NHL's All-Overpaid Team: One Player from Each Team Who Makes Too Much
Every team has one. One player who makes much more than he's worth. Sometimes it's a player who is not really known for anything other than his salary. Sometimes it's a superstar who's had an off-year or two.
In this slideshow, I will list the one player from each team who makes more than he should. For some of the teams, it was much harder to find one because of internal budgets, meaning that there isn't really an overpaid player on the team.
Nevertheless, I found one for all 30 NHL teams, and here they are.
Anaheim Ducks: Jason Blake
1 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $3,000,000
Total Salary: $20,000,000 over five years
2010-11 Stats: 76 games played, 16 goals, 16 assists, 32 points
When Jason Blake signed this deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2007, then-Leafs general manager John Ferguson Jr. was hoping that Blake could continue playing like he did the previous season with the New York Islanders, where he posted 40 goals for the first time in his career. Well, he didn't.
Many fans considered it a miracle that Leafs general manager Brian Burke was able to trade Blake, with struggling goaltender Vesa Toskala no less, to Anaheim. For that reason, he is Anaheim's most overpaid player.
Atlanta Thrashers: Ron Hainsey
2 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $5,000,000
Total Salary: $22,500,000 over five years
2010-11 Stats: 82 games played, 3 goals, 16 assists, 19 points
What was Atlanta thinking when they signed Hainsey to this deal? I know Hainsey is more of a two-way defenseman, but only tallying 19 points in a season where you're making five million is downright pathetic.
Hainsey has never posted more than 39 points in his short NHL career, which he accomplished in 2008-09. He is a perennial minus player; his highest plus-minus rating is plus-13 in 2005-06. The only other times he was better than even were in 2003-04 and last season, in which he was a plus-three.
Boston Bruins: Michael Ryder
3 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,000,000
Total Salary: $12,000,000 over three years
2010-11 Stats: 79 games played, 18 goals, 23 assists, 41 points
While at times Ryder has shown that he could potentially be worth the money he's making, for the majority of his contract, he has failed to live up to it.
Signing the contract with Boston after a year where he posted career worsts in all offensive categories, he posted his highest point total in his first season with the Bruins when he tallied 53. The season afterward, he fell to 33 points. This season, in comparison to Ryder, Clarke MacArthur had better totals and made only $1,100,000.
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Buffalo Sabres: Tim Connolly
4 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,500,000
Total Salary: $9,000,000 over two years
2010-11 Stats: 68 games played, 13 goals, 29 assists, 42 points
Tim Connolly is too injury-prone to make as much money as he does. Prior to the last two seasons, Connolly played only 48 games each in the two seasons before that.
Even if he was playing full seasons for his entire career, he still hasn't shown that he can be a true offensive force, never posting more than 18 goals in a season. Approaching free agency, Connolly could fall off this list if the team that signs him deems he's too much of an injury risk to give a lot of money to.
Calgary Flames: Ales Kotalik
5 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $3,000,000
Total Salary: $9,000,000
2010-11 Stats: 26 games played, 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points
His current contract was signed by the New York Rangers. When they signed Kotalik, they expected him to regain the style of play he had when he was playing for the Buffalo Sabres. After an off-year playing for the Edmonton Oilers, the Rangers should have known better.
He has never tallied more than 10 goals for a single team in a single season since. In 2009-10, he posted eight goals playing for the Rangers and three for the Calgary Flames. Since being traded to Calgary, his play has resulted in him being demoted to the Abbortsford Heat of the AHL.
Carolina Hurricanes: Erik Cole
6 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $3,000,000
Total Salary: $5,800,000 over 2 years
2010-11 Stats: 82 games played, 26 goals, 26 assists, 52 points
This past year, Erik Cole earned his salary. For the past two seasons, he has been what you would call an underachiever. Far away from his prime years in Carolina, he finally showed this season that he can regain that form.
Tallying 50 points for the first time since 2007-08, Cole will most likely re-sign with the Hurricanes for about the same he's making now. Carolina's just hoping that he can keep up with what he did this year and not repeat his 2009-10 performance, where he posted only 16 points in 40 games.
Chicago Blackhawks: Brian Campbell
7 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $7,142,875
Total Salary: $57,143,000 over eight years
2010-11 Stats: 65 games played, 5 goals, 22 assists, 27 points
The fact that Brian Campbell makes more than both Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook means he is overpaid. The fact that other teams were willing to give him more shows just how over-valued he is.
Campell is a reliable defenseman who anyone would love to have on their team, but there is no way that he deserves $7,000,000.
Colorado Avalanche: Kyle Quincey
8 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $3,000,000
Total Salary: $6,250,000 over two years
2010-11 Stats: 21 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point
Undergoing season-ending surgery in December, it's understandable that Quincey's point totals would be low. Though, one point in 21 games is wrong, even for a defenseman.
