Who are the highest-paid NHL players? A ranking of how much hockey stars make

He has all the talent and the résumé to prove he can have a breakout year and become a core piece of the Flames’ future. Throughout Florida’s Stanley Cup run in 2023, Matthew Tkachuk constantly rose to the occasion, and nothing has changed this time around. Tkachuk currently leads the Panthers in points (19) during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with five goals and a team-high 14 assists. The veteran forward has thrived on the power-play throughout the postseason with a team-high six power-play assists thus far. Tkachuk plays with an ample amount of physicality, and will likely do his best to get under the skin of the opposition. He also has no problem making his living around the net on the offensive end of the ice.

25 goalie tiers

His goal-scoring ability is unmatched in today’s league, and on top of that, he was a nominee for the Frank J. Selke Trophy last season as well. Artemi Panarin had the best season of his career last season and finished fourth in scoring league-wide. He has always been among the most productive wingers around the league, but took a huge step this season scoring 49 goals and shattering his career-high of 31 goals before that. On top of that, it was his first time hitting the 100-point mark, and while he was on pace to do it plenty of times, he hasn’t been able to push that number until now. A career year from William Nylander earned him not only a massive contract extension but also a high spot on this list. He has scored 80+ points in each of the last three seasons and has back-to-back 40-goal seasons.

WNBA Teams

But as the season begins and expectations are all over the place, rosters could be more malleable. This rookie class looks to be one of the best in recent memory, with plenty of young star power to wow fans. With all this talent ready to be debuted, the Calder Trophy race will be as enjoyable as ever. So, to kick the season off, here are ten rookies to keep an eye on (listed alphabetically).

Aleksander Barkov, C, Panthers

He plays well in all situations, including dominating on the power play and shutting things down on the penalty kill. Sebastian Aho has quietly crept his way into the superstar-caliber player conversation. He is one of the most underrated players in the game and has a huge impact on the team each night. He has developed into a perennial Sekle Trophy candidate while also being a 70-point center.

25 NHL season could be filled with milestones

Silayev is 6-foot-7, but he moves like he’s 6-foot-2, and he has shown great two-way play so far in the KHL. He scored six points in his first six games, but slowed down significantly, finishing the season with 11 points after 63 regular season games. There’s a very real chance that he ends up as the top defender in this class given the massive potential his frame and agility provide. The Montreal Canadiens were lucky to snag Lane Hutson near the end of the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft because many expected he’d be drafted much, much earlier. He battles well against larger players and his low center of gravity makes him harder to knock off the puck than you would expect.

Highest-paid NHL goaltenders

It marked his sixth straight year topping the list, having overtaken Sidney Crosby in 2017 after the Penguins star had a seven-year run at No. 1. By his own standards, it was a bit of a down year last season in both goals and points, which is saying something of its own considering he was seventh in points and 14th in goals league-wide. In its early form, field hockey was played on natural grass, but the heavy turf made the game slower. Speed, technical skills and fun are the main characteristics of hockey—an exciting and dynamic sport that requires endurance and great coordination. A hockey match consists of four periods of 15 minutes for a total match time of 60 minutes. Hockey takes its name from the French word “hocquet”, meaning a shepherd’s crook in reference to the curved shape of a hockey stick.

William Wallinder, LD, Detroit Red Wings

His greatest strength is his shot which looks like a quality NHL tool though his skill with the puck is noteworthy as well. The biggest barrier in the way of NHL success for Greentree at the moment is his skating. He’s got okay speed once he gets going, but his first few steps are sluggish and he could use some explosiveness to help him accelerate more quickly. He may not have the offensive skill to wow you, or the size/physicality to excite NHL GMs, but Lindstein has a steadiness and consistency that is so rare for a U20 player.

Logan Stankoven, C, Dallas Stars

He is an effective scorer, and despite having a slow start to the season, he caught up quickly and finished with over a point per game. His physicality, leadership, and playoff performances have launched him up the list over the past two years and he has become one of the most impactful players in the league. One of the best defensemen in the league, Roma Josi continues to score a significant amount of goals and points every season.

Highest-paid NHL defensemen

Hutson sees the ice really well and was dominant offensively through two NCAA seasons. He earned a quick two game NHL tryout with Montreal at the end of last season and looked dangerous so expect him to be a difference maker on the backend there very soon. Cowan is a quick and hardworking winger whose offensive production skyrocketed in the OHL last season, nearly doubling his production from the prior season in fewer games. The skill and skating were always there, but his ultimate offensive potential was the biggest question. He has gone a long way to putting that question to rest this year so keep an eye on Cowan as he finishes his junior career and enters the pros very soon.

Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers

He can jump up in the rush to provide offense, he can find breakout passes into the neutral zone, and he is exceptional with his stick defensively, either breaking up plays or blocking passing lanes. Forsling has four goals and 11 points in these playoffs, more than both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, two of his teammates considered to be extra offensive-minded. The Finnish center played an integral part in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, leading all players in faceoff wins. His 78 points in 68 games in the regular season marked the third consecutive point-per-game season and fourth in the last five. Marner has always been dynamic on offense, but over the last couple of seasons, the winger has developed into a legitimate defensive threat. For the first time in his career, the Maple Leafs star was a finalist for the Selke, finishing third in voting behind Patrice Bergeron and Nico Hischier.

Axel Sandin Pellikka, RD, Detroit Red Wings

• He’s got okay speed once he gets going, but his first few steps are sluggish and he could use some explosiveness to help him accelerate more quickly.
• According to Money Puck, Bobrovsky has registered a .960 save percentage when facing unblocked shots throughout the postseason.
• On top of all that, his 140 shot attempts are the most this postseason out of all skaters.
• The excitement of the 2024 NHL season has fans buzzing as they watch the incredible skill and athleticism of the league’s top players.
• If you’re wondering why goalies weren’t included in this ranking, that’s because we have a separate article for that position.
• He was off to a fantastic start and built off of the prior season’s career-high of 74 points.

Hage doesn’t have the most dangerous shot but it’s not a weakness by any means, and he competes well on defense and through traffic in the offensive zone. Ultimately, a lack of elite traits holds him back a little but Hage certainly has a chance to be a top-six forward in the NHL. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is a Norwegian winger who is known for his high work ethic and his shot. He isn’t going to produce a ton of highlight reel plays with his skill, but he’s got enough skill with the puck to compete in the NHL, and he works hard all over the ice.

Connor McDavid

• He’s a massive power forward (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) who is incredibly quick and difficult to knock off the puck.
• It marked his sixth straight year topping the list, having overtaken Sidney Crosby in 2017 after the Penguins star had a seven-year run at No. 1.
• Some may be worried about his lack of production in the WHL, but anyone who saw Danielson play in the NHL Preseason last Fall should know he’s well on his way to becoming a high-end NHLer.
• Luneau made the opening night lineup for the Ducks last year but bounced between the NHL and AHL before heading to Sweden for the World Juniors where he was sidelined with an infection in his knee that ended his season.
• He has made the move to North America and absolutely schooled the OHL last season with the Sudbury Wolves.
• Adding Nicklas Andrews from Colorado College, a veteran defensive defenseman in an elite conference, should help.

In the ensuing offseason, he was signed by the Canucks and loaned to the SHL where he played with Örebro HK and led all U20 SHL players in goals and points. Lekkerimäki was excellent at the 2024 World Junior Championship for Sweden, scoring seven goals in as many games and winning the award as the tournament’s MVP en route to a silver medal. Cole Eiserman was the 2024 Draft’s premier goal scoring prospect, and he was by far the most polarizing player in the group. He can play physically, but can sometimes get caught chasing hits and losing track of defensive coverage. Liam Greentree is a big winger who looks like he could be a great all-round player in the NHL someday if he can make some improvements to his speed and acceleration. Greentree does most things well, fighting hard in puck battles, making smart passes, and handling defensive responsibilities well.

If it hadn’t been for a season-ending injury early in the year, Dougie Hamilton could have been in the running for the Norris Trophy last season. He was off to a fantastic start and built off of the prior season’s career-high of 74 points. Aaron Ekblad’s play has regressed over the past two seasons, but he is still a strong defensive presence. The Florida Panthers have relied on him as a true number-one defenseman over the course of his career, but as they built a stronger team, more defensemen stepped up. His defensive play last season was good, but his offense was the lowest of his career.

