John Tavares - Toronto Maple Leafs, Center, $11,000,000

John Tavares is a big deal in hockey. He plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs as their center. In 2024-25, he’ll make $11 million. That’s a lot of money! But he’s worth it. Tavares has played in the NHL for 13 years.

He’s really good at scoring goals.

I’m proud to wear the Maple Leaf every day. It’s a dream come true, says Tavares.

Tavares signed a 7-year deal with the Leafs. It’s worth $77 million total. By 2024, he’ll have made over $111 million in his career. That’s amazing! But his time with the Leafs might end soon.

In 2025, he can become a free agent. Next up, let’s look at another top-paid player, Drew Doughty.

Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings, Defenseman, $11,000,000

Drew Doughty is a big deal in the NHL. He plays defense for the Los Angeles Kings and makes a lot of money. In 2025, he’ll earn $11,000,000 for the year. That’s a huge amount! It puts him in the top three highest-paid NHL players.

Doughty signed an 8-year deal worth $88 million. This shows how much the Kings value his skills on the ice.

Doughty isn’t alone at the top. He shares the second spot with Rasmus Dahlin. They both make $11,000,000 each year. This kind of pay is rare for defense players. It proves how good Doughty is at his job.

The Kings count on him to stop other teams from scoring. His big paycheck shows they think he’s worth every penny.

Artemi Panarin - New York Rangers, Left Wing, $11,500,000

Artemi Panarin is a star left winger for the New York Rangers. He’s one of the NHL’s top earners, making $11,642,857 per year. Panarin signed a big deal with the Rangers in 2019. It’s worth $81.5 million over seven years and runs until 2026.

Panarin’s contract is packed with bonuses. He’ll get $74.5 million in signing bonuses alone. That’s a lot of cash! His high pay shows how much the Rangers value him. Panarin ranks fourth among the NHL’s best-paid players.

He’s a key part of the team’s plans for the future.

Connor McDavid - Edmonton Oilers, Center, $12,500,000

Connor McDavid is a big deal in hockey. He plays for the Edmonton Oilers and makes a lot of money. In 2025, he’ll earn $12,500,000 just for playing on the ice. But that’s not all! He also gets $6 million from other stuff off the ice.

That’s a total of $16 million in one year!

McDavid’s current deal with the Oilers will end in 2026. People think his next contract might be even bigger. Some say he could get up to $19 million each year. That’s a lot of cash! In fact, McDavid already set a record in 2018-19 when he made $19 million in one season.

Nathan MacKinnon - Colorado Avalanche, Center, $12,600,000

Moving up the pay scale, we find Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. This star center earns a cool $12,600,000 per year. That’s a whopping $100,000 more than Connor McDavid! MacKinnon’s deal is part of an eight-year contract worth $100.6 million.

He’s not just getting a fat paycheck, though. His total cash earnings for 2025 will hit $16,500,000. That’s some serious hockey money!

MacKinnon’s skills on the ice match his big salary. He’s a key player for the Avalanche and helps the team win games. His speed and scoring ability make him worth every penny. Fans love watching him play, and his teammates count on him.

With his high pay and great play, MacKinnon is a true star in the NHL.

Auston Matthews - Toronto Maple Leafs, Center, $13,250,000

Auston Matthews is a big deal in hockey. He plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs and makes a lot of money. His new deal pays him $13,250,000 a year. That’s not all, though. He also gets about $5 million from other jobs, like ads.

Last season, Matthews was on fire. He scored 69 goals, which is the most since 1995-96. No wonder the Leafs wanted to keep him around. They gave him a four-year deal worth $53 million.

Leon Draisaitl - Edmonton Oilers, Center, $14,000,000

Moving up the pay scale, we find Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers. This hockey star is set to earn a cool $14 million per year. That’s a big jump from Matthews’ pay! Draisaitl’s new deal is turning heads in the NHL world.

The Oilers gave Draisaitl an eight-year contract worth $112 million. This deal kicks off in the 2025-26 season. It’s a record-breaking agreement in the NHL. Draisaitl plays center, just like Matthews, but his paycheck is even bigger.

The Oilers clearly think he’s worth every penny!

David Pastrnak - Boston Bruins, Right Wing, $14,200,000

Next up, we have David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins. This right wing player is set to make a cool $14,200,000 in the 2024-25 season. That’s a big jump from Leon Draisaitl’s pay! Pastrnak’s deal is part of a huge eight-year contract worth $90 million.

He’ll get $13 million in total cash for the year. His salary cap hit is $11.25 million, which helps the Bruins manage their team budget.

Pastrnak’s contract shows how much the Bruins value him. They’ve locked him in until the 2030-31 season. That’s a long time in hockey years! This deal makes Pastrnak one of the highest-paid players in the NHL.

It’s clear the Bruins think he’s worth every penny. With his skill on the ice, Pastrnak is sure to keep fans cheering for years to come.

Elias Pettersson - Vancouver Canucks, Center, $14,500,000

Moving up the list, we find Elias Pettersson at the top spot. This Vancouver Canucks center is set to earn a whopping $14,500,000 in 2025. That’s a lot of dough for playing hockey! Pettersson’s deal with the Canucks is pretty sweet.

He signed a big contract worth $92,800,000 in total. Each year, he’ll make about $11,600,000 on average. That’s what they call the “cap hit” in hockey talk. Pettersson must be doing something right on the ice to bag such a huge payday!