novak, 26, did well with 43 points in 51 games (and inked a one-year agreement for next year for only $800,000 before his impressive run).
But after that, things start looking rather bleak. Roman Josi continues to play at a superstar level, while Tommy Novak earns a one-year deal for the next year at a discount price of $800,000 before turning in an outstanding performance.
39. Dawson Mercer
New Jersey is filled with deals that favour a club. Dawson Mercer is a steal with another year remaining on his ELC, 27-goal scorer, and solid two-way play driver.
Luxury has one of the greatest top-six centre duos in the NHL, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, signed to long-term deals for a combined $15.25 million.
Jonas Siegenthaler, a first-rate lockdown defender, plays with Dougie Hamilton on New Jersey’s best defensive duo. Even at a reduced cost of $3.4 million for the ticket on his next transaction, he only earned $1.125 million.
New Jersey won’t have to spend the top price to retain pending UFAs Ryan Graves and Damon Severson because ELC defensemen Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are about to make an impact.
40. Sebastian Aho (D)
The Islanders’ finest deal is with goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who will earn $4 million for another season, while the rest of the team’s players are relatively unimpressive.
Aho, who has made great efforts toward becoming a reliable daily player, still needs to be rated by the model.
Zach Parise was a steal for the Wild, with 21 goals and a salary below the league minimum.
Given the Islanders’ pressing need for a puck-moving defenseman, it seems unlikely they would offer Scott Mayfield the massive deal he is expected to get in free agency.
Even though Noah Dobson had a subpar season defensively, he still scored 13 goals and 49 points while playing defence.
41. Ryan Lindgren
The Rangers have a lot of excellent players, but they can only afford to pay them as much as they’re already making.
Ryan Lindgren has been a reliable caddy for Adam Fox. Considering the upcoming rise for K’Andre Miller this summer and the new $4.43 million per year deal for Filip Chytil, New York will have to wait to pay his next contract.
The Rangers need inexpensive, youthful players, and Alexis Lafrenière represents one of their most significant opportunities to acquire this kind of player.
42. Tim Stützle
Stützle, at 21 years old, broke out spectacularly in his ELC senior year, collecting 90 points. His new contract, which begins with the 2019 season and guarantees him $8.35 million annually for eight years, suddenly looks like a steal.
The model greatly exaggerated Erik Brannstrom, who was reliable but unremarkable, playing a very safe defensive position for Ottawa.
Artem Zub’s $2.5 million annual salary is the finest bargain on the Senators’ blue line, and he will become the team’s first choice on the right side once his well-deserved long-term agreement kicks in next season.
Following the addition of Jake Sanderson and Jakob Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators, the left side of the team’s defensive lineup is now securely fortified, providing robust protection for Thomas Chabot.
43. Cam York
Cam York, Noah Cates, and Morgan Frost provide the Flyers with three intriguing RFA choices, depending on whether they want to prioritise a bridge or long-term agreements. This season, all three players showed signs of great promise.
In 54 games, York played roughly 20 minutes per game and scored 20 points off the bench. Cates not only scored 38 points, but he also excelled as a defensive forward. Frost scored a career-high 46 points.
Owen Tippett, meanwhile, scored 27 goals while making just $1.5 million. Although he didn’t make the team, Travis Konecny was the Flyers’ finest skater, and his $5.5 million contract was a steal.
44. Pierre-Olivier Joseph
There was something off with the model’s predictions for Pittsburgh. While effective in his third-pairing position, Pierre-Olivier Joseph ultimately struggled as a rookie and was overshadowed by his numbers.
Even though Josh Archibald had great underlying stats while playing on the fourth line, he has no business being this high in the rankings.
With his $6 million salary with 36 goals and 73 points for the season, Jake Guentzel should have the best deal on the club.
Marcus Pettersson played defence with the Penguins and was one of their greatest players. Now $4.025% million doesn’t seem too horrible of a sum to him.
Kris Letang had a terrible off-ice year, so it’s unsurprising that he struggled on the ice. His salary of $6.1 million is still below average for a top-pair defender.
45. Alexander Barabanov
This is a disheartening list, which illustrates why the Sharks face the possibility of a highly lengthy reconstruction.
It’s fantastic that Barabanov produced 47 points in 68 games while carrying a cap cost of $2.5 million, but after that, there is only a little more to talk about. Matt Benning handled The defence well, while 24-year-old Noah Gregor contributed with ten goals in 57 games, but that was about it.
Erik Karlsson had a fantastic season and was worth his enormous cap hit of $11.5 million. Still, despite being the highest-paid defender in the league, he needs to reach that figure after you include his defensive effect. Karlsson is the Ottawa Senators’ captain and the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL.
46. Vince Dunn
Dunn made just $4 million despite playing at the superstar level despite earning that much. During his five-on-five shifts, the 26-year-old tallied 64 points, generated excellent outcomes on both ends of the ice, and assisted the Kraken in outscoring their opponents by a staggering 38 goals.
As a first-year player on his ELC team, Matty Beniers established himself as a genuine top-six pivot. Despite playing a job that earned him the league minimum and playing in the bottom six, Daniel Sprong produced 21 goals and 46 points.
With 40 goals and a cap cost of just $5 million, Jared McCann led Seattle in scoring by a wide margin and was the team’s leading scorer.
47. Josh Leivo
In the 2022–2023 season, the Blues had just three skaters that surpassed their contracts, and only one of those skaters, Pavel Buchnevich, was considered a key player.
