Inside the NHL’s Biggest Contract Blunders of 2025: Shocking Surprises from Huberdeau to Provorov
Things can change if he can get back on track in Year 2, but it’s Years 5, 6 and 7 that remain the scariest.
5. Nicolas Hague
Contract: $5.5M x four years
Surplus Value: -$16M
Positive Value Probability: 4 percent
This contract feels like a tribute to the legend Bob McKenzie. “That’s per year.”
Has Nicolas Hague ever played in the top four? No.
Has Nicolas Hague ever shown top-four upside? Not really.
Did Nicolas Hague have leverage as a UFA? No.
Is Nicolas Hague a big, massive guy? Yes.
And that’s all there is to it. It seems there’s a growing trend for teams to pay defensemen per inch rather than per win lately, and that’s how Hague was paid to be a No. 3 defenseman despite a career being a third-pair guy. Is it possible he breaks out in a larger role with the Predators? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean he should be paid for the unlikelihood rather than what he currently is.
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