He has flirted with a 100-point season in three out of the last four years, securing 92 last year. The Rangers winger is a superb playmaker who has made a career setting up his teammates. The Canucks knew they had a lethal shooter on their hands in Pettersson, but Vancouver’s face of the franchise has flourished into one of the best two-way centers in the league.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers

Had Timo Meier been able to stay healthy, he would have kept his good momentum going and had been able to raise his point totals and finish around points. On top of being a reliable 60-point player, Meier also brings physicality and defensive responsibility. He can complement the top centers on the Devils very well, and back to the physicality, is one of the only top players to bring a good amount of hits to the table. Age catches up to players, and with Evgeni Malkin being 38 years old, 67 points is still quite impressive. Last season, he posted the lowest points-per-game pace of his career and has noticeably slowed down from the player he once was, but he is still a great second-line center. Morgan Rielly had a strong offensive season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and while he isn’t known for his shut-down abilities, he was fine on the defensive side.

His red-hot start in the Finnish Liiga in his draft year had NHL scouts salivating at his goal scoring potential, and while he ultimately cooled off quite significantly, that potential hasn’t disappeared. Kemell had some inconsistent play in the Liiga since, but has largely been effective in the AHL in parts of two seasons there. I’m still a big believer in his shot and skill, which are strong enough to give him a chance to become a top-six winger in Nashville. Owen Beck is an incredibly reliable and versatile two-way centerman who has increased his stock considerably ever since being selected in the 2022 NHL Draft at the beginning of the second round. He is smart, skates well, wins faceoffs, back-checks hard, and has already begun to grow into more of his offensive potential. Beck is going to be a player that coaches love because he works hard and has tons of skill.

The oddest moment of the offseason came very recently, when it was announced that Rhett Pitlick, a longtime Gopher who tied for the team lead in scoring last season, is transferring to rival Minnesota State… I frankly have no clue what’s going on with that, other than that Pitlick tried to sign with NHL teams over the summer but it never happened. I also am not sure how he’s eligible to play for Mankato right away, but apparently he is. It’s a tough blow for Minnesota’s roster, which was looking pretty darn good with Pitlick but now will look less good, but still solid. After having two elite seasons at Boston University, Lane Hudson looks to finally make the jump to the NHL for the Montréal Canadiens on their blue line.

But as a result, they still don’t have a very rich senior class and they didn’t pursue the portal to accent this group. Thus it still feels like they’re a year away, especially in adding another huge freshman class, one that doesn’t have a lot of drafted players nor obvious top tier USHL stars. PSU should still be decent and competitive in a tough B1G but seems more like an ongoing retool while they grow and develop the 14 freshmen and sophomores on the roster.

The Panthers star can stickhandle at an elite level, and has scored six goals throughout the 2024 postseason, while also having no problem setting up his teammates along the way. It won’t be a huge surprise if Barkov makes his presence known at many points during the https://gambibet.org/ series. One big reason the Oilers have gotten over the playoff hump this season is that the cast around McDavid and Draisaitl is shouldering more of the burden. In his ninth NHL season, Hyman broke out for 54 goals, which was 18 more than his previous career high.

While some will look just at the point total and question if he he reaches the level of a strong first-line center, his defensive impacts are his biggest strength. Since being acquired by the Colorado Avalanche, Devon Toews has developed into an excellent defenseman to support all of the superstars on the team. He has had impressive point totals, and incredible defending, and has earned Norris Trophy votes in three straight seasons before last season.

He’s a top-three goaltender in the league, coming off a season where he posted a 2.34 GAA, .934 SV% and a 38.7 goals saved above expected. He looked like an absolute star in the KHL last year, once again being loaned to HK Sochi, one of the league’s bottom teams. I expected he would land a well-deserved top-six spot with SKA St. Petersburg next season, but the Flyers managed to get him signed and Michkov will make his NHL debut much sooner than expected. He’s a serious contender for the Calder Trophy next year, especially if the Flyers put him in a position to succeed.

Infamously, he seems to be injured right around the trade deadline each year, giving the Golden Knights more cap space to add, and then he returns to the playoffs. Regardless, his defensive impacts are outstanding, and is a regular 60-point player even without playing a full season. On top of that, he has had some incredible playoff performances with Vegas, including a hat-trick in the Stanley Cup-clinching game as the captain. Since joining the Maple Leafs, John Tavares has played some of the best defensive hockey of his career.

Beckett Sennecke is a big winger with very impressive puck skill that allows him to regularly deke through several layers of defense. He was phenomenal for the Generals in the OHL playoffs, who ran out of steam in the OHL final with Sennecke on the sidelines injured. Sennecke has a solid playmaking game, with good enough sense to spot difficult lanes and make smart passes.