Today, Cap Friendly put out the following list of the NHL’s highest salaries for the 2024-25 season.
Some Oddities About This List of Highest-Paid Players
The list is a little deceiving because it shows their actual yearly salary, not their salary cap hit. Connor McDavid’s contract was front-loaded seven years ago, so his pay for this season is $10 million. That means $2.5 million of his $12.5 million cap hit is already in his bank account. That’s also true for some other players at the top of that list who are getting more at the start of their deals. Fans can be sure that McDavid’s contract will jump to the top of that list in 2026 when he signs his next deal.
Additionally, Nathan MacKinnon’s deal has an average AAV of just $100,000 more for a contract that started six years later than McDavid’s. Auston Matthews’ AAV is $750,000 more for a deal that kicks in seven years after McDavid’s.
Highest NHL Salaries for the 2024-25 Season
Here’s the list of next season’s top salaries:
- Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) – $16.7M
- Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) – $16.5M
- Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks) – $14.5M
- William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs) – $13.5M
- David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins) – $13M
- Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres) – $13M
- Dougie Hamilton (New Jersey Devils) – $12.6M
- Seth Jones (Chicago Blackhawks) – $12.5M
- Alex Pietrangelo (Vegas Golden Knights) – $12.5M
- Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) – $12M
- Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes) – $12M
- Adam Fox (New York Rangers) – $12M
- Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning) – $12M
- Darnell Nurse (Edmonton Oilers) – $12M
Interesting Trends in Next Year’s NHL Salaries
The list of the highest NHL salaries for the 2024-25 season highlights several key trends and generalizations about player compensation. Here are some insights based on the analysis of these top-paid players:
Trend One: Elite Talent Commands Top Dollar
The highest-paid players in the NHL are widely recognized as elite talents. Matthews ($16.7 million) and MacKinnon ($16.5 million) top the list, reflecting their status as franchise players crucial to their teams’ success.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…