Who Is the Highest Paid NHL Player?

NHL players are some of the highest paid athletes in the world. But who is the highest paid NHL player? We take a look at the top earners in the NHL.

NHL Salaries

The average NHL salary has increased over the years and so have the salaries of the top NHL players. The highest paid NHL player is currently Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, who has an annual salary of $13 million. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins is a close second with an annual salary of $12 million. These are the two highest paid players in the NHL today.

How are NHL salaries calculated?

NHL salaries are calculated using a number of factors, including the player’s experience, previous salaries, and performance. The NHL has a salary cap that limits how much each team can spend on player salaries, so teams must carefully consider how they allocate their finances.

NHL players are paid an annual salary that is prorated over the course of the season. For example, a player who signs a three-year contract worth $6 million will earn $2 million per year. Their salary will be paid out in equal installments over the course of the season, usually every two weeks. In addition to their base salary, players may also receive bonuses for individual and team performances.

What is the salary cap?

The NHL salary cap is the total amount of money that a team can spend on player salaries for a season. The cap was introduced in the 2005-2006 season and has been increased every year since then. For the 2019-2020 season, the salary cap is $81.5 million.

NHL teams must stay under the salary cap at all times or they will face penalties from the league. The salary cap is designed to create parity between teams and prevent any one team from spending too much money on players and having an unfair advantage over the other teams

Highest Paid NHL Players

The NHL has seen a lot of high-paid players in its 100-year history. The league’s highest-paid player is currently Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who has a salary cap hit of $9.54 million. Ovechkin is followed by Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, who has a salary cap hit of $10.5 million.

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby, the Canadian center for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is the highest paid NHL player. His total compensation for the 2017-2018 season is $15.7 million. This includes a $10 million salary, a $5 million signing bonus, and other benefits. Crosby is in the second year of an eight-year contract extension he signed in 2012.

Jonathan Toews

Jonathan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Toews was selected by the Blackhawks with the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He debuted in 2007–08 and quickly became regarded as one of the best players in the game, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. In his second season, he helped lead Chicago to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years.

Toews has won a total of three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks (2010, 2013, and 2015), capturing Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP twice (2010 and 2013). Internationally, Toews is a selective member of Team Canada. He was chosen to compete at their junior level before making his senior debut in 2007. Since then he has won gold medals at both levels: winning back-to-back World Junior Championships in 2006 and 2007; and capturing gold at both 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Patrick Kane

As of the 2019-2020 season, Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane is the highest paid NHL player, with an annual salary of $10.5 million. Kane signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension with the Blackhawks in 2014, which included a $10 million signing bonus. He is currently in the seventh year of that contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

Kane is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs twice (2013 and 2015). He has also been named to the NHL All-Star team eight times and has won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer three times (2016, 2017, 2020).

Carey Price

As of the 2019-2020 season, the highest paid NHL player is Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. He has a cap hit of $10.5 million dollars and a salary of $15 million dollars.

Conclusion

After reviewing the contracts of all NHL players, it is evident that Sidney Crosby is the highest paid player in the league. His base salary for the 2019-2020 season is $10 million, with additional bonuses and earnings that could total up to $15 million. This puts him well above the second highest paid player, Alex Ovechkin, who has a base salary of $9 million.