Inside the NHL’s Biggest Contract Blunders of 2025: Shocking Surprises from Huberdeau to Provorov
6. Sean Couturier
Contract: $7.8M x five years
Surplus Value: -$17M
Positive Value Probability: 6 percent
When Sean Couturier signed his big extension, he was one of the best two-way centers in the world, a perennial Selke Trophy threat. Unfortunately, serious injuries took that away from him and though he’s been solid in his return to action, Couturier is still not quite at the level necessary for a $7.8 million player.
That’s mostly a result of his offensive game. Defensively, Couturier has remained a strong shutdown force, but what made him top-line material before his injury was his ability to produce on top of that. He’s gone from a 70-point option to a 45-point guy and that’s not going to cut it at the top of the lineup. It’s the difference between what Couturier needs to be in order to live up to his salary and what he is now, which is a strong shutdown second-line center.
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