Who are the highest-paid NHL players in 2023? This question might have got you pumped if you were an NHL fan. To take a wild guess, you must already be a die-hard fan of the sport, because if you weren’t, then you wouldn’t be sitting before your mini screen, reading this article about the richest NHL players at this moment.
Now, if your interest is dragged toward knowing who received the major pact in hockey, we invite your attention to Shea Weber, the defenseman of the Canadiens.
In 2012, he signed a contract worth $110 million with Nashville Predators and the deal is still active today. So, just imagine how much he would have earned during the last decade. You will also be astounded to learn about the contract worth of Nathan Macakinnon who is enjoying an average annual value of $12.6 million.
Are you ecstatic to know why they have ponied up a large sum? Well, the answer would be visible on the rectangular field, which is their official playground.
The majority of the NHL’s highest-earning players are usually franchise players who often come up with jaw-dropping deals, every now and then. In addition to that, these NHL players also provide min-blogging subjects for prop bets, which has gained enough popularity in recent years.
Earlier in 2022, the Canadian professional ice hockey player, Nathan MacKinnon put pen to paper on a $100 million deal that secures his financial stability throughout the next eight years. Apart from the 27-year-old, there have been a number of NHL players who engage themselves in million-dollar agreements each year.
Now without any further delay, let us invite your attention to the list of the top 10 wealthiest NHL players in 2023.
List Of Top 10 Highest-Paid NHL Players 2023
We have enlisted the richest NHL players in chronological order based on how much they receive as their yearly salary.
| Rank | Player’s name | Team | Net Worth (Yearly) |
| 1 | Nathan MacKinnon | Avalanche | $12.6 million |
| 2 | Conor McDavid | Oilers | $12.5 million |
| 3 | Artemi Panarin | Rangers | $11.642 million |
| 4 | Auston Matthews | Maple Leaf | $11.64 million |
| 5 | Erik Karlsson | Sharks | $11.5 million |
| 6 | Leon Draisaiti | Oilers | $11.33 million |
| 7 | John Tavares | Maple Leaf | $11 million |
| 8 | Drew Doughty | Kings | $11 million |
| 9 | Mitchell Marner | Maple Leaf | $10.9 million |
| 10 | Carey Price | Canadiens | $10.5 million |
With each passing year, the sum received by each player continues to skyrocket and during the era of one of the greatest NHL players, Wayne Gretzky, no team paid more than $6.6 million for a player. But now everyone on the list is getting paid at least $10 million a year, which is no joke.
10. Carey Price – $10.5 million/year – Canadiens
Carey Price is one of the recipients of the highest annual earnings in the NHL as he was offered a whopping sum of $84 million by the Canadiens, who agreed to pay him $10.5 per year for the next 8 years from 2017.
So, Price would certainly be filthy rich until the end of the 2024-23 season as his deal with the Canadiens will terminate that season.
But recently, the Canadiens announced that Price may not appear for the 2022-23 season due to his severe chronic injury.
But hopefully, he will return for the next year, which will make it his second last game to play under his multi-million contract with the Montreal Canadiens. But there hasn’t been any confirmation on when or if Price will ever return.
Although, at the back end of his career, Carey Price is pulling it quite well. If knee surgery had not been important at the time, then he would have been playing for the Canadiens this season. But unfortunately, the Canadiens are not having a good time right now. This is what happens when players are paid in advance.
9. Mitchell Marner – $10.9 million/year- Maple Leaf
In the list of the top highest-paid NHL players, Maple Leaves appears thrice, and Mitchell Marner is one such player who took the Leaves to the list. On September 13, 2019, the 25-year-old signed a six-year pact worth $65.408 million with the Toronto Maple Leaves.
During the last season, the diminutive forward notched 97 points across 72 games, making him the 10th-best scorer of the season.
With that, he outshined the previous career-best score that he earned in the 2018-19 season, with three extra points. The current contract will expire in 2025 and it is unknown if Maple Leaf has any plan to renew it or not.
He was initially selected to the Male Leaves in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and remained with the team since he attained their impressive training camp.
