Hockey, one of the most popular sports in the world, has produced some of the biggest stars in sports history. Names heard in the news, celebrities like Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Sidney Crosby have legacies that are cemented in a position to overcome the test of time. Although teams play a grueling 82-game season, the average NHL salary ranks fourth among the top five major sporting leagues in North America (NBA, NFL, MBL, NHL, MLS); but which players are earning the largest piece of the pie?
#9(t) Drew Doughty
Drew Doughty is one of the premier Defensemen in the NHL. The universally respected 32-year-old is an 11-year veteran of the NHL. In the 2019-2020 season, Doughty scored 7 goals with 28 assists. His team, the Los Angeles Kings, finished with a record of 29-35 and Doughty is in the 3rd year of his 8-year $88-million contract.
#9(t) Andrei Vasilevskiy – $11,000,000
Andrei Vasilevski recorded 1,472 saves as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Goalkeeper in 2019. The 27-year-old led the Lightning to the #2 record in the Atlantic Division (43-21) with the 16th highest save percentage in the NHL. Vasilevskiy is in the 2nd year of his 8-year $76-million contract.
#6(t) Sergei Bobrovsky – $12,000,000
Sergei Bobrovsky, the goalkeeper of the Florida Panthers, has won the Vezina Trophy twice in his career (2013 and 2017). In 2019 Bobrovsky recorded 1,354 saves as the Panthers finished 4th in the Atlantic Division with a 35-26 record. The 33-year-old is in the 3rd year of his 7-year $70-million contract and some sportsbooks have the Panthers favorited to win the Stanley Cup.
#6(t) Nikita Kucherov – $12,000,000
Nikita Khrushchev (28-years old) is a 6 year veteran of the NHL. The Right Wing scored 33 goals with 52 assists in 2019 and led the Tampa Bay Lightning to finish 2nd in the Atlantic Division with a 43-21 record. Kucherov is in the 3rd season of his 8-year $76-million contract.
#6(t) Mark Stone – $12,000,000
Mark Stone, Right Wing of the Vegas Golden Knights, is in the 3rd season of his 8-year $76-million contract. He scored 21 goals with 42 assists in the 2019 season leading the Golden Knights to a 39-24 record – the #1 record in the Pacific Division. The 29-year-old is in the 3rd season of his 8-year $76-million contract.
#3(t) Artemi Panarin – $13,000,000
Artemi Panarin (30-years-old) is the highest-paid Wing in the 2021-2022 season. The Left Wing finished the 2019 season with 32 goals and 63 assists leading the New York Rangers to a 37-28 record. Panarin is in the 3rd season of his 7-year $81.5-million contract.
#3(t) Tyler Seguin – $13,000,000
Tyler Seguin serves as the Dallas Star’s Center. He led them to a 37-24 record in the 2019-2020 season scoring 33 goals with 50 assists. The 30-year-old is in the 3rd season of his 8-year $78-million contract.
#3(t) Carey Price – $13,000,000
Carey Price is the NHL’s highest-paid Goalkeeper. The 34-year-old recorded 1,595 saves in 2019 and his team, the Montreal Canadiens, finished 5th in the Atlantic Division (31-31). Price is in the 4th year of his 8-year $84-million contract.
#2 Erik Karlsson – $14,500,000
Erik Karlsson (31-years-old) is one of the top defensemen in the league, finishing the 2019 season with 6 goals and 34 assists. His team, the San Jose Sharks, finished the 2019-2020 season with a 29 and 36 record, landing them in last place in the Pacific Division. Karlsson is in the 3rd year of his 8-year $92-million contract.
#1 Connor McDavid – $15,000,000
Connor McDavid will earn the highest salary in the NHL 2021-2022 season. The 25-year-old finished the 2019 season with 34 goals and 63 assists. His team, the Edmonton Oilers, finished 2nd in the Pacific Division with a 37-25 record and McDavid is in the 4th year of his 8-year $100-million contract.
Salaries in the NHL are trending in the right direction but something dramatic will have to happen for their athletes to be compensated as well as NBA and MLB players who can afford luxury mansions and huge automotive collections. Looking at the ages of the stars on this list, the league appears to be in good hands. Players keep a close eye on the sports market just like we all research salaries before making a professional change.