Next year, Quincey will get a slight raise and the Avalanche hope he can fully recover and regain his point totals from the past two seasons.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Mike Commodore
9 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $3,800,000
Total Salary: $18,750,000
2010-11 Stats: 20 games played, 2 goals, 4 points, 6 points
Another player whose combined salary and play had him playing in the AHL for some time. He asked for a trade, but Columbus was unable to find a willing trade partner.
Not receiving much playing time for either Columbus or Springfield, he will most likely be bought out sometime during the offseason.
Dallas Stars: Trevor Daley
10 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $2,500,000
Total Salary: $6,900,000 over three years
2010-11 Stats: 82 games played, 8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points.
While the money he made this past season would not constitute him being called overpaid, he is getting a $1,000,000 raise with his new contract starting next season. The Stars are hoping that he can increase his point totals.
Detroit Red Wings: Jiri Hudler
11 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $2,750,000
Total Salary: $5,750,000 over two years
2010-11 Stats: 73 games played, 10 goals, 27 assists, 37 points
Quite simply, no one on the Detroit Red Wings is overpaid. Hudler was just the player who made the most and performed the least.
Edmonton Oilers: Shawn Horcoff
12 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $5,500,000
Total Salary: $33,000,000 over six years
2010-11 Stats: 47 games played, 9 goals, 18 assists, 27 points
Shawn Horcoff is making what the usual captain makes, but he does not produce like the usual captain. With a young, talented team surrounding him, there is no reason Horcoff shouldn't be earning his salary.
With his contract not expiring for another four years, the Oilers need him to rebound.
Florida Panthers: Rostislav Olesz
13 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $3,100,000
Total Salary: $18,750,000
2010-11 Stats: 44 games played, 6 goals, 11 assists, 17 points
For the very fact that he cannot stay healthy for an entire season, Rostislav Olesz is overpaid. In his six seasons in the NHL, he has only played 349 games out of a total of 490 games.
He has never tallied more than 14 goals in a season, and a player playing like that doesn't deserve $3.1 million, let alone the $3.4 million he'll be making this year.
Los Angeles Kings: Dustin Penner
14 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,250,000
Total Salary: $21,250,000 over five years
2010-11 Stats: 81 games played, 23 goals, 22 assists, 45 points
Only tallying six points after his arrival in Los Angeles, he did not do what the Kings wanted him to do. Brought in to help them make it past the first round, the Kings were eliminated just as early as they were the year before.
Going into a contract year, expect Penner to do better than he did this past season so he can earn even more than he has the past few years.
Minnesota Wild: Marek Zidlicky
15 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,000,000
Total Salary: $12,000,000 over three years
2010-11 Stats: 46 games played, 7 goals, 17 assists, 24 points
In another case of one player making more than another player on his team that shouldn't, Marek Zidlicky takes the cake in Minnesota.
Zidlicky made $200,000 more than Burns this past season, not much but still, Burns had 22 more points than Zidlicky.
Montreal Canadiens: Scott Gomez
16 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $8,000,000
Total Salary: $51,500,000 over seven years
2010-11 Stats: 80 games played, 7 goals, 31 assists, 38 points
There's a reason that Scott Gomez is on the introduction slide of this slideshow. Perhaps the most overpaid player in the league, Gomez's performance this past season was deplorable, posting career lows in all offensive categories.
He has never been much of a goal scorer, but scoring only seven goals looks bad for a player who makes the money he does.
Nashville Predators: J.P. Dumont
17 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,000,000
Total Salary: $16,000,000 over four years
2010-11 Stats: 70 games played, 10 goals, 9 assists, 19 points
When you are the guy people put into trade rumors to throw a little salary the other team's way, it's usually a sign that the team that signed you is regretting it just a little. J.P. Dumont is that guy in Nashville.
New Jersey Devils: Brian Rolston
18 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $5,000,000
Total Salary: $20,250,000 over four years
2010-11 Stats: 65 games played, 14 goals, 20 assists, 34 points
It would be easy to put Ilya Kovalchuk's name in here but for the most part, he will earn a lot of his salary. Brian Rolston is nearing the end of his career and is still making $5 million a year.
In what could be his final year of his career, New Jersey would like Rolston to earn the last year of his contract and help them get back to the playoffs.
New York Islanders: Rick DiPietro
19 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,500,000
Total Salary: $67,500,000 over 15 years
2010-11 Stats: 26 games played, 8 wins, 14 losses, 3.44 GAA
Is there any other option? Signed to a ridiculously long contract, Dipietro has only played 308 games out of a possible 820. He is quite possibly the most injury-prone goalie of all time.