Despite an incredible first game, he was overshadowed by teammate Auston Matthew who made a four-goal debut. But he soon made his foremost career assist and ever since Marner has been playing for the team as its alternate captain.
8. Drew Doughty – $11 million/year – Kings
Being paid $11 million might make people talk behind your back saying it’s just a matter of luck, but Drew Doughty has been adamant in proving to them that luck alone wouldn’t lead a person to their success. He is quite sure that the Los Angeles Kings are proud of having a player like him on their team.
He is one of the two defensemen on our list of the richest NHL players. The King’s defenseman signed an 8-year contract of $88 million on July 1, 2018. In short, he was subject to receive 13% of the King’s salary cap.
Sadly, Doughty was injured for nearly half of the last season, but he made his comeback for the next campaign which began on October 7, 2022. He was selected by the Kings in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and the player was barely 18 at the time. Ever since he was twice voted as the Kings’ top offensive defenceman.
During the 2011-12 season as well as the 2013-14 season, Doughty brought the Stanley Cup to the team, making it two of the landmark moments in his career. Simply put, the two-time gold medalist deserves to pay millions in exchange for the achievements he makes for the team.
7. John Tavares – $11 million/year – Maple Leaf
The Toronto Maple Leaf’s captain, John Tavares, inked a $77 million deal with the New York Islanders on July 1, 2018. The contract was agreed upon in such a way that it will expire in the 2024-25 season.
Until then, he has the opportunity to enjoy $11 million a year. Tavares is currently 32 years old and he will be apparently 35 when the contract ends.
He was selected by the NY Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Until now, he has served a total of nine seasons and within that, Tavares served as captain for five years. In 2006, he was named the CHL Rookie of the Year and a CHL Player of the Year in 2007.
After that, he made it to the major junior level on Oshawa Generals. Later, Tavares was sold to the London Knights and he immediately entered Ontario Priority Draft at age 14, after gaining the status of ‘exceptional player.“
With his impressive achievement, Tavares played as an underaged in the American Hockey League, and by the time he was 18, he made it to the official NHL Draft.
6. Leon Draisaitl – $11.33 million/year – Oilers
Leon Draisaitl is a famed Oilers player who is currently serving as an alternate captain for the team. Like most of the highest-paid NHL players on this list, Draisaitl was also contracted with an eight-year deal worth $68 million on August 16, 2017.
Not even once had he made the Edmonton Oilers disappointed, as Leon Draisaitl has repaid them every time he has been on the field.
He won the Hart trophy in 2020 but, most importantly, he came fourth in the NHL scoring twice – last season and the 2018-19 season. In addition to that, he came first and second in 2019-20 and 2018-19 respectively.
The German native grew up playing hockey and was selected second overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2012 CHL Import Draft. Although Riders were his first official team, he couldn’t stay for more than 2 seasons with them as Draisaitl was quickly traded for Edmonton Oilers after the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
In 2020, he created history by being the first German player to win the Art Ross Trophy as NHL’s leading point scorer, Ted Lindsay Award for being the most outstanding player, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP’s regular season.
5. Erik Karlsson – $11.5 million/year – Sharks
It seemed like the San Jose Sharks were waiting for Erik Karlsson to take their foremost Stanley Cup. He literally led the team to win the honorary trophy.
Karlsson has been with the Sharks since September 2018. On June 17, 2019, Karlsson was offered a $92 million deal.
Although the pact will end in a few couples of years, Karlsson appears to have already utilized most of his golden opportunity in the past few years. By the time the contract expires, there is a chance that he might take the Sharks to triumph once again.
At the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Karlsson was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round. He is one of the few defencemen mentioned in the list and to be more precise, Erik Karlsson could be the best defenceman in the current NHL. He has bagged the NHL’s best defenceman award twice, in 2012 and 2015.
On 13 September 2018, Karlsson was traded to the Sharks in exchange for Josh Norris, Dylan DeMelo, Chris Tierney, and Ruldof Balcers. After a slow start to the season, Karlsson scored his foremost goal with the Sharks in November 2018, leading to a 4-0 win against St. Louis Blues.
