After staying more or less flat since 2019, the NHL salary cap jumped by $4.5 million to $88 million in 2024–25. And it’s due to rise further, hitting $113.5 million by 2027–28. By definition, players stand to benefit from the additional cap space, meaning the salaries for today’s highest-paid NHL players may look paltry in a few years.
The Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl became the highest-paid NHL player after signing an eight-year, $112 million contract extension in 2024. The German forward, a five-time All-Star, stands to make $14 million per year.
Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs is the second-highest-paid NHL player, earning $13.25 million annually. Matthews, the number 1 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, signed a $53 million extension in the summer of 2023 that will keep him in Toronto until 2028.
Third is Nathan McKinnon with his $12.6 million salary. The Avalanche center signed an eight-year contract in 2022 that included an $85.3 million signing bonus.
Connor McDavid of the Oilers is fourth. He earns $12.5 million yearly, and his eight-year, $100 million contract is fully guaranteed with Edmonton. McDavid earns $9 million more per year than he did on his rookie deal.
A pair of right wingers tie for fifth. Mitchell Marner of the Vegas Golden Knights and Mikko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars each signed eight-year, $96 million contracts in 2025 to propel them into the top 5. They’ll be making $12 million per season through 2032.
Artemi Panarin takes the seventh spot, with average annual earnings of $11.6 million per year. The Rangers’ winger will net $81.5 million throughout his seven-year deal. He signed with New York in 2019 after spending the first three years of his career with the Blackhawks.
Elias Pettersson earns $11.6 million with the Canucks, taking eighth on the list. He signed an extension in March 2024 worth $92.8 million over eight years. He’s made $24.8 million with Vancouver since 2018.
If you’re noticing a trend, it’s that the highest-paid players are forwards, with only one defenseman and goaltender on the list. Erik Karlsson of the Penguins is the highest-paid defenseman. He’s tied for ninth on the list with Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who signed an eight-year $92 million extension during the 2024–25 season. All three players earn $11.5 million a year.
Ranking the NHL’s Highest-Paid Players in 2025
Here is the list of the 25 highest-paid NHL players. The list was compiled using data from Spotrac.
- Updated: July 16th, 2025
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Average Annual Pay |
| 1 | Leon Draisaitl | C | Edmonton Oilers | $14 million |
| 2 | Auston Matthews | C | Toronto Maple Leafs | $13.25 million |
| 3 | Nathan MacKinnon | C | Colorado Avalanche | $12.6 million |
| 4 | Connor McDavid | C | Edmonton Oilers | $12.5 million |
| T-5 | Mitchell Marner | RW | Vegas Golden Knights | $12 million |
| T-5 | Mikko Rantanen | RW | Dallas Stars | $12 million |
| 7 | Artemi Panarin | LW | New York Rangers | $11.64 million |
| 8 | Elias Pettersson | C | Vancouver Canucks | $11.6 million |
| T-9 | Erik Karlsson | D | Pittsburgh Penguins | $11.5 million |
| T-9 | William Nylander | C/RW | Toronto Maple Leafs | $11.5 million |
| T-9 | Igor Shesterkin | G | New York Rangers | $11.5 million |
| 12 | David Pastrnak | RW | Boston Bruins | $11.25 million |
| T-13 | Drew Doughty | D | Los Angeles Kings | $11 million |
| T-13 | Rasmus Dahlin | D | Buffalo Sabres | $11 million |
| T-15 | Evan Bouchard | D | Edmonton Oilers | $10.5 million |
| T-15 | Carey Price | G | Montreal Canadiens | $10.5 million |
| T-15 | Jonathan Huberdeau | LW | Calgary Flames | $10.5 million |
| T-18 | Aleksander Barkov | C | Florida Panthers | $10 million |
| T-18 | Jack Eichel | C | Vegas Golden Knights | $10 million |
| T-18 | Sergei Bobrovsky | G | Florida Panthers | $10 million |
| 21 | Tyler Seguin | C | Dallas Stars | $9.85 million |
| 22 | Sebastian Aho | LW | Carolina Hurricanes | $9.75 million |
| 23 | Zachary Werenski | D | Columbus Blue Jackets | $9.58 million |
| T-24 | Adam Fox | D | New York Rangers | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Alex Ovechkin | LW | Washington Capitals | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Andrei Vasilevskiy | G | Tampa Bay Lightning | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Brayden Point | C | Tampa Bay Lightning | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Charles Mcavoy | D | Boston Bruins | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Noah Dobson | D | Montreal Canadiens | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Mark Stone | RW | Vegas Golden Knights | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Matthew Tkachuk | LW | Florida Panthers | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Nikita Kucherov | RW | Tampa Bay Lightning | $9.5 million |
| T-24 | Seth Jones | D | Florida Panthers | $9.5 million |
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