Inside the NHL’s Biggest Contract Surprises of 2025: Who’s Winning and Losing Big Bucks?
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4. Florida Panthers
Last season: 1st
The shocking thing for most people — myself included — is that the Panthers don’t rank first.
No one plays the cap efficiency game better than Florida and it can be argued that’s most of the reason the Panthers are back-to-back champions. That was especially clear over their last Cup run where the team won via incredible depth only made possible by their previous commitment to making good deals.
That starts at the very top with four of the absolute best deals in hockey for Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Gustav Forsling. The trio of forwards could easily command a deal somewhere between Mitch Marner and Leon Draisaitl and instead are all making $10 million or less. Gustav Forsling is a proven No. 1 defenseman making a pittance at just $5.75 million. Add deals for Aaron Ekblad and Anton Lundell to that mix and the Panthers are saving a ton of money on one of the league’s best cores for the next five seasons.
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