The NHL is a rich man’s game.
Literally.
Players are making more money than ever, with the highest-paid player in the league earning $15.9 million this season.
The Vancouver Canucks don’t have anyone in that stratosphere, but they do have a large middle class. As a rebuilding franchise, Vancouver is projected to have the 26th-highest payroll in the NHL this season.
While important players like Bo Horvat, Chris Tanev, and Alex Edler are among the team’s highest-paid players, production and salary don’t always align.
See also
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- These are the highest-paid NHL hockey players in 2018-19
- These are the most overpaid NHL hockey players in 2018
Vancouver’s highest-paid player, both in terms of salary and cap hit, is Loui Eriksson. Need I say more?
Eriksson scored just 24 points in 2016-17 and 23 points in 2017-18 – well below the 63-point season he had in Boston before Jim Benning signed him to a six-year, $36 million contract.
Erik Gudbranson will be paid $5 million this season – tied for third-highest on the team despite averaging the fifth-most minutes among Canucks blueliners this year and last.
Among the underpaid players are two of the team’s best – Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson – who are both on rookie contracts. Though their base salaries are low, they will earn more through performance bonuses.
Here’s the full list, ordered by 2018-19 salary:
Name | Position | Cap hit | Salary |
Loui Eriksson | Forward | $6 million | $7 million |
Bo Horvat | Forward | $5.5 million | $7 million |
Chris Tanev | Defenceman | $4.45 million | $5 million |
Erik Gudbranson | Defenceman | $4 million | $5 million |
Alex Edler | Defenceman | $5 million | $4.5 million |
Jay Beagle | Forward | $3 million | $4.4 million |
Brandon Sutter | Forward | $4.38 million | $4.38 million |
Sven Baertschi | Forward | $3.37 million | $4 million |
Antoine Roussel | Forward | $3 million | $3.8 million |
Jacob Markstrom | Goaltender | $3.67 million | $3.6 million |
Michael Del Zotto | Defenceman | $3 million | $3 million |
Ben Hutton | Defenceman | $2.8 million | $2.8 million |
Troy Stecher | Defenceman | $2.33 million | $2.33 million |
Anders Nilsson | Goaltender | $2.5 million | $2 million |
Tim Schaller | Forward | $1.9 million | $1.9 million |
Markus Granlund | Forward | $1.48 million | $1.48 million |
Derrick Pouliot | Defenceman | $1.1 million | $1.1 million |
Jake Virtanen | Forward | $1.25 million | $1 million |
Alex Biega | Defenceman | $825,000 | $950,000 |
Tyler Motte | Forward | $925,000 | $925,000 |
Elias Pettersson | Forward | $925,000 | $925,000 |
Brock Boeser | Forward | $925,000 | $925,000 |
Nikolay Goldobin | Forward | $863,333 | $832,500 |
Brendan Leipsic | Forward | $650,000 | $650,000 |