Who will get the NHL's next big contract? Top candidates at the moment

Contract negotiations are a delicate matter. Some NHL players prefer to take them all out together during the season. Others may want the process to be completed quickly – but fairly – and every detail followed throughout the year.

The key is to not let these conversations distract from what is actually being accomplished on the ice.

Just ask Alexis Lafreniere.

He is the latest player to sign a long-term contract extension, signing a seven-year, $52.15 million contract with the New York Rangers last week, following a breakthrough 2023-24 season in which the 23-year-old was 28 Goals scored 57 points in 82 games. If Lafreniere continues this kind of growth, his big deal will be a sweet bargain for the Rangers.

Now that Lafreniere is locked up for the long haul, who could be next to grab the proverbial bag?

There is already speculation about what players like Connor McDavid, Cale Makar and Kirill Kaprizov could receive in a new contract extension, which they can all sign from July 2025.

After speaking to league insiders, here's a selection of players – from the obvious to perhaps the less obvious – who will (potentially) get paid sooner rather than later. And with the NHL salary cap expected to continue rising from its current $88 million, there will (potentially) be even more money left over if these contracts are terminated.

The superstars

There was an outcry heard throughout the hockey world when ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported earlier this month that Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had turned down an eight-year, $88 million extension that made Shesterkin the highest-paid goaltender in would have made NHL history.

Make no mistake: Shesterkin will be paid handsomely at some point — in New York or elsewhere if the impending unrestricted free agent so desires. And this deal will recalibrate the market for goalies going forward.

“I suspect Shesterkin will get more than $11.5 million apiece,” one agent said. “He’s not going to settle for a lower number just because. I think the situation with (Jeremy) Swayman proved that that is no longer (a norm).”

Fair enough. Swayman played hard with the Bruins and was rewarded with an eight-year, $66 million contract just before the start of the regular season. Shesterkin has come a long way over the course of his current four-year, $22.67 million contract. After the 2021-22 season, he won a Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender and finished third in Hart Trophy voting (league MVP) that year. He has always been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, and this season is no different; Shesterkin has a .926 save percentage and 2.16 goals-against average, both of which rank in the top five in the NHL.

Shesterkin's position as New York's backbone makes his next contract a huge move worth paying attention to next. And who knows? There could be more drama along the way before pen hits paper.

Speaking of drama: there is no lack of it around Mitch Marner. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger has refused to comment publicly on the extension talks, but they are taking place behind closed doors. Marner's current mark of $10.9 million per year seems likely to rise, and he has two teammates in discussions as points of comparison: Auston Matthews at $13.5 million per year and William Nylander at $11.5 million. Dollar. Marner is somewhere in the middle.

His camp so far has taken a “wait and see” approach with the Leafs, testing the options from training camp through the new season and watching how it develops. Marner had a solid start to the season with one goal and 10 points in nine games, which gave him the league lead in points. With that in mind, the Leafs' job would be to get Marner's deal done now before the price starts to rise.

On the other hand, this is the postseason in which Toronto most wanted to see Marner at his best – and in which the winger has repeatedly faltered when it comes to being a proven difference-maker.

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Marner comes into the summer without an extension,” another agent said. “It also wouldn’t shock me if Marner was the next one to be signed (to a big contract). He is a dominant player. But how does (GM Brad Treliving) see the core of this team now and in the future? It all plays a role.”

A standout player who may not be quickly (or easily) satisfied with his current club? Mikko Rantanen. The Colorado Avalanche's top winger appears to be stalling in talks with the Avs about a contract extension beyond his current deal worth $9.25 million per season. Rantanen's comparison tool is teammate Nathan MacKinnon's eight-year, $100.8 million contract, and that's not necessarily the range Colorado sees Rantanen landing in – even if Rantanen does.

Expect Rantanen to use a torrid 2024-25 season – in which he now sits third in the league with four goals and 13 points – to show why he's worth a MacKinnon-like payday when it comes on time to make a deal in Colorado or elsewhere.

The core set

It's not like typically tight-lipped New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello will weigh in on Brock Nelson's future with the team. But Nelson is still in the UFA and despite some speculation that the Islanders might sign him to a contract, there is a good case to be made for paying the man to stay long-term.

Nelson's career has been on a roll for most of the last three seasons, in which he led New York with 111 goals and 209 points in 244 games (three consecutive 30-plus goal seasons). Frankly, the 33-year-old plays for a squad that is consistently lacking in goals, and the fact that he's getting better every year makes it interesting for Lamoriello to sign him on this six-year, $36 million deal to extend beyond. Basic pieces like Nelson are hard to come by.

The situation is similar with Vancouver striker Brock Boeser. Although the Canucks have had their ups and downs, including last season's disappointing postseason finish due to a blood clotting issue, there's no denying Boeser's position as a force in Vancouver's offense. The 27-year-old had the best regular season of his career in 2023-24, leading the Canucks with 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games and then adding seven goals and 12 points in 12 postseason games before being sidelined. Those numbers — coupled with a point-per-game start this season — should give Boeser a significant increase on his current three-year, $19.95 million contract.

It may take a while for the Canucks to sort out their cap situation and find middle ground with Boeser. And considering how well he's playing, Boeser might not mind waiting.

Another core player who appears to be a given for a long-term deal is center Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers. Discussions are currently underway between the Panthers and their upcoming UFA, and this is a great thing for both parties. Florida already signed Carter Verhaeghe to a long-term deal this month, and taking care of Bennett is GM Bill Zito's next priority.

Bennett has topped 40 points in each of his last three seasons with Florida and scored more than 20 goals in two of them, making him one of the Panthers' most reliable forwards. He is one of the league's most prominent power forwards – an increasingly rare breed – and Bennett has also made a splash in the playoffs for the Panthers, averaging nearly a point per shot in both runs to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 and 2024 game scored.

Bennett is on a contract worth $4.425 million this season, and even though he faces a raise, the opportunity to continue winning in Florida could provide just the juice Bennett needs to get a more team-friendly deal to conclude and keep the good. The times are rolling.

The rising stars

In some cases, it's easier to estimate where established players (like those mentioned above) might end up in terms of their next major contract. For those still putting down roots in the league? More difficult!

Take Boston Bruins center Morgan Geekie. He had an outstanding season in the 2023-24 season with career-high totals of goals (17) and points (39) in 76 games. Geekie entered training camp this fall with heightened expectations and top-six potential. Boston's unusually slow start to the season seemed to embarrass the entire team – including Geekie – and the 26-year-old has only one assist in his first eight games.

What does this all mean in the grand scheme of things for Boston's upcoming RFA? A lot. The Bruins have had Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire in recent years, and it's guys like Geekie who can replace them in the future. That doesn't mean Geekie will be overpaid right away, but it's in Boston's best interest to give Geekie a solid deal that solidifies his place as an important part of their future. Doing this before summer could boost Geekies' confidence.

The Dallas Stars have a comparatively important player in Wyatt Johnston, who is also set to become a restricted free agent – and who they should take care of shortly. Johnston has the potential to become the face of the franchise after totaling 56 goals and 106 points over the past two seasons. Johnston is also only 21 years old; Given that he has already become a cornerstone of the Stars' offense, this will cost them a new deal.

Offering Johnston a long-term contract with roughly the same annual salary of $8 million to $8.5 million that Dallas paid out to teammates Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen should be enough to keep everyone happy. Johnston has been part of multiple trips to the Western Conference Finals with Dallas, and the chance to stay on a winning team is hard to pass up.