Top 10 most undesirable contracts in the NHL right now

Which players in the NHL have the worst contracts?

Throughout the NHL, you will find teams that have both good and bad contracts on their roster. Generally, if your team is able to avoid disastrous contracts like the ones below, they should be okay.

However, it seems that almost all teams get themselves in these situations from time to time, and the general managers never seem to learn.

Every summer, we see teams line up and give certain players both term and money that makes everyone collectively scratch their heads, and sure enough they often end up not working out. There are also teams that will overpay their current roster players on contract extensions in fear that they will end up losing them for nothing.

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This list will go over the 10 current worst contracts in the NHL. A few things so this list makes more sense to everyone, is that I did not include players who spent the majority of this season in the AHL. That means that players like Karl Alzner, Cory Schneider, and Andrew Ladd were left off.

The same goes to players on LTIR, like Ryan Kesler and Brandon Dubinsky. From the sounds of it, Kesler’s career is finished, while Dubinsky hasn’t been talked about as much, but it would not come as a surprise if he too were done.

One player who is currently on LTIR but made the list is Brent Seabrook, however the Blackhawks have made it sound like he will play next year, which is why he is included. With that said, here are the 10 worst NHL contracts.

10. Jonathan Quick

Contract info: 3 seasons remaining, $5.8 million average annual value (AAV)
Season stats: 42 games played (GP), 2.79 goals against average (GAA), .904 save percentage (SV%)

The 2019-20 season did not go the way goaltender Jonathan Quick would have hoped. In fact, the last few seasons haven’t. It’s been a quick fall from grace from the former Stanley Cup and Vezina Trophy winning goaltender. The last two seasons he has posted horrendous numbers, including the 2018-19 season where he recorded a .888% save percentage.

The only reason he isn’t higher on this list is due to the fact the L.A. Kings have had an awful team the past few seasons so that likely plays a major role in his play falling off. However, he is 34-years-old and still has three seasons remaining at $5.8 million. This contract will likely cause some problems for the Kings over the next few seasons.

9. Johnny Boychuk

Contract info: 2 seasons remaining, $6 million AAV
Season stats: 64 GP, 2 goals (G), 9 assists (A)

Johnny Boychuk has been a rock solid defenceman in the NHL for a decade now, but the 36-year-old is beginning to slow down. This season, Boychuk, who is known by many as “Johnny Rocket”, was averaging just 17:17 of ice time per game. It marks the second straight season he has averaged under 20 minutes of ice time. This is a very big drop off from the 21:41 he was averaging at the time he signed his seven-year, $42 million extension.

To his credit, Boychuk is still a capable NHL defencemen. However, he is best served as a limited playing third pairing type right now, which is a tough blow considering he is being paid like a top tier defenceman. Unfortunately for the Islanders, it doesn’t appear he will turn his play around given his age, so it will be interesting to see what they do with him and his contract going forward.

8. Bobby Ryan

Contract info: 2 seasons remaining, $7.25 million AAV
Season stats: 24 GP, 5 G, 3 A

Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan has fallen off tremendously the past few seasons. Ryan, who had a career high 71 points with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2010-11 season, but hasn’t hit the 50-point mark in four straight seasons. It appears the speed of the game is too much for him, as he was never a great skater to begin with and is now 33-years-old.

One positive for Ryan is that there is slight room for optimism with him compared to some others on this list. Earlier this season, he stepped away from the Sens to seek help with an alcohol addiction. Though it is unlikely he turns into the Bobby Ryan of old, it is possible he has somewhat of a bounce back season now that he is feeling better.

7. Martin Jones

Contract info: 4 seasons remaining, $5.75 million AAV
Season stats: 41 GP, 3.00 GAA, .896 SV%

Since his six-year, $5.75 million deal kicked in for the 2018-19 season, San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones has been awful. It’s hard to explain the sudden drop off, as he is only 3-years-old and was quite good before the deal began. In fact, he was listed by the NHL as a top 10 goalie going into the 2017-18 season.

The Sharks had a terrible season this year, in large part due to suffering many injuries. However, Jones poor play also played a major role in that. The team as a whole should be able to have a better season next year, but a lot of that depends on whether or not Jones can bounce back.

