NHL 20 Highest paid players

1 - Connor McDavid – C – Edmonton Oilers: This one doesn’t need much explanation. The best player in the game is probably still underpaid, as he earns $12.5 million per season. The Oilers captain is production at a 1.5 points-per-game clip.

2 - Auston Matthews – C – Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews is the best sniper in the game right now. The Leafs forward hit the 50-goal mark last week. He’s one of three Leafs forward to earn at least $10.9 million per year.

3 - Roman Josi – D – Nashville Predators: Josi is playing at an M.V.P. level right now. He has a ridiculous 18 goals and 81 points in 66 games. He’s playing more than 25 minutes per night and he’s the most important player on the roster. Josi is earning just over $9 million per season.

4 - Alex Ovechkin – W – Washington Capitals: It’s hard to imagine that Ovechkin is still scoring at the pace he’s currently at right now. The Caps forward has a ridiculous 42 goals and 79 points in 67 games. When will the 36-year-old slow down? He recently signed a five-year, $47.5 million extension.

5 - Artemi Panarin – W – New York Rangers: Sometimes being in New York comes with challenges but it could also be a blessing. Panarin was looking to step onto the big stage and he hasn’t disappointed one bit. He has four years remaining on this deal at over $11.642 million.

6 - Nikita Kucherov – W – Tampa Bay Lightning: The Bolts have two players at $9.5 million, as Kucherov and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy both earn that amount. You can’t go wrong with either one of those players. Kucherov has 43 points in 33 games this season and he’s been a huge part of Tampa’s back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

7 - Mikko Rantanen – W – Colorado Avalanche: Rantanen is the highest paid forward on the Avs because Nathan MacaKinnon signed a team friendly deal a few years back. The Finnish forward 35 goals and 82 points in 66 games this season. There aren’t many players with his combination of size and skill.

8 - Sebastian Aho – C – Carolina Hurricanes: Aho is earning $8.46 million per year with the Hurricanes, which might be a bargain given his production. Of course, this is an offer sheet he signed with the Montreal Canadiens that Carolina matched.

9 - Kirill Kaprizov – W – Minnesota Wild: In his second NHL season, Kaprizov has taken his game to another level. He aleady has 39 goals and 85 points in 67 games. The Wild paid him $9 million per year and that investment has paid off in a big way.

10 - Patrick Kane – W – Chicago Blackhawks: Kane has posted at a 1.2 points-per-game pace in each of his previous two seasons and he’s on the same pace in 2021-22. He has one year remaining on his current deal at $10.5 million. He and Jonathan Toews are tied for the highest salary on the team.

11 - Matthew Tkachuk – W – Calgary Flames: Tkachuk is one of the few power forwards remaining in the NHL. The 24-year-old has 32 goals and 84 points in 68 games this season. His contract is expiring at the end of the year. He’s expected to become an RFA in the summer. Expect him to get a raise from the $7 million he’s making this year.

12 - Patrice Bergeron – C – Boston Bruins: Bergeron is going to go down as one of the greatest two-way players in NHL history. One thing that helps make the Bruins competitive is that Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak all make less than $7 million per season.

13 - Evgeni Malkin – C – Pittsburgh Penguins: Malkin isn’t in his prime anymore but the 35-year-old still has 17 goals and 35 points in just 33 games. The veteran’s $9.5 million salary is coming off the books this summer and it’ll be interesting to see what he decides to do next.

14 - Quinn Hughes – D – Vancouver Canucks: Hughes makes $7.85 million per season and it’s tough to argue with that salary. The undersized puck-moving defender is a great transition player and he’s one of the keys to Vancouver’s success. He’s up to 53 points in 66 outings in 2021-22.

15 - Dylan Larkin – W – Detroit Red Wings: Larkin had a 73-point season a few years ago, but he could finish at a point-per-game pace for the first time in his NHL career. He has 64 points through 64 games. He earns a reasonable $6.1 million per season. He’ll be a UFA after next season.

16 - Clayton Keller – W – Arizona Coyotes: Keller was having a nice year before he went down with a fractured leg that will keep him out for the rest of the season. The Coyotes record finishes 2021-22 with 28 goals and 63 points in 67 games this season. Arizona needs to build around him.

17 - Blake Wheeler – W – Winnipeg Jets: The Jets captain is now 35 years old, but he’s still incredibly productive for a player of his age. The pass-first winger is up to 42 assists in 56 games in 2021-22. The Jets have been underwhelming this year, but it’s not because of the veteran.

18 - Vladimir Tarasenko – W – St. Louis Blues: Tarasenko was seemingly on his way out of St. Louis last summer, but it’s a good thing they hung on to him. The Russian winger has 23 goals and 59 points in 61 games this season. He and Ryan O’Reilly both earn $7.5 million per season, but Tarasenko signed a bigger total contract.

19 - Drew Doughty – D – Los Angeles Kings: Doughty has been out of the lineup since early March with an upper-body injury. He’s managed to put up 31 points in 39 games this season and he has five years left on his current deal at $11 million per season.

20 - Jack Eichel – C – Vegas Golden Knights: When Eichel rounds into top form, he’s going to be much higher on this list. For now, he’s sitting in this spot. He has 16 points in 22 games since joining the Golden Knights, which is nothing to scoff at. Things are messy with the Vegas cap situation, but that all goes away in the playoffs. He makes $10 million per season.