The dust is settling from the stampede of free-agent signings in the NHL. The league went wild, giving out long deals for huge totals. Some of those decisions were shrewd, but some are complete head-scratchers. Here are three of the worst contracts given out so far this offseason.
The Nashville Predators needed upgrades on defense, so they signed Brady Skjei to a seven-year contract. The average annual value (AAV) of $7 million is beyond fair for Skjei. He’s a puck mover, can score 30 points from the blue line, and play on the penalty kill. He’s an excellent defender and will fit in well behind Roman Josi on the Predators’ left side of defense.
The issue is the length of the deal. Skjei is 30 already, and will be 31 before the end of this upcoming season. The first few seasons of this contract will work out well, but the final four years of this deal could seriously hurt the Predators. The organization believes they can compete over the next couple seasons, so the risk could be worth it. The
This is another example of overpaying for a need. The Boston Bruins need a number-one center, and identified Elias Lindholm as the solution. They attempted to trade for him this past season, but couldn’t finalize a deal. They only had to wait a few more months to sign him to a massive extension.
The Bruins signed Lindholm to a seven-year deal with an AAV of $7.75 million. It’s a huge commitment for a player with just two seasons of 70 points or more over 11 NHL seasons. He’s historically a 50-point player, and the Bruins are paying him like he is Patrice Bergeron.
Lindholm will improve the Bruins, that isn’t up for debate. He may even reach the 70-point mark again, but there’s a far better chance that he underperforms for the next seven seasons, and the Bruins will still need a number-one center.
What is with teams giving 30-year-olds seven years or longer during free agency? The Seattle Kraken went nuts to begin free agency and signed Brandon Montour and forward Chandler Stephenson to long-term deals.
Montour’s deal sticks out in a similar way to Brady Skjei’s contract with the Predators. The Kraken needed a right-side defender for the top pairing, so it’s understandable why they pursued Montour. The agreement they came to was for seven years, with an AAV of $7.14 million.
Montour is solid, and even has a 70-point season on his resume. That production was an anomaly though, and the Kraken shouldn’t expect anywhere near that. He’s a 30-35 point defenseman, capable of playing either power play or penalty killing unit.