6. David Backes

Contract info: 1 season remaining, $6 million AAV
Season stats: 22 GP, 1 G, 6 A

The only reason Anaheim Ducks forward David Backes’ deal isn’t higher on the list is because it only has one year remaining. The Boston Bruins were thankfully able to trade him to the Anaheim Ducks at this year’s deadline for forward Ondrej Kase, though it didn’t come cheap as they also had to add a first round pick and defensive prospect Axel Andersson.

Backes is certainly not the same player he used to be with the St. Louis Blues, due to a combination of age as well as multiple concussions over the years. In 22 games this year between the Bruins and the Ducks the 36-year-old had just one goal and five assists. He also had just 20 points in 70 games last year with the Bruins.

5. Kyle Okposo

Contract info: 3 years remaining, $6 million AAV
Season stats: 52 GP, 9 G, 10 A

Like Backes, Kyle Okposo has had numerous concussions over the years which have definitely played a part in his play deteriorating. The former New York Islander had many great seasons alongside John Tavares prior to inking a big seven-year, $42 million deal with the Buffalo Sabres. His first few seasons with the team went okay, but the same cannot be said for the past two seasons.

This season, prior to the NHL stoppage, Okposo had just nine goals and 19 points in 52 games. Given the Sabres struggles over the years, along with the fact this deal still has three more years remaining, it will likely remain a huge problem for the team the next few seasons. One certainly hopes Okposo will be able to regain his old form, but at 32-years-old it appears unlikely.

4. Loui Eriksson

Contract info: 2 years remaining, $6 million AAV
Season stats: 49 GP, 6 G, 7 A

The Vancouver Canucks were just one of many teams during the 2016 NHL free agency that made a very bad deal, when they agreed to terms with forward Loui Eriksson on a six-year, $36 million deal. With how bad he has been since signing the long-term deal, it is hard to forget that he was once a very good NHL player. While with the Dallas Stars he had three straight seasons over 70 points.

3. Justin Abdelkader

Contract info: 3 years remaining, $4.25 million AAV
Season stats: 49 GP, 0 G, 3 A

Sure, Justin Abdelkader makes less than the other players on this list, but the longtime Detroit Red Wing managed just three assists in 49 games this year. The NHL stoppage may have been a blessing for him, as he was having by far and away the worst season of his pro career. This isn’t just a season slump however, as the Muskegon Michigan native had just 19 points in 71 games last season.

Abdelkader’s seven-year, $29.750 million deal was a bit of a head scratcher from the moment it was signed. The now 33 year old was a solid player at the time, but never had the stats to justify giving him a long-term deal like the one former general manager Ken Holland did. The Red Wings struggled immensely this season and having Abdelkader and his contract on the roster certainly didn’t help.

2. Brent Seabrook

Contract info: 4 years remaining, $6.875 million AAV
Season stats: 32 GP, 3 G, 1 A

Like many others on this list, it wasn’t too long ago that Brent Seabrook was a top end NHL player. Unfortunately for the Chicago Blackhawks, they gave Seabrook a contract for the player he had been in the past, rather than the player he has become.

He had his worst NHL season to date this year, and was healthy scratched on numerous occasions as a result. When he did play, he averaged just 18:09 minutes of ice time per game, which is the lowest of his NHL career.

During this years Christmas break, Seabrook underwent season ending shoulder surgery. The Hawks announced that on top of his shoulder surgery, he would also be getting surgeries done on both of his hips.

Despite the seriousness of the injuries, it sounds like he will be good to go next season, though the question is at what level. At 35 years of age, along with 1237 total games over his career, Seabrook may soon become a major liability, rather than the dominant defenceman he once was.

1. Milan Lucic

Contract info: 3 years remaining, $6 million AAV
Season stats: 68 GP, 8 G, 12 A

Edmonton Oilers general manager shocked many when he was able to trade Milan Lucic and his massive cap hit to the Calgary Flames. Of course, there was a risk involved as the Oilers were getting James Neal in return, who also has a lengthy deal and was coming off the worst season of his career. Thankfully for the Oilers, Neal bounced back and put up 19 goals in just 55 games. Lucic continued to struggle, and had just 20 points in 68 games prior to the pause.

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This deal seemed to be a mistake from the start for former general manager Peter Chiarelli. It was evident to most the game was getting faster, and Lucic was never known to be a quick player. He does deserve some credit however. He is great in the locker room, and is willing to drop the gloves and step up for his teammates whenever it is needed.

Unfortunately, the tangibles he still does bring are worth no where near the cap hit he takes up. As a result, he has the worst contract in the NHL today.

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