Current Worst Contracts in the NHL
Jonathan Huberdeau - 8 years, $10.5M annually
Huberdeau signed an eight-year deal after being traded from the Florida Panthers. Huberdeau has scored 107 points in two seasons with the Flames, less than his career best in a singular season. He went from 115 points with Florida, to 55 points with Calgary after the trade, the largest drop off in points in NHL history. He has six years left on his deal.
(Photo by Sergei Belski - USA TODAY Sports)
Seth Jones - 8 years, $9.5M annually
Jones has a max term deal and carries a high cap-hit, but has he earned it? Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild, so they need contracts to reach the cap floor, but this contract may be problematics as they try to sign and extend their future stars. Jones has a No Move Clause, and his play has declined in recent seasons. Seth Jones averages half a point per game and is -115 in his career. Not exactly ideal for a $9.5M offensive defenseman. He has five more years on his contract.
(Photo by Jeff Robertson, AP Photo)
Ben Chiarot - 4 years, $4.75M annually
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is thought to be one of the best GMs (the Yzerplan) but some of his free agent signings have been questionable. Signing a 33 year-old defenseman in the midst of a decline in play for multiple years, for one. Chiarot has never scored more than 21 points in a season, and is routinely in the minus for +/-. He was also paired with Moritz Sieder for a period of time, which caused the young defensemans play to decline, during the most important time of his development. He has two more years on his contract.
(Photo by David Kirouac, USA TODAY Sports)
Pierre-Luc Dubois - 8 years, $8.5M annually
Dubois had a 23 point drop in production after being traded from Winnipeg to the Los Angeles Kings. On a team with a high goal differential, Dubois had a -9 +/-, despite being surrounded by a better offensive team. His nosedive after the trade sparks concern for the Kings, as he has 7 more years at $8.5 annually.
(Photo by Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)
Rasmus Ristolainen - 5 years, $5.1M annually
Ristolainen was the 8th overall pick in 2013, but the 29 year old defenseman has yet to show his best. Traded from Buffalo to Philidelphia in 2021, he has shown offensive flashes, but has proven to be a liability on defense. While the Flyers would love to move him as they work back up in the league rankings, they would likely have to retain significant money to do so. He has three more years on his deal.
(Photo by Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Philipp Grubauer - 6 years, $5.9M annually
After leaving Colorado following a successful 2020-21 season in search of more money, Grubauer has fallen flat in Seattle. He has lost 61 of the 124 games he has started in three seasons with Seattle. He did perform well in the 2022 playoffs, defeating his old team in 7 games. While he also had good showings in Colorado, he was surrounded by a better team defensively. He has not had a season over .900% with Seattle. He has three years left on his contract.
(Photo by Amy Irvin, The Hockey Writers)
Darnell Nurse - 8 years, $9.25M annually
Similar to the Seth Jones contract, Darnell Nurse has a long-term, high-cap deal, despite the decline in play, especially this past season. He benefits from playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draistial offensively, but has never scored more that 43 points in a season. When signing him, the Oilers hoped he would be their number one offensive defenseman, but has been replaced in recent years by Evan Bouchard. Nurse has six more seasons on his current contract.
(Photo by David Blood, Postmedia)
Jesperi Kotkaniemi - 8 years, $4.8M annually
The Carolina Hurricanes acquisition of Jesperi Kotkaniemi was full of drama. It was seen as revenge for the Montreal Canadiens sending Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho an offer sheet the year prior. The following summer, the Hurricanes signed Canadiens RFA Kotkaniemi to a 1 x $6.1M deal, with a $20 signing bonus, representative of Aho’s jersey number. In the past seasons, Kotkaniemi has fallen from the 2C to the fourth line and healthy scratched, after not matching his linemates point totals. Kotkaniemi has six years remaining.
(Photo by James Guillory, USA TODAY Sports)
Brendan Gallagher - 6 years, $6.5M annually
While Brendan Gallagher had been underpaid before this contract, $6.5M is certainly an overpayment. He has a modified no-trade clause, and has not played a full season since 2018-19 due to injuries. While the Canadiens are not a strong team currently, Gallagher has not been as effective offensively in recent years, and an issue defensively as well, a combined -36 in the past three seasons. Before that, he only had one season with a negative +/-. He has three seasons remaining on his current contract.
(Photo by Mark LoMoglio, NHLI via Getty Images)
