Who Will Be the Highest-Paid NHL Player in 2022?
Contents
- Who Will Be the Highest-Paid NHL player in 2022?
- The Top 5 Highest-Paid NHL players in 2022
- The Top 10 Highest-Paid NHL Players in 2022
- The Highest-Paid NHL player by Position in 2022
- The Highest-Paid NHL player by Team in 2022
- The Highest-Paid NHL Player by Country in 2022
- The Highest-Paid NHL player by Age in 2022
- The Highest-Paid NHL Player by Experience in 2022
- The Highest-Paid NHL Player by Contract in 2022
- The Highest-Paid NHL Player by free agency in 2022
With the NHL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire in 2022, there is a lot of speculation about who will be the highest-paid player in the league. Here are some of the leading candidates.
Who Will Be the Highest-Paid NHL player in 2022?
There is no simple answer to this question. Several factors, including the success of the team, the league’s salary cap and the player’s individual performance, will all play a role in determining who will be the highest-paid NHL player in 2022. However, some players who are currently among the highest-paid in the league (such as Connor McDavid and Carey Price) are likely to still be among the highest-paid in 2022.
The Top 5 Highest-Paid NHL players in 2022
There is no clear cut answer when it comes to predicting which player will be the highest-paid in the NHL come 2022. However, there are a few players who seem to be on track to earn a hefty pay day. Here are the top 5 highest-paid NHL players in 2022:
1. Connor McDavid – McDavid is already one of the league’s Top Players and is only getting better with each passing season. His $12.5 million annual salary will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL come 2022.
2. Auston Matthews – Matthews is another young player who is quickly making a name for himself as one of the NHL’s best. He is currently in the midst of a 5-year, $58 million contract and will likely see a significant pay raise come 2022.
3. Sidney Crosby – Crosby is a bonafide superstar and one of the faces of the NHL. His $8.7 million annual salary puts him at third on this list, but he could easily move up a spot or two by 2022 with a new contract or an increase in his current salary.
4. John Tavares – Tavares is another superstar forward who is currently in the midst of a 7-year, $77 million contract He will likely see a slight pay increase come 2022, but his salary will still put him behind McDavid and Matthews on this list.
5. Carey Price – Price is arguably the best goaltender in the NHL and has been one of the league’s most consistent performers over the past few years. His $10 million annual salary puts him at fifth on this list, but he could easily move up with another strong season or two.
The Top 10 Highest-Paid NHL Players in 2022
The NHL has seen a lot of changes over the past few years. The salary cap has risen significantly, and there are now many new faces in the league. With all of these changes, it’s hard to know who will be the highest-paid NHL player in 2022.
There are a few factors that will affect who will be the highest-paid NHL player in 2022. The first is the salary cap The salary cap is expected to rise significantly over the next few years, so players who are already making big money will likely see their salaries increase as well.
Another factor that will affect who is the highest-paid NHL player in 2022 is the free agent market. There are a number of very good players who will be free agents in 2022, and teams will be willing to pay top dollar for their services. Players like Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, and John Tavares will all be free agents in 2022, and they could command very large salaries on the open market.
Finally, performance bonuses will also play a role in determining who is the highest-paid NHL player in 2022. Players who excel on the ice can earn significant bonuses that can add up to a lot of money over the course of a season. For example, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers earned over $13 million in performance bonuses last season. If he continues to play at a high level, he could easily become the highest-paid NHL player in 2022.
The Highest-Paid NHL player by Position in 2022
NHL players are among the highest-paid athletes in the world. The average player salary for the 2017-18 Season was $2.9 million, with a median salary of $2.4 million.
Player salaries have been on the rise in recent years and they are only expected to continue to increase in the coming years. The following is a list of the highest-paid NHL Player by position in 2022, based on current contract values and projected inflation.
Forwards:
1. Connor McDavid – $15.5 million
2. John Tavares – $11 million
3. Alex Ovechkin – $10.5 million
4. Sidney Crosby – $10 million
5. Patrick Kane – $9.8 million
Defensemen:
1. Erik Karlsson – $12.5 million
2. Drew Doughty – $11 million
3. Brent Burns – $8 million
4. Oliver Ekman-Larsson – $7.8 million
5 Dustin Byfuglien – $7.6 million
The Highest-Paid NHL player by Team in 2022
While eight years may seem like a long time from now, it will be here before we know it. In fact, the NHL is already starting to plan for the 2022-23 season With that in mind, we thought it would be fun to take a look at which players will be the highest-paid on their teams by the time that season rolls around.
To do this, we looked at each team’s current salary cap situation and made some assumptions about who will still be on the roster and who will have been replaced by then. We also took into account each player’s age and projected production to try and get a sense of what their value will be in 2022.
Here’s a look at the highest-paid NHL player by team in 2022:
Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Getzlaf ($11 million)
Boston Bruins – Patrice Bergeron ($9 million)
Buffalo Sabres – Jack Eichel ($10 million)
Calgary Flames – Johnny Gaudreau ($9 million)
Chicago Blackhawks – Patrick Kane ($12 million)
Colorado Avalanche – Nathan MacKinnon ($9 million)
Columbus Blue Jackets – Seth Jones ($8 million)
Dallas Stars – Tyler Seguin ($10 million)
Detroit Red Wings – Dylan Larkin ($7 million)
Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid ($15 million)
Florida Panthers – Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles Kings – Anze Kopitar
Minnesota Wild – Ryan Suter
Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price
Nashville Predators – Roman Josi
New Jersey Devils – Taylor Hall
New York Islanders – John Tavares
New York Rangers – Henrik Lundqvist (tied with Mika Zibanejad at $8.5 milion each)
Ottawa Senators – Erik Karlsson
Philadelphia Flyers – Claude Giroux
Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin
San Jose Sharks – Brent Burns (tied with Logan Couture at $8 milion each) St. Louis Blues – Vladimir Tarasenko Tampa Bay Lightning – Steven Stamkos Toronto Maple Leafs – Auston Matthews Vancouver Canucks – Bo Horvat Winnipeg Jets – Dustin Byfuglien
The Highest-Paid NHL Player by Country in 2022
With the NHL’s current collective bargaining agreement set to expire in September 2022, there is much speculation about who will be the highest-paid player in the league when the new contract is signed. While it is impossible to know for sure who will earn the most money under the new deal, we can take a look at the highest-paid NHL players by country to get an idea of where the big money will be going.
