The NHL's 5 Most Untradable Contracts, according to the Hockey News

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

I don't agree with Huberdeau being the #1 on that list. It's a tougher deal to move, sure, but above those others? No.

Vlastic is old and not that good anymore. Nurse NEVER deserved that albatross. Jones NEVER deserved that albatross. Couturier is getting older and has suffered injuries.

Huberdeau went from a top-notch situation with a top 5 center to...Calgary (no offense). He's not injured, he didn't magically forget how to play hockey, and his historic performance earned him the long deal. I think if another team with a good center takes the risk, they would see the reward. It's the team, not the player. Everyone else on the list, it's the player.

Yup
Out of that list Huberdeau has the best chance of bouncing back and salvaging his contract
The rest are anchors, Vlasic’s has been brutal since it was signed

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Vlasic shouldn't be on the list.

He only has 2 years left. Assuming he was paid his signing bonus already, his base salary is 4.5M. Next year, his total salary is 5.5M and only 3.5M after his bonus is paid.

Are the Sharks likely to find a trade for him? No. But this isn't an impossible contract to move in the right scenario, like a swap of two bad contracts.

There is nothing you could attach to a contract like Huberdeau where it makes sense and also works for him (NMC). With Vlasic, if the Sharks called around the league at the start of the summer and offered to attach the VGK 2025 1st to him after his signing bonus was paid, and retain some salary (either directly via retention or by taking back a contract), someone would easily have taken him. He also might have waived since San Jose is still so far away from competing.

You can't really say the same thing about contracts like Jones or Hubderdeau. The only way to trade those contracts is for each other.

Ironically, Korpisalo would have been on that list ahd the Senators not found a way to trade him. Now his contract is still bad, but it's not nearly as bad since the Senators retained, and after this season his term will be down to a more manageable 3 years. I could easily see Boston trading him with some retention if he doesn't work out.

Quick question - if Jones was a UFA today, what do you think the AAV would be on a 6 year contract?

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Lol, the architect of that Hubie deal is the GM of the team I cheer for. What a joke.

This is one of those times that context matters. Flames just got double kockblocked by Gadreau and Tkachuk, and Huberdeau was coming off one of the all time historic seasons for a LW. History obviously doesn't look kindly on the deal based on Huberdeau's play, but at the time I would bet that most folks here loved the trade and like the extension.

I bet in a vaccuum Tre handles that situation differently, but with everything that happed it does make sense IMO.

 

[Leafshater67]

Lol, the architect of that Hubie deal is the GM of the team I cheer for. What a joke.

It looked good at the time. There was no reason to suspect one of the most consistant offensive scorers around was going to fall off of a cliff plus they got a top 4 RD locked up long term too. Many thought Calgary fleeced Florida initially.

Huberdeau’s drop off is one of the worst in NHL history. There was no evidence pointing to it until he played in a flames jersey.

 

[joestevens29]

I don't agree with Huberdeau being the #1 on that list. It's a tougher deal to move, sure, but above those others? No.

Vlastic is old and not that good anymore. Nurse NEVER deserved that albatross. Jones NEVER deserved that albatross. Couturier is getting older and has suffered injuries.

Huberdeau went from a top-notch situation with a top 5 center to...Calgary (no offense). He's not injured, he didn't magically forget how to play hockey, and his historic performance earned him the long deal. I think if another team with a good center takes the risk, they would see the reward. It's the team, not the player. Everyone else on the list, it's the player.

Missed when Florida was desperate to get rid of him because he is a floater when it counts?

 

[Leafshater67]

Quick question - if Jones was a UFA today, what do you think the AAV would be on a 6 year contract?

What he’s making now. His contract is not untradable, someone else would pay it if the Blackhawks wanted to move him. If anything, he’s underrated now.

 

[The Nuge]

I don’t see how Jones and Nurse really fit. Yes they’re a million or two overpaid, but Utah, Anaheim, Detroit, Montreal, San Jose, etc can all fit them under their cap and either would immediately slot in as their best or second best dman. I can’t see a scenario where you can’t move either pretty easily, especially considering they’re in their prime. Compared to say Kadri who has 5 years left and is 34 going into this year, or Tanev who is also 34 and has 6 years left. How many teams are taking a gamble of Tom Wilson at 30, coming off a 35 point season, with 7 years at 6.5 per to go? You can even make a case for a guy like Letang who’s signed into his 40s

 

[Raspewtin]

Zibanejad should be here, he literally has the most restrictive contract in the league.

Jacob Trouba should be in there.

he has two years left and GMs love gritsters that suck at hockey still so i'd disagree

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Quick question - if Jones was a UFA today, what do you think the AAV would be on a 6 year contract?

I don't think he would get 4 years at 9.5M with a NMC and 5M per season in signing bonuses.

