Oilers and Flames named in list of teams paying worst contracts in NHL

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Noel Drolet
July 20, 2024 (9:44)

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With the end of another season, here's a look at the top 10 worst contracts in the league, with lots of familiar names.

The NHL wouldn't be the NHL without its handful of bad contracts. There will always be players who get paid to fill a role that they just can't live up to, which often happens after players switch teams and expect a seemless fit. There are some contracts that look very rough right now, but with player breakouts really anything can happen.

According to Dom Luszczyszyn, the top three worst contracts in the NHL right now are owned by Jonathan Huberdeau, Chandler Stephenson and Tom Wilson, respectively.

Huberdeau is the worst contract in the league, but it doesn't mean he's been bad. He has an insane cap hit to live up to, sitting at 10.5M until the 2031-32 season. Huberdeau played fantastic in Florida and the Flames thought he could transition well to Calgary, whcih he did not at all. 2 seasons ago he hit 115 points in his last season as a Panther, and he's only put up 107 points in his last two seasons combined. This contract has been absolutely terrible, although Huberdeau is a player who could still prove his worth and bounce back to make this contract better.

Chandler Stephenson just signed a massive contract with the Seattle Kraken, and it's scary that his new contract is already placed second on this list. He signed for 6.25M for 7 years, which he is seemingly not worth at all. The Kraken signed him to be a star producer for them, but it wouldn't be surprising if he had a lacklustre season in Seattle. He's also signed at this number until he's 37, making the tail end of this contract look very risky.

Tom Wilson just signed a massive extension with the Capitals valued at 6.5M until the 2030 season. This will also go until he is 37, which is a huge red flag. Wilson has troubles staying healthy and only recorded 35 points in 74 games last season. Unless he majorly bounces back this season he is already struggling to meet that lofty cap hit, which is scary because he has 5 years left after this upcoming season. This contract seems like it will definitely be bought out at some point, especially considering that the Capitals are heading towards a rebuild.

Of course, it wouldn't be a worst contracts list without meantioning Darnell Nurse. Nurse comes in at number 9 on the list, which is surprisingly kind of low. Nurse has a 9.25M cap hit until the 2028-29 season with a full no move clause until 2028. After his abysmal playoffs, it's a wonder hat this contract isn't higher on this list. Nurse has a lot of money to make up to reach his cap hit, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Oilers had to buy him out to escape his horrendous deal.