In the Top 10 of NHL biggest earners, there are two teams with more than one player on the list. The Minnesota Wild with Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, and the Pittsburgh Penguins with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
The list is according to base salary and not total cash or the cap hit of each player.
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins – $8.75 Million
The 30-year old Centre out of L’Ancienne-Lorette in Quebec was re-signed by the Bruins in 2013 on a $62.5 million, eight-year extension. He’ll keep making $8.75 million through the 2017-2018 season before it takes a turn to a more bonus-reliant contract, with Bergeron becoming a free agent in 2022. He’s a three-time winner of the Frank J. Selke trophy, including last season.
Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – $9 Million
Giroux has been playing for the Flyers since 2007, and in 2013 signed an 8-year deal worth $66.2 million to stick around until 2022. He’ll be making $9 million a season through the 2018-2019 season until the numbers start to drop a little bit in the final years of the deal. He also got a $9 million signing bonus, making it $75.2 million guaranteed for the three-time All-Star.
Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild – $9 Million
Parise left the New Jersey Devils in 2012 to sign with the Wild on a 13-year deal worth $98 million, keeping the left winger there until 2025, making $9 million a season through 2019-2020 before a gradual decline in his salary. The 31-year old is the only player so far this season with two hat tricks and finished 10th last season in goals with 33.
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild – $9 Million
Suter signed the same deal as Parise when he came on board to join the Wild in 2012, $98 million over 13 years. He was selected to the 1st All-Star team for the 2012-2013 season and has been to a couple of All-Star games. He played for the Nashville Predators before joining the Wild.
Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – $9.25 Million
Getzlaf, 30, is going through something of a scoring drought this season with just 3 goals in 42 games so far. He’s never been too much of a scorer, but he’s way off his 25 from last season. He’s been with the Ducks since 2005, and signed an 8-year contract in 2013 worth $66 million, keeping him with the team through the 2021-2022 season. He’ll also be making $9.25 million next season before the money starts dropping gradually.
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – $9.5 Million
In 2014 Malkin signed a 8-year, $76 million deal with the Penguins, who he has been playing for since 2007. He led the league in points twice in the past (113 points in 2008-2009, 109 points in 2011-2012) but has missed quite a lot of games over the last two years. This season he has 23 goals and 24 assists through the first 47 games.
Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes – $9.5 Million
There’s been a sharp decline in production for Staal over the last three season and in this one, which is the final year on the 7-year, $57.75 million contract he signed back in 2008. He’s been with Carolina since 2005.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers – $10 Million
The only goaltender in the top 10, Lundqvist signed a 7-year, $59.5 million deal with the Rangers in 2014 which makes him a free agent in 2021. He’s been with the Rangers since 2005, and has led the NHL in shutouts twice, including a career high 11 in 2010-2011.
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – $10 Million
Ovechkin burst onto the scene in 2005 and has led the NHL in scoring five times since (including 53 goals last season), finishing with over 100 points four times and winning the Hart Trophy three times. In 2008 he signed a 13-year deal with the Capitals worth $124 million, which unlike most of the deals on this list keeps him going at $10 million a season until the end of the contract.
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – $12 Million
Crosby, 28, signed a 12-year deal before the 2014-2015 season worth $104.4 million. He’s making $12 million a season for the last time in 2015-2016 before dropping to $10.9 million in each of the next two seasons. Crosby is a two-time Hart trophy winner, leading the NHL in points twice, with five seasons of over 100 points.
If you’re curious about the top 10 when it comes to total cash, which includes signing bonuses included in this season’s calculations, it’s not that different. It’s the top 10 you just read about, only it begins three places lower, as Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators ($14 million this season), Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks and Patrick Kane also of the Blackhawks ($13.8 million this season each) take the top 3 spots due to signing bonuses.
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