Projecting the 7 Best and Worst Contracts for 2028–29
What will the best and worst contracts be in three years?
In a salary cap league, players are valued for not just what they bring on the ice, but what contract they negotiated off of it.
Let’s fast-forward to 2028–29, which is three seasons from now. What might the seven best and worst contracts in the league be?
Best Contracts
Dylan Guenther: 5 Years, $7.14 Million Average Annual Value (AAV)
The Utah Mammoth took a gamble by signing Dylan Guenther to a big extension before the 2024–25 season, and it looks to be paying off.
By the time 2028–29 rolls around, he’ll be 25 years old—likely at or close to his peak—making just $7.14 million annually.
With 25 goals and 22 assists in 55 games this season, Guenther is already underpaid. Just imagine how good this contract will look with a higher cap ceiling and if he can increase his production.
Lane Hutson: 6 Years, $8.85 Million AAV
Lane Hutson is going to be one of those “why is he getting paid so little?” contracts in a few years. He’s already a point-per-game defenseman in his age-21 campaign—his physical prime isn’t even here yet.
At this point, it seems more likely than not that Hutson will be a superstar. To have him locked up long-term and at more of a No. 2 defenseman’s salary than a true No. 1 is excellent work by the Montreal Canadiens.
Seth Jarvis: 4 Years, $7.42 Million AAV
The Carolina Hurricanes always manage to have contracts like this. In three seasons, Seth Jarvis will be around the age where a lot of players peak—26 and 27—and making just $7.42 million annually for another four years.
Jarvis is somewhat of a unicorn. He’s a lethal offensive talent, scoring over half a goal per game this season, and simultaneously one of the best defensive forwards in the sport. He has top-10 forward upside and will be making half of what a player of that caliber should.
Lucas Raymond: 4 Years, $8.08 Million AAV