I think he would be more coveted than people here expect, but the reason his contract is a bad contract isn't just the AAV. I would have answered this question more directly two months ago, but with Capfriendly dead it's too annoying to deep dive into cap hits because the other sites aren't as intuitive. My gut says someone might sign him to a 6 5M-6M type contract without signing bonuses and with a much smaller limited NTC.

With that in mind, I don't think there is an efficient way for Chicago to trade him. Even if they retained will retain money on him, his NMC is going to get in the way of most trades. Additionally, I don't think there is an equilibrium where there is an amount that makes sense to retain, where assets actually come back to Chicago. It's almost like the Karlsson trade to Pittsburgh, where it was so much work just to figure out a way to do that where it worked for all sides, and it took so many different moving parts. Also keep in mind, Karlsson had a major bounce back season.

I don't think he is as bad as people make him out to be. Same with Nurse. It's just contract and role that exaggerates their short comings. Still, that doesn't change that they are untradeable because the terms of their contract make it so difficult.

I don’t see how Jones and Nurse really fit. Yes they’re a million or two overpaid, but Utah, Anaheim, Detroit, Montreal, San Jose, etc can all fit them under their cap and either would immediately slot in as their best or second best dman. I can’t see a scenario where you can’t move either pretty easily, especially considering they’re in their prime. Compared to say Kadri who has 5 years left and is 34 going into this year, or Tanev who is also 34 and has 6 years left. How many teams are taking a gamble of Tom Wilson at 30, coming off a 35 point season, with 7 years at 6.5 per to go? You can even make a case for a guy like Letang who’s signed into his 40s

The article isn't "these are the worst contracts", it is what are the most untradeable contracts.

I think contracts like Nurse, Huberdeau, Jones, they all fit that. The only way those contracts are getting moved is for each other, or in a very convoluted deal where everything goes right to make it happen, like the Karlsson to PIT deal was.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Can we add Mike Sullivan’s coaching contract to this list?

 

[conFABulator]

John Tavares has to be top 10

I don't want to ruin your fun, I am assuming you get a lot of fun out of pissing on JT and other Leafs (just a guess), but the Leafs could move Tavares in five minutes.

Call Anaheim or Calgary and ask for 3rd and be is gone. He costs $900K in real cash and those teams have the space to fit him under the cap for one year. They let him play at a 50 to 70 point place and then they put him on the market at the TDL for 50% retained they get a 1st or 2nd for him.

I might have the level of the picks wrong, but not the scenario where he is movable. He does have a NMC though.

 

[Larry Hanson]

Having Vlasic on that list is silly because the Sharks have zero need to trade him. If a young guy takes his spot they can just stick him in the press box or put him through waivers and then tell him not to bother reporting to the farm team. They don't need the cap space.

As for Tavares, if he waived his NMC there are multiple teams that have the space and would probably gladly take him on for a year at 900K salary.

 

[GreeningOil]

I don't agree with Huberdeau being the #1 on that list. It's a tougher deal to move, sure, but above those others? No.

Vlastic is old and not that good anymore. Nurse NEVER deserved that albatross. Jones NEVER deserved that albatross. Couturier is getting older and has suffered injuries.

Huberdeau went from a top-notch situation with a top 5 center to...Calgary (no offense). He's not injured, he didn't magically forget how to play hockey, and his historic performance earned him the long deal. I think if another team with a good center takes the risk, they would see the reward. It's the team, not the player. Everyone else on the list, it's the player.

Huberdeau has looked completely cooked. He doesn’t have the jam.

Nurse is certainly less bad (definitely not a compliment)

 

[The Nuge]

The article isn't "these are the worst contracts", it is what are the most untradeable contracts.

I think contracts like Nurse, Huberdeau, Jones, they all fit that. The only way those contracts are getting moved is for each other, or in a very convoluted deal where everything goes right to make it happen, like the Karlsson to PIT deal was.

Right. And I don’t agree with that. I refuse to believe a NHL team would take on Tom Wilson’s contract before Jones’. Wilson is signed until 37, at 6.5 per, and has typically produced like a middle 6 winger. Jones meanwhile is only signed until 35, and has typically out produced Wilson (despite being a dman), while being an absolute workhorse top pairing dman. The 3 million cheaper Wilson comes in at doesn’t come close to offsetting the difference in ability and contract duration

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Vlasic shouldn't be on the list.

He only has 2 years left. Assuming he was paid his signing bonus already, his base salary is 4.5M. Next year, his total salary is 5.5M and only 3.5M after his bonus is paid.

Are the Sharks likely to find a trade for him? No. But this isn't an impossible contract to move in the right scenario, like a swap of two bad contracts.

