{"id":816606,"date":"2026-07-22T13:23:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T13:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/816606\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T13:23:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T13:23:20","slug":"nhls-10-best-contracts-2026-edition-lane-hutson-jake-sanderson-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/816606\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL\u2019s 10 best contracts, 2026 edition: Lane Hutson, Jake Sanderson and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the NHL, contracts matter. For better or worse, every player is judged based on the money he makes and whether he\u2019s worth the price. It may not matter as much as it used to, but it still matters.<\/p>\n

This piece is about the players that are well worth the money \u2014 the best deals in the league. It\u2019s when you ask yourself \u2014 \u201cHow is this guy making that much?\u201d \u2014 but in a good way.<\/p>\n

There are a number of team-friendly deals out there. According to each player\u2019s projected value over the remainder of their deals, these are the league\u2019s 10 best contracts.<\/p>\n

Did the Panthers and Lightning fleece the Leafs?<\/p>\n

Sean McIndoe and Jonas Siegel<\/p>\n

The goal here is to grade contracts empirically, with the same context being applied to each player across the league: How much value does each player bring to the table per year and over the life of the contract. The way that\u2019s measured comes from comparing a player\u2019s Net Rating and the expected salary that comes with it to a player\u2019s current contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What players have already done holds no merit; this is about the future value of the deal, with age effects<\/a> based on player comps taken into account while accounting for expected salary growth. Contract clauses and bonus structure are important, but not considered with this assessment. Players on LTIR were not considered.<\/p>\n

1. Lane Hutson<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $8.9M x eight years
Surplus Value: $110M
Positive Value Probability: 100 percent<\/p>\n

The second Lane Hutson signed an extension after an electric rookie season, it looked immediately preposterous.<\/p>\n

Then 2025-26 happened \u2014 a year where Hutson scored at a near point-per-game pace, improved defensively and was Montreal\u2019s engine from the back end en route to a sixth-place finish for the Norris. Hutson\u2019s early arrival as a franchise defenseman means that a deal that seemed preposterous before the ink dried has now transcended even that.<\/p>\n

The context of Kirill Kaprizov\u2019s landmark deal, Leo Carlsson\u2019s offer sheet and the rapidly escalating salary landscape prove that. The price of superstar talent is veering closer and closer to $20 million under a $104 million cap. When the cap reaches $125-to-150 million, things will only accelerate further.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the math that makes Hutson a player worth more than league max on his current deal. He\u2019s not that now, but if he continues on his current trajectory (where his top comps are Cale Makar, Adam Fox and Quinn Hughes) and becomes a consistent threat to post a plus-20 Net Rating throughout his prime, Hutson will carry the kind of on-ice value that is worth 16-to-18 percent of the cap. That\u2019s about $25 million against a $150 million salary cap.<\/p>\n

Average it all out over eight years and you get the best deal in hockey, without question \u2014 and $100 million or so left on the table. The model might like Hutson a little too much, sure, but there\u2019s no question just how great this deal is going to be for Montreal.<\/p>\n

2. Jake Sanderson<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $8.1M x six years
Surplus Value: $57M
Positive Value Probability: 100 percent<\/p>\n

Lost in the shuffle of one of the strongest Norris races in recent memory was Jake Sanderson\u2019s breakthrough as one of the best two-way defensemen in the world. In tough minutes, he showcased a massive impact at both ends of the ice and would\u2019ve had a serious claim to be in the Norris discussion if not for 15 games missed to injury.<\/p>\n

No matter, that leap brings his projected Net Rating up to plus-15, one of the top marks in the league among defensemen. At 24, he\u2019s expected to stay strong at that level for the foreseeable future. Sanderson gets lost in the shuffle with other emerging franchise defenders, but his top comps being Miro Heiskanen, Alex Pietrangelo and Drew Doughty says it all. He\u2019s going to be that guy for Ottawa.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s obviously a steal at $8.1 million for the next six years, which has become borderline top-pair money. Sanderson has risen well above that level.<\/p>\n

