Highest paid NHL players: Pastrnak sixth, Colorado star leads the way. How’s McDavid doing?

The NHL has several stars that pull its ratings. Unlike other sports, where salaries do not have to be disclosed, hockey does because of the salary cap. Which hockey players take the most money?

The difference between “Cap hit” and “Salary”

Before we start with the rankings, it’s important to clarify the difference between cap hit and salary. In the NHL, players sign multi-year contracts, and each year they often have a different salary, which can be based on bonuses. For example, Nathan MacKinnon is getting $16.5 million this season, but in 2029-30 it will be only $9.9 million.

Therefore, the salary will be averaged to create a ‘cap hit’, which will determine how much the team will be cut from the salary cap. The cap hit is then the amount that is given to the players.

1. Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche – $12.6 million

The highest earning hockey player in the world is Nathan MacKinnon. The star of last year’s Stanley Cup champions earned a new contract that made him the highest paid player in the NHL.

2. Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers – $12.5 million

The best hockey player in the world, and until recently, the highest paid before MacKinnon passed him last year. But the Canadian superman is still waiting for the Stanley Cup, while his current contract expires in 2026. It’s almost certain he’ll become the highest paid player in the world again then, but the question is whether it will be in Edmonton or if he’ll try elsewhere.

3. Artemi Panarin – New York Rangers – $11.642 million

The Russian forward signed a luxury seven-year deal for a total of $81.5 million in 2019. He scored a record 96 points in the regular season last season, adding 16 in the playoffs. In the current one, he racked up 92 points, but the playoffs left him wet in the dust and he was just 0+2 in 7 games.

4. Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs – $11.640 million

Auston Matthews has so far refrained from a long-term contract, which would lower the cap hit a bit, there is talk that he will prefer a short-term contract next year when his contract expires as well. But at the same time, it is almost certain that he will jump to the top of the list, as there is talk that he will ask for $15-16 million.

5. Erik Karlsson – San Jose Sharks – $11.5 million

Erik Karlsson was brought to San Jose from Ottawa in 2018 under the impression that he was the last missing piece to the puzzle to win a Stanley Cup. However, that didn’t work out. The league’s highest-paid running back signed a $92 million contract with the Sharks through 2027. He scored 101 points on 25 goals and 76 assists this season.

6. David Pastrnak – Boston Bruins – $11.3 million

The Czech flag is flying for the sixth highest paid hockey player on the planet. David Pastrňák had the season of his life, amassing 113 points on 61 goals and 52 assists. Boston had no choice but to give him a hefty contract, otherwise he would have left as a free agent in the summer.

Other top-paid players:

7. Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings – $11 million
8. John Tavares – Toronto Maple Leafs – $11 million
9. Mitchell Marner – Toronto Maple Leafs – $10.9 million
10. Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens – $10.5 million
11. Jonathan Huberdeau – Calgary Flames – $10.5 million
12. Anže Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings – $10 million
13. Jack Eichel – Vegas Golden Knights – $10 million
14. Sergei Bobrovsky – Florida Panthers – $10 million
15. Aleksander Barkov – Florida Panthers – $10 million

Source: CapFriendly