The Edmonton Oilers made Leon Draisaitl the highest-paid player in the NHL on Tuesday. While the Chicago Blackhawks might not have the most expensive contract in the league, they do have a handful of players on high contracts.
When we are talking most expensive contracts, it is important to mention an important part of that is the contract’s cap hit. The salary cap is what makes or break an NHL franchise. The most expensive deals carry a high cap hit.
Currently the most expensive contract in Chicago belongs to Seth Jones. Jones signed an eight year $76 million contract carrying a $9.5 million cap hit. Jones is entering the fourth year of the deal. Hopefully he is able to play on a playoff team in Chicago before all is said and done.
Taylor Hall carries the next highest cap hit in Chicago. Hall is in the final year of a four-year $24 million contract he signed with the Boston Bruins in July 2021. Hall’s contract carries a $6 million cap hit.
Adding Hall and Bertuzzi’s cap hits together still won’t be as much as Draisaitl is set to make. Currently the three largest cap hits in Edmonton belong to Connor McDavid ($12.5 million), Darnell Nurse ($9.25 million) and Draisaitl ($8.5 million). Those will change in 2025-26 when Draisaitl’s deal kicks in, and at that time McDavid could be signed to a massive contract as well.
As for the Blackhawks, the next big contract to worry about will belong to Connor Bedard. He still has two seasons left on his entry level contract. Bedard had a great rookie season. Hopefully things continue to go up from here as he continues to make his mark.
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