As a former first overall pick, DiPietro has disappointed greatly and you have to wonder if DiPietro will ever live up to his potential.
New York Rangers: Chris Drury
20 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $8,000,000
Total Salary: $35,350,000 over five years
2010-11 Stats: 24 games played, 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points
Wade Redden could have gone here, but since he spent the entire year in Connecticut, Chris Drury gets the nod here. The second captain on this list, he is on it because of his injuries this past season.
If the Rangers are going to target Brad Richards this July, expect the final year of Drury's contract to be bought out.
Ottawa Senators: Sergei Gonchar
21 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $5,500,000
Total Salary: $16,500,000 over three years
2010-11 Stats: 67 games played, 7 goals, 20 assists, 27 points
Every one in Ottawa had a bad year this year, but the fact that Sergei Gonchar posted his lowest total in points in a season in which he played more than half a season since his fourth season didn't help matters.
Entering the second year of the contract, it would help the Senators' rebuild for Gonchar to regain his form he showed in Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia Flyers: Nikolai Zherdev
22 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $2,000,000
Total Salary: $2,000,000 for one year
2010-11 Stats: 56 games, 16 goals, 6 assists
It was a risk for the Flyers to take on Nikolai Zherdev, and while he has had his moments, Zherdev has disappointed most people in Philly. He won't be back with the Flyers next season and possibly the NHL.
Phoenix Coyotes: Ed Jovanovski
23 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $6,000,000
Total Salary: $32,500,000 over five years
2010-11 Stats: 50 games played, 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points
His career on the decline, Jovanovski, while still valuable to the Coyotes, isn't worth $6 million anymore.
He could re-sign with the Coyotes, but will most likely go to a team needing veteran leadership for much less than he is made this past season.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Matt Cooke
24 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $2,150,000
Total Salary: $5,400,000 over three years
2010-11 Stats: 67 games played, 12 goals, 18 assists, 30 points
For the way he plays, Matt Cooke doesn't deserve a dime. For that fact alone, he is overpaid.
St. Louis Blues: Barret Jackman
25 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,000,000
Total Salary: $14,500,000 over four years
2010-11 Stats: 60 games played, 0 goals, 13 assists, 13 points
While known more as a shutdown defenseman, with the St. Louis defense as lackluster as it is, a player like Barret Jackman needs to step up offensively.
A player tallying only 13 points deserves nowhere close to $4 million.
San Jose Sharks: Marc-Edouard Vlasic
26 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $2,800,000
Total Salary: $12,400,000
2010-11 Stats: 80 games played, 4 goals, 14 assists, 18 points
Marc-Edouard Vlasic will be a defensive stalwart in San Jose for years, and while he will help keep pucks out of his own net more, San Jose would probably like him to help put pucks in the other team's net as well.
He has shown the potential to be able to put points up on the board in both his rookie season and in 2008-09. If he could continue being the defensive player that he is and put up the numbers he did in those seasons, San Jose would be quite happy.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan Malone
27 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $6,000,000
Total Salary: $31,500,000 over seven years
2010-11 Stats: 54 games played, 14 goals, 24 assists, 38 points
Once again, this is just another player who is making a only a little more than he should, but the Lightning are another one of those teams where really no one is that much overpaid. That being said, as Vinny Lecavalier's production declines over the course of his contract, he will easily take this spot on the list.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Mike Komisarek
28 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $6,000,000
Total Salary: $22,500,000 over five years
2010-11 Stats: 75 games played, 1 goal, 9 assists, 10 points
In another case of another player that is more overpaid but spent the entire in the AHL, Mike Komisarek is easily the most overpaid in Toronto. When he signed in Toronto, most fans were happy about the Leafs adding a potential shutdown defenseman. Well, for the most part, he has not lived up to the billing.
If he were to play to his potential, he would be earning his salary next season as it steadily goes down for the next few years.
Vancouver Canucks: Sami Salo
29 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $3,500,000
Total Salary: $14,000,000 over four years
2010-11 Stats: 27 games played, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points
As I once said in an article of mine months ago, Sami Salo is the most fragile player in the league. He has never played a full 82-game season; the closest he came was in 2002-03 when he played in 79.
That being said, out of the four Canuck defensemen who are entering free agency, he is most likely to stay in Vancouver, at a much smaller price.
Washington Capitals: Scott Hannan
30 of 30
2010-11 Salary: $4,500,000
Total Salary: $18,000,000 over four years
2010-11 Stats: 78 games played, 1 goal, 10 assists, 11 points
I had trouble deciding whether Scott Hannan or Alex Semin would go here, but in the end, I had to go with Hannan. Even with the playoff disappointment, Semin still produces. Hannan, not so much.
That being said, Hannan is a leader of the Caps defense, and is only here since there no other candidates.
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