Buchnevich had a good year as the Blues’ lone forward to surpass the point-per-game mark, with 67 points in 63 games, but beyond that, the outlook could be better.
Alexey Toropchenko was quite effective despite playing on the fourth line, as he scored ten goals and played an aggressive, physical style. Even though Josh Leivo performed well as a bench player, he was eventually taken out of the starting lineup after the season.
48. Brandon Hagel
At the trade deadline of 2022, Julien Brisebois paid a significant sum to acquire Brandon Hagel, hoping the player would destroy the worth of his current deal. Hagel made just $1.5 million despite having a career with 30 goals and 64 points.
Mikhail Sergachev was Tampa Bay’s finest defender throughout the regular season. He played many minutes, drove high-end performance on both ends of the ice, and scored 64 points in the last year of a contract that paid him only $4.8 million.
A two-year contract extension was given to Nick Perbix after he showed his value as a versatile and complementing blueliner while maintaining an annual salary of less than $1 million.
49. Mark Giordano
During the regular season, Giordano was a top-four player for the team despite only being paid $800,000. He wore down in the playoffs, becoming too sluggish and unable to move the puck, but these numbers only reflect his brilliant performance in the regular season.
During his five-on-five shifts, the Leafs outscored their opponents by 17 goals, largely thanks to Giordano, who powered a 55.3 percent projected goal to share. When injuries decimated Toronto’s defence, he was a key contributor.
Although he improved this year, it is still being determined whether or not Timothy Liljegren has the potential to become a top-four defender; his showing in the playoffs could have been better.
At a price of less than a million dollars, Michael Bunting got 49 points. T.J. Brodie excelled as the Leafs’ primary shutdown defenceman this year.
50. Andrei Kuzmenko
After signing a one-year ELC with the KHL, Kuzmenko scored 39 goals, well above anyone’s expectations.
His $8 million in value creation made his deal one of the finest in the league in 2017. Kuzmenko’s 27.3 percent shooting indicates that he won’t be nearly as prolific next season, but his $5.5 million cap charge is relatively manageable even if he does decline.
Quinn Hughes was undoubtedly one of the best five defensemen in the NHL despite making less than $8 million, while Elias Pettersson got 102 points on a budget charge of $7.35 million.
Ethan Bear has shown promise as a defensive addition and has been awarded a raise.
51. Shea Theodore
One of the most incredible second lines in the NHL, Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb, has produced 41 points in 55 games for the Golden Knights.
In 56 games this season, William Carrier scored over 15 goals at 5-on-5. That’s tied for 61st in the NHL this year among players like Mika Zibanejad, Steven Stamkos, Jordan Eberle, and Jake Guentzel in terms of goals scored at even strength.
Add in Carrier’s physicality, forechecking, and defensive savvy, and you have yourself a monster at the lower levels of the league.
With a reduced cap charge of $2.5 million, Chandler Stephenson scored 65 points.
52. Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Four of the five finest bargains the Capitals have this season have already been extended, with increases set to take effect next season. That’s why turning things around for Washington’s cap predicament will be tough.
Throughout the season, Trevor Van Riemsdyk was a solid contributor on both ends of the ice, and his underlying statistics were among the best of any Caps defenseman. The cap impact on his salary will increase from $950,000 to $3,000,000.
After the Blackhawks disqualified him, Dylan Strome jumped to second place in scoring for the Capitals with 65 points. Nic Dowd is a bottom-six centre who excels defensively and has scored 13 goals and added 25 points in 63 games.
Sonny Milano, who played for 64 games on a minimum-wage contract, scored 33 points. Nick Jensen was a superb second-pairing defender who earned a lucrative $2.5 million annual salary.
53. Cole Perfetti
Josh Morrissey’s deal with the Jets seems like a steal if you consider his stellar No. 1 level performance on a $6.25 million cap charge.
However, Luszczyszyn’s model favoured Perfetti due to his 30 points in 51 games on his ELC and his great two-way stats, including his 1.71 goals-against-per-60-minutes rate at five-on-five, which was one of the best marks among Jets forwards.
While Dylan Samberg performed well in his debut season, he is likely overrated by the model, as with many third-pairing defenders.
For a top-six centre of Pierre-Luc Dubois’s quality, $6.25 million is a steal, considering he produced 63 points in 73 games and was a powerful play driver.
Conclusion
In the National Hockey League during the 2022–2023 season, a select group of players earned some of the highest wages in the league. These players received rich contracts due to their extraordinary ability, talent, and worth to their respective clubs. These players’ contributions were reflected in the money they were paid for their roles.
The list of the highest-paid National Hockey League players for the 2022-2023 season included seasoned veterans and up-and-coming stars, with numerous well-known names filling the top rankings.
FAQS
Who Is the Highest-Paid Player in the NHL 2022-23?
Nathan MacKinnon has become the highest-paid National Hockey League (NHL) player. During the summer, he got a contract extension that put him in a better financial position than the standout player for the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid.
What’s the Lowest Paid NHL Player?
The National Hockey League has set the minimum pay for hockey players at $750,000 per year beginning with the 2022-23 season. Although players who make the minimum wage do not spend nearly as much time on the ice as higher-paid players, these individuals are nevertheless significant contributors to the teams they play for.
Who Is the Highest Paid Athlete Contract?
Lionel Messi, a famous soccer player, signed the richest contract in sports history, reportedly worth 674 million United States dollars. However, these enormous contracts are not unique to soccer; they are prevalent in various other sports, including basketball, baseball, and American football.