As the dust of the offseason settles, it’s become clear that the NHL’s cap landscape has completely changed. The largest deal in league history has been handed out to a player who’s never eclipsed the point-per-game mark — shifting the goalpost for other young stars with a deal on the horizon.
With the NHL’s offseason slowing down, now is a better time than ever to dive into the league’s worst contracts for the 2026-27 season.
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1. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Pettersson’s trajectory over the past few seasons has been tumultuous — the injuries have piled up, and he looks like a shadow of his former self at times. If his game had continued to progress, his $11.6 million cap hit would look like a steal, but he hasn’t.
The Canucks are in the beginning stages of a full-on rebuild, so his deal doesn’t necessarily hurt the team’s cap situation, but it sure does make trading him a daunting task. Without competent wingers on his side for the foreseeable future, it’ll be hard for the 27-year-old to return to form.
Even if Pettersson can bounce back to a consistent 80-point two-way center, the Canucks would be ecstatic, but his myriad of injuries make that an unlikely reality.
2. Bowen Byram, Chicago Blackhawks
When Bowen Byram was acquired for the No. 4 pick in the recent draft, it was already seen as a blunder by the Blackhawks and general manager Kyle Davidson — the subsequent $12.5 million deal was just the cherry on top. Byram has always been an uber-talented puck-moving defenseman, but the analytical results have never matched the apparent skill.
Despite being the highest-paid defenseman in the league, Byram has never earned the No. 1 role on either of his first two teams, although few defensemen could surpass Cale Makar or Rasmus Dahlin in the lineup. With that being said, it’s hard to justify such a lucrative payday for Byram given the limited track record.
3. Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks
Carlsson could very easily become a top-10 player by the end of this deal, but it’s hard to justify making him the highest-paid player in NHL history with an $18 million cap hit. While technically, Pat Verbeek didn’t offer Carlsson such a lucrative deal, it was his incompetence that allowed negotiations to drag to the point of an offer sheet.
More importantly, this deal sets the internal ceiling of the Ducks to a ridiculously high number, evident by Cutter Gauthier‘s reported $15 million asking price on his looming extension.
4. Jonathan Huberdeau, Calgary Flames
When Huberdeau was dealt to the Flames as part of the Matthew Tkachuk deal, he was seen as the next offensive engine for Calgary. A rare 100-point scoring winger who could drive his own line, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case for the Flames.
Four years into his tenure, Huberdeau is a shell of his former self, recording 60 points just once. Last season was his worst offensively, scoring only 25 points in 50 games.
The help isn’t coming any time soon as Calgary continues its rebuild, but Huberdeau was marketed as a franchise winger and simply hasn’t lived up to expectations.
5. Darnell Nurse, San Jose Sharks
After years of trade speculation and heavy scrutiny from the Edmonton media, Nurse finally found his new home. The newest part in a revitalized Sharks’ blue line, Nurse is a solid No. 4 defenseman who will likely be tasked with a larger workload on a young team.
His play will never live up to the $9.25 million cap hit, but perhaps the Sharks can live with an overpay while players like Michael Misa and Ivar Stenberg are on their entry-level contracts.
With that being said, it was surprising the Oilers got off Nurse’s contract without giving anything of value.
6. J.T. Miller, New York Rangers
Miller isn’t quite the 100-point player he used to be — in fact, not even close. His effort at times is questionable, even if you ignore the fact that he’s a captain of an original six team.
Miller’s presence on a retooling Rangers team is arguably negative, especially when taking into account his $8 million cap hit. His 53 points in 68 games are probably about the production you can expect for the rest of his deal, and that’s simply not enough for a Rangers team looking to earn a spot in a tough Eastern Conference.
7. Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils
Looking at Timo Meier’s tenure in New Jersey, it’s hard to see the same player who once scored five goals in a game as a member of the Sharks. His goal-scoring ability has mysteriously dipped, despite playing alongside Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
The three-time 30-goal scorer has yet to eclipse the mark with the Devils, and only scored 44 points through 77 games last year. He’ll be making $8.8 million with a full no-trade clause until 2031, leaving newly hired Sunny Mehta with an anchor of a contract for the foreseeable future.
8. Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Meier’s teammate, Hughes, is a tough one to evaluate. The skating and offensive tools suggest he could turn into a good top-pairing defenseman, but similar to Byram, the results have yet to follow.
His defensive game is particularly concerning, especially come playoff time. His $9 million AAV reflects the potential of his game, but it’s difficult to ascertain whether or not Hughes’ offense will make up for his play away from the puck.
9. Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars
Harley’s placement on this list is partially the result of circumstance. His poor play last season could be chalked up to injury, and it isn’t difficult to imagine the 24-year-old bouncing back.
Unfortunately, his $10.6 million deal makes bringing back Jason Robertson far more challenging — a fact that changes the way fans view his deal. His playmaking hasn’t developed enough over the past few seasons, which makes it hard to classify Harley as a truly elite offensive defenseman.
10. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Kaprizov’s inclusion on this list was the toughest to determine. On one hand, perhaps his record-breaking $17 million deal is the product of an evolving market, on the other, Connor McDavid took around $5 million less on his contract, showing it’s possible for superstars to sign for less than market value.
As we’ve seen this offseason for the Wild, having a $17 million player makes building a deep lineup nearly impossible. It’s hard to imagine how general manager Bill Guerin will handle the roster once Quinn Hughes inevitably earns a similar deal.