3. Brandon Hagel<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $6.5M x six years
Surplus Value: $44M
Positive Value Probability: 99 percent<\/p>\n

There were some skeptics last year when Brandon Hagel finished second<\/a> on this list, doubting Hagel\u2019s ability to keep up the high level he flashed during the 2024-25 season. He did exactly that in 2025-26, scoring at an 85-point pace despite a lack of PP1 time while continuing to be an elite two-way driver at five-on-five.<\/p>\n

Hagel has, amazingly, turned into one of the best wings in hockey with his top comp being Mark Stone at the same age. That\u2019s worth a whole lot of dough these days, especially as he\u2019s solidified himself at this level for three seasons. Considering Hagel is making a shade under Mason Marchment money, it\u2019s safe to say that this deal will be a major steal over each of the next six seasons.<\/p>\n

4. Jackson Blake<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $5.1M x eight years
Surplus Value: $43M
Positive Value Probability: 94 percent<\/p>\n

When a team has a young free agent, the best course of action is to sign \u2019em early and sign \u2019em long. The Hurricanes did exactly that with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake last summer, and it\u2019s Blake\u2019s deal that shines enough to land here.<\/p>\n

Blake\u2019s production jumped to 53 points before breaking out in a big way during the postseason with 20 points in 19 games en route to the Stanley Cup. Add his already stellar two-way impacts at five-on-five and the 23-year-old looks like he\u2019ll be a legit top-six player during his entire prime.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not difficult to see how Blake earning just $5.1 million for the next eight years to be that will be a huge steal. When middle-sixers such as Kiefer Sherwood and Bobby McMann are getting that for their declining years, a legit needle-mover such as Blake should add a ton of surplus value above that.<\/p>\n

5. Moritz Seider<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $8.6M x five years
Surplus Value: $41M
Positive Value Probability: 100 percent<\/p>\n

Another new franchise defenseman on the scene courtesy of a seismic breakout, another deal in the neighbourhood of $8 million that\u2019s aging beautifully.<\/p>\n

When the Red Wings signed Mortiz Seider to this contract, his impacts in brutally tough minutes weren\u2019t yet lining up with his reputation. Account for that and he was good, but not truly great. Not yet. All of that changed two seasons ago, and last year he took his game to new heights with a two-way season for the ages. While he didn\u2019t ultimately end up with a plus-10 Offensive and Defensive Rating thanks to a tough final game, Seider came the closest any defenseman ever has.<\/p>\n

His two-way ability is monstrous, and that\u2019s what powers this valuation. Seider would be worth his deal if he were only a little bit above average offensively or defensively. That he\u2019s this elite at both makes him worth nearly double his AAV.<\/p>\n

6. Logan Thompson<\/p>\n

Contract: $5.9M x five years
Surplus Value: $42M
Positive Value Probability: 94 percent<\/p>\n

There should be no question which goalie has the best deal in hockey: it\u2019s Logan Thompson. For roughly the price of Philipp Grubauer, the Capitals are getting the guy who leads all goalies in GSAx over the last two seasons by a full eight goals. Thompson led all goalies at plus-35.6 last season and finished sixth the year prior at plus-19.2.<\/p>\n

The model currently rates Thompson, who is in the thick of his prime at age 29, as the league\u2019s top goalie. Whether that\u2019s actually true or not, there is still a massive chasm between where Thompson currently stands and what he\u2019s being paid to be. And there\u2019s a good chance he maintains that wide chasm for the duration of his five-year deal.<\/p>\n

Goalies are notoriously fickle, but Thompson has been lights out for two years running. The odds of him outperforming this modest deal are very high.<\/p>\n

7. Seth Jarvis<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $7.4M x six years
Surplus Value: $40M
Positive Value Probability: 99 percent<\/p>\n

What a summer for Eric Tulsky. First the Stanley Cup and now he gets two contracts on the best contracts list? Folks, it doesn\u2019t get much better than that.<\/p>\n

