Breaking Down the Richest Contracts in NHL History

Karl Rasmussen | Oct 8, 2025

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shoots the puck. / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The NHL salary cap is projected to make a significant leap in each of the next few seasons, and as such, we're seeing some top-line stars sign some big-money contracts. Kirill Kaprizov opened the flood gates by signing an eight-year, $136 million deal with the Wild, coming out at an AAV of $17 million per season.

Connor McDavid also put pen to paper on a new deal, though his leaves the door open for him to enter free agency in a few years and sign an even larger contract than the max he could've made this offseason. McDavid tied himself to Edmonton for an additional two years at an inexpensive cost of $12.5 million per season.

After McDavid's deal got done, a few more contracts were signed around the start of the 2025–26 NHL season. As such, the top 10 highest earners in the NHL look quite a bit different today than it did as recently as a week ago.

So, let's break down the NHL's 10 richest contracts ahead of the 2025–26 NHL season.

PLAYER	CONTRACT VALUE	TEAM	Years	Seasons
Kirill Kaprizov	$136,000,000	Minnesota Wild	8	2025 to '32
Alex Ovechkin	$124,000,000	Washington Capitals	13	2008 to '20
Leon Draisaitl	$112,000,000	Edmonton Oilers	8	2025 to '32
Shea Weber	$110,000,000	Nashville Predators	14	2012 to '25
Jack Eichel	$108,000,000	Vegas Golden Knights	8	2025 to '32
Sidney Crosby	$104,400,000	Pittsburgh Penguins	12	2013 to '24
Nathan MacKinnon	$100,800,000	Colorado Avalanche	8	2023 to '30
Ilya Kovalchuk	$100,000,000	New Jersey Devils	15	2010 to '24 (retired in '13)
Connor McDavid	$100,000,000	Edmonton Oilers	8	2018 to '25
Ryan Suter	$98,000,000	Minnesota Wild	13	2008 to '21
Zach Parise	$98,000,000	Minnesota Wild	13	2008 to '21
Mitch Marner	$96,000,000	Vegas Golden Knights	8	2025 to '32
Kyle Connor	$96,000,000	Winnipeg Jets	8	2026 to '33

Here's the largest contracts in the NHL based on average annual value:

Player	Team	AAV of Contract
Kirill Kaprizov	Minnesota Wild	$17,000,000
Leon Draisaitl	Edmonton Oilers	$14,000,000
Jack Eichel	Vegas Golden Knights	$13,500,000
Auston Matthews	Toronto Maple Leafs	$13,250,000
Nathan MacKinnon	Colorado Avalanche	$12,600,000
Connor McDavid	Edmonton Oilers	$12,500,000
Mitch Marner	Vegas Golden Knights	$12,000,000
Kyle Connor	Winnipeg Jets	$12,000,000
Mikko Rantanen	Dallas Stars	$12,000,000

Alex Ovechkin's massive $124 million deal with the Capitals was the largest in NHL history up until this offseason, when Kaprizov overtook him with his new, $136 million extension.

Kovalchuk's deal with the Devils was initially a 17-year deal signed in 2010. The NHL rejected the contract, however, and it was later turned into a 15-year, $100 million. He retired in 2013, but his deal still stands as the lengthiest contract signed in league history.

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