The NHL’s top 5 value contracts in 2025-26
Even with the salary cap continuing to rise annually, teams are always looking for a good deal.
Finding any bit of value in your NHL lineup is extremely important, something that many recent Stanley Cup-winning squads have done so well in recent seasons. It’s always nice to see players playing on sub-$1 million deals bring more value than guys making double, triple, or quadruple the salary.
Today, we’re looking at five players bringing a ton of value to the table, using PuckPedia’s cost-per-point calculator as a basis. Players on NHL entry-level contracts are not included, and we also left out goaltenders since they’re harder to quantify on a similar scale.
If you’re a fan of one of these players, you’re probably loving what you’re seeing:
5. Ethen Frank, RW, 28 (Washington Capitals)
Cap Hit: $775,000 ($32K per point)
An undrafted free agent signing in 2022, Frank immediately became an impact AHLer with the Hershey Bears. Still, it took over two full seasons before he finally made his NHL debut, where he put up a modest seven points in 24 games with the Caps last year. This season has been much, much more impressive, though. Frank started the season in Hershey before finding an opening in Washington’s roster in late October. He has stuck with the club ever since and is set to surpass the 30-point mark as a bottom-line goal scorer.
Frank’s game isn’t flashy. He’ll never be the most skilled player on any given line, either. But the 28-year-old is incredibly speedy, and he uses that to force turnovers and create havoc for his opponents. With a max speed of 23.52, Frank is in the 97th percentile in the league, according to NHL EDGE data. Frank has a strong, accurate shot and routinely finds himself in scoring position while averaging 2.10 points-per-60. At just 12:43 TOI per game, few forwards have been as effective in a bottom-six role this year. That two-year extension has to feel really nice, too.
4. Justin Sourdif, RW, 23 (Washington Capitals)
Cap Hit: $825,000 ($28K per point)
Last summer, it didn’t look like Sourdif was part of the Florida Panthers’ long-term plans. But in actuality, it was to give him a chance to prove he can be an NHLer – something he has done exceptionally well for the Capitals. He has bounced around the lineup, and has even seen time recently as Washington’s No. 1 center. He’s tracking for around 17 goals and 37 points, which is nothing to sneeze at as a rookie.
Sourdif has a good shot, is good in transition and plays with pace. His skating has always been positive, not because of pure speed, but because he never stops moving. Sourdif’s all-around game needs work, but it’s easy to like how hard he works to win battles and get himself into scoring lanes. With an expected goals-for percentage of 52.0, the puck is in the attacking zone with Sourdif on the ice much more consistently than it isn’t. That’s exactly what you’re hoping to see out of a third-liner.
3. Linus Karlsson, RW, 26 (Vancouver Canucks)
Cap Hit: $775,000 ($28K per point)
If there’s anything worth celebrating if you’re a Canucks fan, it’s that they managed to turn a long-term AHLer into actual useful NHL depth. Karlsson signed his NHL entry-level contract back in 2022, but only played 27 games over the next two seasons.
The NHL still classifies Karlsson as a rookie, even though he’s the oldest in the league this season. But, hey, it’s been a solid year, all things considered. Karlsson has been in the top 10 in rookie scoring for quite a while now, while showing some good hands and defensive acumen. He had a good taste of the NHL a year ago, but was more important with Abbotsford, where he helped lead the team to its first Calder Cup championship. Karlsson took a while to establish himself as an NHLer – he was drafted eight years ago – but he has earned every opportunity so far. Karlsson also earned that nice two-year contract that’s set to kick in in July, too.
2. Marcus Johansson, C, 35 (Minnesota Wild)
Cap Hit: $800,000 ($21K per point)
Johansson has seen a bit of a career revival over the past 12 months. Between his eight points at the World Championship with Sweden and 51-point pace with Minnesota, MoJo is playing some of the best hockey of his career after a few down years, offensively. In fact, he’s on track to surpass 50 points for the first time since 2016-17, and just the second time in his career. He even made his Olympic return, albeit in a limited role.
As the oldest player on this list, it’s nice to see Johansson having the season he has. There was a time when MoJo was a $4.5 million AAV forward – and an underperforming one at that. He has since found a way to grind his way to offense on much smaller deals over the past few years, even if his ice time this season is the lowest it has been since his previous stint in Minnesota (14 games in 2021). Sure, Johansson’s 16.7 shooting percentage is a bit inflated, but he’s still doing most of his damage at 5-on-5 and is generally a positive force every single night while boasting a 49.5 percent Corsi-for rating (his career average is 49.4).
1. Darren Raddysh, D, 30 (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Cap Hit: $975,000 ($17K per point)
People can’t stop talking about Raddysh, and for good reason. For context, he was a productive junior player who once had a 16-goal, 81-point campaign in the OHL. He then found himself averaging in the ballpark of 25 points a year in the AHL for five seasons before breaking out for 51 points in 50 games in 2022-23. From there, Raddysh became a full-time NHLer with Tampa Bay, and a reliable secondary offensive threat at that. But nothing could have prepared him for this season, especially on a deal just above league minimum. The 30-year-old is on pace for over 20 goals and nearly 80 points while costing the Bolts just $17,000 per point. That’s insanity.
Not many players – especially defenders – have offensive breakouts nine years into their careers. Sure, Raddysh’s game had some defensive flaws when they re-signed him two years ago. But the overall net impact of his play with the puck has allowed him to become one of the most talked-about blueliners this season. Raddysh is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and that’s definitely going to be an interesting contract negotiation. Is Raddysh legit? Or was he simply the benefactor of Nikita Kucherov’s power-play prowess?
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