From Malkin and Forsberg’s extensions to the loudest NHL free agency moves, Boardroom rounds up the biggest bags of cash changing hands in hockey this summer.
The Colorado Avalanche did the business. They stopped the Tampa Bay Lightning’s bid for a three-peat, and for the next year, the Stanley Cup is theirs — but as soon as they hoisted the thing high on the night of June 26, so began the race to knock them off their perch next year.
Welcome to the 2022 NHL offseason, one in which teams near and far are already splashing the cash on both contract extensions and free agents in hopes of beating the Avs at their own game.
With that in mind, let’s round up the biggest NHL contracts signed by hockey’s biggest stars this offseason, from Evgeni Malkin’s triumphant re-up with the Penguins to a big-money free agency swoop for Johnny Gaudreau to Nathan MacKinnon’s nine-figure blockbuster.
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Biggest Contracts of the 2022 NHL Offseason
All dollar figures via Spotrac.
1. Avalanche C Nathan MacKinnon: $100,800,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
2. Flames LW Jonathan Huberdeau: $84,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
3. Panthers RW Matthew Tkachuk: $76,000,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2030
4. Islanders C Mathew Barzal: $73,200,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
5. Blue Jackets LW Johnny Gaudreau: $68,250,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 7
- Free agency: 2029
t-6. Predators C Filip Forsberg: $68,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
t-6. Lightning D Mikhail Sergachev: $68,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
8. Senators C Tim Stutzle: $66,800,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
9. Senators C Josh Norris: $63,800,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2030
10. Canucks C J.T. Miller: $56,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 7
- Free agency: 2030
11. Kings LW Kevin Fiala: $55,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 7
- Free agency: 2030
t-12. Lightning C Anthony Cirelli: $50,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2029
t-12. Sabres C Tage Thompson: $50,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 7
- Free agency: 2030
t-12. Flames D MacKenzie Weegar: $50,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
t-15. Flames C Nazem Kadri: $49,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 7
- Free agency: 2029
t-15. Avalanche RW Valeri Nichushkin: $49,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
17. Lightning D Erik Cernak: $41,600,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 8
- Free agency: 2031
18. Rangers C Vincent Trochek: $39,375,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 7
- Free agency: 2029
19. Penguins D Kris Letang: $36,600,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 5
- Free agency: 2027
20. Blue Jackets RW Patrik Laine: $34,800,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 4
- Free agency: 2026
21. Penguins RW Bryan Rust: $30,750,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 6
- Free agency: 2029
t-22. Devils LW Ondrej Palat: $30,000,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 5
- Free agency: 2027
t-22. Penguins C Richard Rakell: $30,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 6
- Free agency: 2029
24. Kraken LW Andre Burakovsky: $27,500,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 5
- Free agency: 2028
25. Capitals G Darcy Kuemper: $26,250,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 5
- Free agency: 2028
26. Ducks C Ryan Strome: $25,000,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 5
- Free agency: 2027
27. Penguins C Evgeni Malkin: $24,400,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 4
- Free agency: 2027
28. Lightning C Nicholas Paul: $22,050,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 7
- Free agency: 2030
29. Kings LW Adrian Kempe: $22,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 4
- Free agency: 2027
30. Coyotes LW Lawson Crouse: $21,500,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 5
- Free agency: 2027
31. Oilers LW Evander Kane: $20,500,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 4
- Free agency: 2027
32. Canucks RW Brock Boeser: $19,950,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 3
- Free agency: 2026
t-33. Canucks LW Ilya Mikheyev: $19,000,000
- Type: Extension
- Years: 3
- Free agency: 2027
t-33. Red Wings D Ben Chiarot: $19,000,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 4
- Free agency: 2027
t-33. Stars LW Mason Marchment: $18,000,000
- Type: Free agency
- Years: 4
- Free agency: 2027
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