July 1 always brings a rush of NHL free agency noise, but the real money moves can start before anyone hits the open market. That’s the date players with one year left on their deals become eligible for extensions, and this summer’s class is loaded with names that can reshape the league’s salary picture.
At the top of the board is Cale Makar. The Colorado Avalanche defenseman is coming off what the source calls a “down year,” yet he still finished with 79 points and remains one of the most dangerous blueliners in hockey.
His six-year deal, which carried a $9 million cap hit, is nearing its end, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has reported that Makar could wind up as the highest-paid player in the NHL, topping Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov and his $17-million average annual value. That’s the kind of number reserved for a player who already owns a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Norris Trophies.
Quinn Hughes belongs in that same financial neighborhood. The Minnesota Wild defenseman is described as one of the most talented and dynamic skaters in the league, and his arrival pushed the Wild into Stanley Cup contender territory.
To keep that window open, GM Bill Guerin is going to have to pay up. Hughes is finishing a six-year contract with a $7.85 million cap hit, and the expectation is that his next deal will put him among the NHL’s highest-paid players, especially for a defenseman who can log massive ice time and still pile up 90 points from the back end.
The star power doesn’t stop there. Nikita Kucherov, fresh off a Hart Trophy season as the NHL’s MVP, is also extension-eligible.
The Tampa Bay Lightning winger is nearing the end of an eight-year contract that paid him $9.5 million per season, and at 33, he’s positioned for a raise. He just posted his sixth 100-point season, finishing with 130 points and matching his career high with 44 goals.
Then there’s Sidney Crosby, still one of the biggest names in the sport and still producing at a high level. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain signed a two-year extension in September 2024 at his symbolic $8.7 million per season, and now he can add more years if he wants. Crosby played 68 games this past season and put up 29 goals and 74 points at age 38.
Macklin Celebrini rounds out the group, and while he may not have the same contractual urgency as the others, he’s already in the conversation because of how quickly his star has risen. The San Jose Sharks center is coming off a 115-point regular season in his sophomore campaign, and the source says it would be no surprise if he becomes the best player in the NHL next season.
He’ll be an RFA as of July 1, so San Jose still has control, which is why he lands fifth here. His entry-level deal runs through 2027, and he can sign his first standard NHL contract this summer if the Sharks choose to move early.
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Wisconsin Just Raised The Pressure On Niko Medved In Minnesota
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The bigger issue for Minnesota is how that trend could play out under the NCAAs new five-years-to-play-five-seasons rule, which may shrink future classes and make every scholarship more valuable. The Gophers are still in the mix for Isaiah Santos, a four-star small forward from Texas, but the pressure is obvious when nearby rivals are already taking advantage of Minnesota recruiting misses. Wisconsin has shown it can turn those battles into real roster gains before, and Minnesota would rather not keep giving the Badgers that opening. [Read more 🡒]