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4. Auston Matthews – $ 11.64 million/year – Maple Leaf
Austin Matthews is undoubtedly the highest-paid Toronto Maple Leaf player. On February 5, 2019, Matthews inked a five-year contract worth $58.195 million. His existing contract will expire with the 2023-24 season, making it clear that Matthews only has 1 and a half years left on his contract.
However, this is not causing for concern. They might apparently renew his pact for another few years in mid-2024. If that happens, then Auston Matthews might become the next highest-paid NFL player. But as of now, the title is with someone else.
The American professional hockey player was initially interested in the sport ever since he was a child. When asked, he credits the local Phoenix Coyotes, a hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area for planting the interest in him.
He was drafted into the NHL in 2016 and he took his team to another level by garnering the Swiss Cup that year. With that, he notched the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Short;y after, he became the first NHL player to score four goals in his debut. Ever since he has been the fan favorite.
3. Artemi Panarin – $11.642 million/ year- Rangers
Artemi Breadman, who is better known in the industry as the Bread Man is committed to a 7-year contract, earning him $11.642 million a year.
The contract amount sums up to $81.5 million and that is the reason why Panarion has occupied the third position on the list of the highest-paid NHL players in 2023.
He entered into the contract on July 1, 2019, and that makes it valid until 2026-27.
Panarin attained his career-best 96 points last season, whereas his previous best was 95 points which he earned in 2019-20.
Other than serving as an alternate captain for the New York Rangers, the Russian professional has also played for Chicago Blackhawks, Ak Bars Kazan, Vityaz Chekhov, Columbus Blue Jackets, and SKA Saint Petersburg.
Before being drafted, Panarin explored his sports skills by playing for a Russian-based team, named Continental Hockey League. He made his NHL debut in 2015 after the Blackhawks signed him with an entry-level contract.
But he notched unrivaled attention after he won Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie in the 2015-16 season.
2. Connor McDavid – $12.5 million/year – OIlers
If there is anyone who should be paid a staggering $12 million, then that is none other than McDavid. Without a hunch, we can say that Conor McDavid is one of the best hockey players ever. So, it’s obvious that he would be paid an incredible sum in exchange.
The Oilers superstar might soon find a way to parachute Edmonton to a Stanley Cup victory. If not this season, he will at least do it sometime before his $100 million contract expires.
McDavid has won the Hart Trophy twice and it is plausible that he might pick up his third at some point.
When he was younger, McDavid was quite attached to the sport and he even used to play against the older children from their street. During those days, he was coached by his father. After a little more than a decade, McDavid has managed to become the second-highest-paid NHL player in 2023.
1. Nathan MacKinnon – $12.6 million/year – Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon is the highest-paid NHL player in 2023 with a massive $12.6 million in earnings per year. Although he hasn’t won any Art Ross or the Hart, he is still paid the most. One of the reasons behind this phenomenon is his unmatched contribution to the team in bringing them their first Stanley Cup in 21 years.
On September 20, 2022, he signed a $100.8 million deal extension with the Avalanche and it carries the highest annual amount in the history of the league.
MacKinnon was signed by the Colorado Avalanche on July 9, 2013. By the next season, Avalanche realized his potential and placed him on the top two offensive lines. After that, MacKennon has never exhibited any signs of stopping.
On June 24, 2014, he created a record by being the youngest player to win the Calder Memorial Trophy in NHL and became the thirst Avalanche player to get one, after Gabriel Landeskog and Chris Drury.
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Conclusion
Million-dollar deals are nothing to boast about in the NHL, in fact, it is an everyday thing in this industry.
Although many may wonder why sportsmen are often paid much, there is an appropriate reason behind it and that is their effort, dedication as well as popularity and acceptance of the game. If you are reading this article, then you are someone who has an interest in hockey as well as its players.
Like you, there are millions who must be supporting these players. So the demand for the sport increases and that is reflected in the income of these highest-paid NHL players.
A decade later, you might not be able to trace a deal that is less than at least $25 million a year, that is how fast the game is notching attention.
