Each NHL team’s worst contract heading into the 2019-20 season

Columbus Blue Jackets – Brandon Dubinsky

Contract: $5.85 million cap hit over two years; NMC, 10-team no-trade list

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the midst of a transitional period. They’re still figuring out what they’re going to do without Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, and Sergei Bobrovsky. Those guys are huge players to lose.

Brandon Dubinsky’s deal is the worst one on the team for several reasons. First of all, unlike a majority of the Blue Jackets roster, he’s not young. Only five of their players will be at least 30 years old when the season starts. Dubinsky, at 33 years old, is their oldest player. He’s also one of their least effective.

According to Evolving Hockey‘s GAR stats, Dubinsky had the lowest WAR (-0.5) of any Blue Jackets player during the 2018-19 season. After he put up just 16 points during the 2017-18 season, Columbus was hoping he’d bounce back. Instead, Dubinsky had just 14 points.

His deal doesn’t have any signing bonuses, so that’s a good thing. A buyout is at least feasible. However, because Dubinsky’s salary is $5.85 million every year, that makes it harder for them to trade him to a cap floor team.

Dishonorable mentions: What the heck happened to Alexander Wennberg? He’s only two seasons removed from a 59 point season. Since that season, Wennberg has a combined 60 points in two seasons over 141 games.