The trick with Seth Jarvis (and Blake) is that point totals still drive dollars; when Jarvis signed, he wasn\u2019t a prolific scorer. He still isn\u2019t. What he is, though, is a terrific play-driver, especially defensively. That\u2019s a big part of what creates value: Everything Jarvis does that doesn\u2019t show up on the scoresheet.<\/p>\n

Jarvis has established himself as one of the best two-way wingers in the league for that exact reason. Being paid a paltry second-line rate for the next six years is a bargain.<\/p>\n

8. Dustin Wolf<\/p>\n

Contract: $7.5M x seven years
Surplus Value: $40M
Positive Value Probability: 92 percent<\/p>\n

Putting a lengthy goalie deal on a \u201cbest contracts\u201d list is risky business. Doing it for a guy who was closer to average last year and got outplayed by his backup is probably downright foolish.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a testament to Dustin Wolf\u2019s upside that he lands here anyway, with the length of his deal doing him a lot of favors. At 25, Wolf is still not close to \u201cgoalie prime,\u201d which lands closer to 30; he should only get better after a sophomore slump. Next year he\u2019s expected to jump into average starter territory, just outside the league\u2019s top 10, and during the course of his deal, Wolf has a strong case to threaten the top five. Well, as strong as any goalie\u2019s case can reasonably be \u2014 goalies are still very volatile after all.<\/p>\n

But there are a select few who have the it factor where they can deliver year-over-year with consistency. Wolf\u2019s current pedigree suggests he could enter that realm in his prime. There\u2019s an underrated element often missed by looking at raw save percentage and GSAx as well, and that\u2019s the ability to do that at volume. An average GSAx at 57 games is very different than at 30, and that\u2019s accounted for here; being a bell-cow starter is part of Wolf\u2019s high valuation.<\/p>\n

The more important factor, though, is that while that on-ice growth continues, the cap will continue to grow to the point that $7.5 million will end up being the going rate for an average starter. If Wolf can be a consistent plus-10 GSAx threat, as the model expects, he\u2019ll be a massive bargain at that price tag.<\/p>\n

9. Rasmus Dahlin<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $11M x six years
Surplus Value: $37M
Positive Value Probability: 95 percent<\/p>\n

When Rasmus Dahlin signed for $11 million per year, he was already a high-end No. 1 defenseman. The value bet was that he would become something even more: A perennial Norris threat. That\u2019s exactly what he\u2019s blossomed into over the last two seasons, highlighted by last year\u2019s third-place finish.<\/p>\n

If Dahlin were to hit UFA this summer, it wouldn\u2019t be difficult to imagine him commanding something close to Kaprizov\u2019s current AAV. It\u2019s in line with what Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes will no doubt ask for, and he\u2019s risen into that company. That he\u2019s signed for six more seasons at just $11 million is a huge discount for Buffalo.<\/p>\n

10. Jack Hughes<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Contract: $8.M x four years
Surplus Value: $34M
Positive Value Probability: 100 percent<\/p>\n

Over the last three editions of this list, Jack Hughes has been a mainstay in the top three. Being on the fringes of the MVP tier as an annual 100-point pace threat while being paid just $8 million for a long time will have that effect. Yeah, he\u2019s prone to missing time, and that should be factored in to an extent. But when he\u2019s on, Hughes is one of the best centers in the world. His recent growth away from the puck has only added to that.<\/p>\n

Hughes\u2019 fall on this list mostly stems from major growth from others above him and the lack of term left on his deal. Four years is still a decent chunk of time, but it\u2019s tough to deliver an abundance of surplus value compared to guys on longer deals. On a per-year basis, he\u2019s still one of the best deals around.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions: Nathan MacKinnon, Dylan Guenther, Sam Reinhart, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the NHL, contracts matter. For better or worse, every player is judged based on the money he…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":816607,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,575,85],"class_list":["post-816606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/816607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=816606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}