There is nothing you could attach to a contract like Huberdeau where it makes sense and also works for him (NMC). With Vlasic, if the Sharks called around the league at the start of the summer and offered to attach the VGK 2025 1st to him after his signing bonus was paid, and retain some salary (either directly via retention or by taking back a contract), someone would easily have taken him. He also might have waived since San Jose is still so far away from competing.

You can't really say the same thing about contracts like Jones or Hubderdeau. The only way to trade those contracts is for each other.

Ironically, Korpisalo would have been on that list ahd the Senators not found a way to trade him. Now his contract is still bad, but it's not nearly as bad since the Senators retained, and after this season his term will be down to a more manageable 3 years. I could easily see Boston trading him with some retention if he doesn't work out.

No, the Sharks can't retain his salary as they're already at their maximum retained salaries. The price to have another team retain that high a cap hit for multiple years is unprecedented. For a team starting a rebuild, it would make no sense to offer draft picks or prospects to trade him away. What makes him untradable is the combination of having to take his full cap hit and the lack of incentive for another team to acquire him

 

[x Tame Impala]

I don’t see how Jones and Nurse really fit. Yes they’re a million or two overpaid, but Utah, Anaheim, Detroit, Montreal, San Jose, etc can all fit them under their cap and either would immediately slot in as their best or second best dman

Nurse is pretty bad dude. He was floundering in the playoffs and the whole hockey world saw it. He's paid to be a top 2 guy but instead put up 6 points and a -9 in the playoffs and the statline very much matched the eye test in this instance.

 

[The Nuge]

Nurse is pretty bad dude. He was floundering in the playoffs and the whole hockey world saw it. He's paid to be a top 2 guy but instead put up 6 points and a -9 in the playoffs and the statline very much matched the eye test in this instance.

He did unquestionably suck in the playoffs, but he’s been a top pairing dman for 6 years now. I’m not ready to write him off because of a bad 25 game stretch.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

He did unquestionably suck in the playoffs, but he’s been a top pairing dman for 6 years now. I’m not ready to write him off because of a bad 25 game stretch.

This is a strange comment to me. Nurse at best, was teetering between being pretty terrible and decent for years before these playoffs, it wasn't like he was playing great or anything besides that one fluke bubble/north division year.

I really believe the Oilers would jettison him if they could and retool around Bouch and Ekholm and spend that money elsehwere. he's not clsoe to worth it.

 

[HockeyVirus]

NMC aside, There are multiple teams that could pull an "Arizona of a few years ago" and take the cap dump with sweetners like Calgary , Anaheim, Det, and SJ. The contract can absolutely be moved if toronto were to give up futures to move it

Tavares @ 5.5 for 1 season does not require assets to move come on now. If his cap hit was 8M no one is talking about him like this. Watch when he extends for a discount after next season suddenly the narrative will be he has rebounded. People let the wrong things dictate their opinions

 

[GordonGraham]

Surprised to see Gallagher didnt make the list 9M in real money this year (cap hit is 6.5 for 3years)

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Trouba has proven to be literally untradeable.

If a player will waive his NMC or doesn’t have one , anyone can be moved. PLD showed us this.

 

[Bizz]

The biggest problem with Vlasic's contract is as soon as the ink was dry on that contract he proceeded to stop giving a shit and turned into a terrible defenseman. One of the dumbest mistakes Doug Wilson did was give his smug entitled ass an NMC. He's not even passable anymore. Literally sub-replacement level.

I can't wait for him to gtfo this team and we can finally give his spot to a youngster that actually deserves it.

 

[mouser]

I suspect both Nurse and Jones could be moved relatively easily without significant retention if they were willing to waive NMCs. Might involve some small sweeteners from the Oilers/Hawks, but I don’t think major retention is required. There will some team willing to add them as an overpriced #2-#3 Dman.

Vlassic has had an albatross contract—arguably worst in the league previous years—but that contract is finally nearing the end. Might still be top 5, but probably not imo.

Having a hard time coming up with a contract right now that projects as worse and less moveable than Huberdeau’s.

 

[BlueSeal]

Jacob Trouba should be in there.

A Scotty Kilmer avatar instantly gets you a like from me!

 

[CupofOil]

I don't agree with Huberdeau being the #1 on that list. It's a tougher deal to move, sure, but above those others? No.

Vlastic is old and not that good anymore. Nurse NEVER deserved that albatross. Jones NEVER deserved that albatross. Couturier is getting older and has suffered injuries.

Huberdeau went from a top-notch situation with a top 5 center to...Calgary (no offense). He's not injured, he didn't magically forget how to play hockey, and his historic performance earned him the long deal. I think if another team with a good center takes the risk, they would see the reward. It's the team, not the player. Everyone else on the list, it's the player.

Huberdeau is a 12-15 goal, 50-55 point 30 year old player making $10.5 m/yr for the next 7 years. As bad as the Nurse and Jones contracts are, and they're really bad, Huberdeau wins this contest quite comfortably.