Canada: Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins
Crosby is already the highest-paid player in the NHL, earning $12 million per year under his current contract. He is also one of the league’s most popular players, and his jersey is consistently one of the best-sellers. It’s safe to say that Crosby will still be raking in the big bucks when his next contract comes up for renewal.
United States: Patrick Kane Chicago Blackhawks
Kane is currently the second-highest paid player in the NHL, earning $10.5 million per year. He has won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and is one of the most marketable players in the league. Kane will be a free agent after 2021-22, and it’s likely that he will command a sizable raise on his next contract.
Sweden: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Lundqvist is currently in the final year of his contract, which pays him $8.5 million per season. He has been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL for over a decade and remains a fan favorite in New York. Lundqvist will be an unrestricted Free Agent after this season, so he could sign with any team he chooses. It’s possible that he could retire after 2021-22, but it’s also possible that he could sign a new deal with the Rangers or another team.
Finland: Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Rantanen is currently in the first year of a two-year contract that pays him $9 million per season. He is one of Colorado’s young stars and helped lead the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup appearance last season. Rantanen will be a restricted free agent after this season, so it’s likely that he will sign a new contract with Colorado before hitting unrestricted Free agency in 2023.
The Highest-Paid NHL player by Age in 2022
In 2022, the highest-paid NHL player will be 30 years old. This is based on the average NHL career length of 6 years. The 30 year old player will have an annual salary of $11,429,000.
The Highest-Paid NHL Player by Experience in 2022
In order to answer this question, we must first take a look at the current NHL landscape and see which players are in line for big paydays. We must also consider the fact that the NHL salary cap is expected to rise in the next few years, so players who are currently on lower-paying contracts will see their salaries increase.
Assuming that the NHL salary cap remains at its current level of $81.5 million for the 2021-2022 season, the highest-paid player in the league will likely be Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin is currently in the midst of a 13-year, $124 million contract that he signed in 2008. His salary for the 2021-2022 season will be $10 million, which is the highest in the league.
Now, let’s take a look at some other players who will be among the highest-paid in the league in 2022. Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane currently has the second-highest salary in the NHL at $9.8 million. Kane is under contract through 2023-2024 and will see his salary increase to $10.5 million for the 2022-2023 season. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is third on the list with a salary of $9 million for 2021-2022. Crosby’s contract runs through 2025-2026 and he will see his salary increase to $11 million for 2022-2023.
So, based on current contracts and salaries, it appears that Ovechkin, Kane, and Crosby will be the three Highest-Paid Players in the NHL for at least the next two seasons. However, it’s important to remember that salaries can always change based on trades, free agency and other factors. So, this list may look different a few years from now!
The Highest-Paid NHL Player by Contract in 2022
In 2022, the highest-paid NHL player by contract will be Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid. His eight-year, $100 million contract extension will pay him an average of $12.5 million per season. The second-highest paid player in 2022 will be Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who is signed through 2023 at an average annual salary of $7.875 million.
The Highest-Paid NHL Player by free agency in 2022
In just a few short years, the NHL’s television and merchandise revenue is expected to increase significantly. As a result, the league’s salary cap is also expected to rise, giving teams more money to spend on player salaries So, who will be the highest-paid NHL player in 2022?
Right now, it’s tough to say. A lot will depend on which players are eligible for free agency in 2022, and how much teams are willing to spend on them. But we can make some guesses based on recent trends.
For starters, it’s important to note that the NHL’s current highest-paid player, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, will still have two years left on his contract in 2022. Crosby is currently in the second year of an eight-year, $104 million deal that pays him an average of $13 million per year. So he’s not eligible for free agency until 2024.
With that said, here are three potential candidates to become the highest-paid NHL player in 2022:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos
Stamkos is currently in the second year of an eight-year, $68 million contract that pays him an average of $8.5 million per year. He will be eligible for free agency in 2022, and he’ll likely command a significant pay raise after proving himself to be one of the league’s best players over the last eight years. Stamkos could easily become the highest-paid player in the NHL if he hits the open market in 2022.
2. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid
McDavid is currently in the third year of a seven-year, $100 million contract that pays him an average of $14.2 million per year. He will also be eligible for free agency in 2022, and he could garner a similar contract to Stamkos if he hits the open market at the same time. McDavid has already established himself as one of the league’s best players, so there’s no reason to think he won’t be one of its highest-paid players in 2022 as well.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews
Matthews is currently in the first year of a five-year contract extension that pays him an average of $11.632 million per year. He won’t be eligible for free agency until 2023, but his new contract makes him a potential candidate to become the highest-paid player in 2022 if Crosby’s contract isn’t renewed before then or if Stamkos and McDavid sign new contracts before Matthews hits Free Agency Matthews has already shown himself to be one of the best Goal Scorers in the league, so there’s no reason to think he won’t be among its highest-paid players when his contract expires after next season