And we’re down to the final five contracts that I love. While the validation of my “Worst” contract list is nice, I feel like narrowing down the ‘best of’ list was much harder.
In all honesty, GMs make far more good decisions than they do bad ones. And with the very real salary inflation that’s going on, guys who had the foresight to lock up key pieces to big money deals are probably feeling really good about themselves right now.
Just to recap, to evaluate these deals, I looked at three main things:
1) The player’s performance relative to their peers
2) How much they were paid for that performance
3) If the term of that contract made sense
Best Contracts 6-10, Worst Contracts 1-5, Worst Contracts 6-10
5) Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – $4.5m AAV, UFA in 2017
I had a hard time deciding if this spot should go to “Saint” Patrice Bergeron or his Right Hand…more accurately, his Left Hand Man, Brad Marchand. In the end, the fact that Marchand is generally underappreciated for his actual production won him the spot, though it should be noted that Bergeron is also underpaid.
It’s quite an accomplishment when a ‘defensive’ forward like Marchand can post a positive SCF% Relative, let alone one almost as high as the NHL Average for that band. Typically as you get higher and higher in salary, players get more power play time. This is not the case with Marchand, yet he outstrips his peers in point producing anyway. He has 2 years left on his current excellent contract, and Bruins fans are probably crossing their fingers that Don Sweeney has an extension on the radar.
4) Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – $6.5m AAV, UFA in 2019
Karlsson, the two time Norris winner, is pretty much invaluable for the Senators. He led the team in points last season, is the architect of their power play, and basically holds down the team defensively as the Senators have had some bad luck finding basically anyone else to play on the blueline.
These bands don’t show offensive production, but let me just re-emphasize how good he is. Not only did Karlsson lead all NHL defenders in points, only 3 defenders in the entire league broke 60 points last season. Karlsson also passed the 20 goal mark, which is hard to do as a forward let alone a defenseman.
Karlsson’s contract ends after he turns 29, so the Sens have assured they’ve bought out what are likely his best years. The key will be making sure that they find him a good partner. Right now, they’re betting on Mark Methot to fill that spot, and if that duo works out, Karlsson’s numbers will probably look even better.
3) Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues – $4.25m AAV, UFA in 2017
Why yes, it’s another offense-oriented defenseman. On pace for over 60 points last season, Shattenkirk saw his year cut short due to injury. Still, he’s been an integral part of the Blues’ attack since he joined them.
Pietrangelo is generally considered the top defender on the Blues, which is likely why Shattenkirk is consistently undervalued. He only has two years left on his current deal, so it will be interesting to see if GM Doug Armstrong chooses to pay the man the Karlsson-like salary he deserves or let him walk.
2) Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – $8.7m AAV, UFA in 2025
You didn’t think I would get through this list without the guy still widely regarded as the best player in the business, did you? Yes, this contract takes Crosby through his 38th birthday, but he’s exactly the kind of player you don’t expect to slow down with age.
Every time someone suggests trading Crosby I have to laugh a little. Yes, I understand $8.7m is a hefty cap hit every year, but there is literally no one who has been this consistently good for this amount of money. Yes, take note, Crosby’s point efficiency is even better than Ovechkin’s and he makes almost a million less and plays more defense. This contract is untradeable not because it’s large, but because it’s irreplaceable.
1) John Tavares, NY Islanders – $5.5m AAV, UFA in 2018 & Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – $5.25 AAV, UFA in 2017
Given the similarity in accomplishments – both young captains in charge of turning around teams that have struggled in recent years, winners of Olympic Gold in 2014, neck and neck for the Art Ross last year – I found it impossible to separate these two.
Benn plays a slightly more defensive game (he is a key penalty killer for the Stars) than Tavares, but both of them are ridiculously good about putting points on the board. They’re both expected to be in the running again for the Art Ross, and both are expecting to lead their teams into the playoffs this season.
Both of these two will need extensions soon, and they are assured to get paid. But until that happens, they lock down the #1 spot on my list of Best Contracts in the NHL.
Written by Carolyn Wilke, who can be found on twitter @Classlicity