Nhl free agency 2026 worst contracts burden five teams

Bowen Byram signed a six-year $12.5 million AAV deal with Chicago after posting career highs of 11 goals and 42 points.

Blackhawks commit long-term to Byram at top-pair money

The Blackhawks traded the fourth-overall pick to acquire Byram and immediately extended him through 2032-33. Chicago now carries a $12.5 million cap hit that begins in 2027-28 while Bedard remains the only player above $10 million. Byram’s 42-point season is 18 points behind Hughes and 29 points behind Makar, yet the AAV sits between the two stars. The pressure to reach the playoffs immediately converts an already high bar into an albatross.

Chicago could have used the fourth-overall selection on a younger defenseman whose entry-level deal would have freed cap space for additional support pieces. Instead the front office locked in both the acquisition cost and the long-term salary before Byram had proven consistency across a full season.

The 2030-31 and 2031-32 seasons will see Byram earn $12.5 million while age 29 and 30, exactly when most teams expect peak value from their top-pair defensemen. Any regression in production will leave Chicago paying elite money for middle-pair results.

Ducks and Maple Leafs overpay bottom-six contributors

Anaheim signed A.J. Greer to four years at $4.25 million AAV after he posted 17 goals and 32 points, both career highs, in 78 games. Greer’s previous best output was six goals and 17 points, and he is now the sixth NHL team of his career at age 29. The Ducks already held ample cap space yet chose to double Greer’s market rate for a fourth-line role.

Toronto added Colton Sissons for two years at $4.25 million AAV after the 32-year-old managed six goals and 11 points in 66 games with Vegas. The Maple Leafs simultaneously signed Roslovic, Duhaime and Blueger while trading for Paul, creating four new bottom-six options at lower average cost. Sissons therefore stands out as the only addition whose cap hit cannot be absorbed internally by younger, cheaper players already on the roster.

Both clubs now carry $4.25 million annual commitments that exceed typical fourth-line salaries by more than $2 million, reducing flexibility for mid-season additions or extensions of core players.

Aging stars Kane and Trouba receive inflated short-term deals

Chicago signed Patrick Kane to two years at $8 million AAV, making the 37-year-old the team’s second-highest-paid player behind Bedard. Kane produced 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games with Detroit, yet only two other clubs showed serious interest. The Blackhawks now allocate $8 million to a player who turns 38 in November while the rest of the league locks in young talent.

San Jose acquired Jacob Trouba on four years at $8.25 million AAV after the 32-year-old recorded 10 goals and 35 points in 81 games with Anaheim. The Sharks lost Ferraro, Desharnais, Klingberg and Leddy in the same window and immediately inserted Trouba into a top-pair conversation despite recent regression. Trouba’s experience is useful for mentoring, yet the $8.25 million figure exceeds the value of a third-pair or seventh defenseman on a rebuilding club.

Cap math leaves little room for error

The five contracts total more than $37.25 million in annual cap charges across five different teams beginning in 2027-28. Chicago alone carries $20.5 million combined between Byram and Kane. Any injury or performance dip will force each front office to trade or bury money rather than improve the roster through free agency.