NHL salaries keep going up, and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar became the third player to set a record this offseason.

Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov was going to enter this season with a record $17 million cap hit. But he was passed by Anaheim forward Leo Carlsson, who averages $18 million in the Philadelphia Flyers' five-year, $90 million offer sheet that was matched by the Ducks.

The San Jose Sharks topped that with a five-year, $94 million extension ($18.8 million average) for Macklin Celebrini, and Makar topped that again with his eight-year, $163.2 million extension ($20.4 million average) signed on Aug. 28. He's the first NHL player with a $20 million cap hit and came in just short of the $20.8 million maximum.

Both of their deals kick in during the 2027-28 season.

The NHL salary cap has been spiking since the flat cap COVID era, allowing for the rapid rise in individual contracts. The offer sheet to 21-year-old Carlsson also helped fuel the increase. The top average in 2022-23 had been $12.5 million by Edmonton's Connor McDavid, who now has been passed by seven different players

Here's a look at the highest-paid NHL players by cap hit, salary and position (figures from puckpedia.com):

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson will average $18 million in his five-year contract.

Highest-paid NHL players in 2026-27 by cap hit

Note: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar will average $20.4 million and Sharks center Macklin Celebrini will average $18.8 million, starting in 2027-28.

▶ Top 50 plus ties

C Leo Carlsson, Ducks, $18,000,000
LW Kirill Kaprizov, Wild, $17,000,000
C Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, $15,000,000
C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $14,000,000
C Jack Eichel, Golden Knights, $13,500,000
C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $13,250,000
C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $12,604,000
C Connor McDavid, Oilers, $12,500,000
LW Jason Robertson, Stars, $12,000,000
RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $12,000,000
RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $12,000,000
LW Kyle Connor, Jets, $12,000000
C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $11,600,000
C/RW William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $11,500,000
C Martin Necas, Avalanche, $11,500,000
D Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $11,250,000
D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
LW Artemi Panarin, Kings, $11,000,000
LW Pavel Dorofeyev, Rangers, $11,000,000
C Adrian Kempe, Kings, $10,625,000
D Thomas Harley, Stars, $10,587,000
D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
RW Alex Tuch, Capitals, $10,500,000
LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
C Logan Cooley, Mammoth, $10,000,000
C Tyler Seguin, Stars, $9,850,0000
C Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes, $9,750,000
D Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,334
D Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
RW Nikita Kucherov, Lightning, $9,500,000
C Brayden Point, Lightning, $9,500,000
D Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
RW Mark Stone, Golden Knights, $9,500,000
D Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
LW Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers, $9,500,000
D Darnell Nurse, Sharks, $9,250,000
C Mathew Barzal, Islanders, $9,150,000
C Trevor Zegras, Flyers, $9,125,000
D Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
LW Jake Guentzel, Lightning, $9,000,000
D Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
D Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
D Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
D Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
D Jackson LaCombe, Ducks, $9,000,000
D Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $8,850,000
RW Timo Meier, Devils, $8,800,000

Highest-paid players in 2026-27 by salary

▶ Top 30, plus ties

C Leo Carlsson, Ducks, $20,800,000
LW Kirill Kaprizov, Wild, $19,100,000
C Jack Eichel, Golden Knights, $17,700,000
C Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, $17,000,000
C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $16,500,000
RW Alex Tuch, Capitals, $15,700,000
LW Kyle Connor, Jets, $15,000,000
C Connor McDavid, Oilers, $14,250,000
C Martin Necas, Avalanche, $14,000,000
RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $14,000,000
LW Pavel Dorofeyev, Rangers, $14,000,000
C Logan Cooley, Mammoth, $13,000,000
D Thomas Harley, Stars, $13,000,000
C/RW William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $12,500,000
C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $12,150,000
D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $12,000,000
D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $12,000,000
C Adrian Kempe, Kings, $12,000,000
LW Jason Robertson, Stars, $12,000,000
LW Artemi Panarin, Kings, $12,000,000
D Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $12,000,000
RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $11,250,000
RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $11,250,000
C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $11,080,000
D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
D Darren Raddysh, Maple Leafs, $11,000,000
C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $11,000,000
D Jacob Trouba, Sharks, $11,000,000
D Rasmus Andersson, Golden Knights, $10,500,000
LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
C Trevor Zegras, Flyers, $10,500,000

Highest-paid defensemen in 2026-27 by cap hit

Note: Makar will average $20.4 million and Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram will have a $12.5 million cap hit, starting in 2027-28.

▶ Top 30 plus ties

Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
Thomas Harley, Stars, $10,587,000
Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,334
Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
Darnell Nurse, Sharks, $9,250,000
Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
Jackson LaCombe, Ducks, $9,000,000
Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $8,850,000
Moritz Seider, Red Wings, $8,550,000
John Carlson, Lightning, $8,500,000
Darren Raddysh, Maple Leafs, $8,500,000
Ivan Provorov, Blue Jackets, $8,500,000
Rasmus Andersson, Golden Knights, $8,500,000
Mikhail Sergachev, Mammoth, $8,500,000
Brock Faber, Wild, $8,500,000
Miro Heiskanen, Stars, $8,450,000
Owen Power, Sabres, $8,350,000
Jacob Trouba, Sharks, $8,250,000
Jake Sanderson, Senators, $8,050,000
Victor Hedman, Lightning, $8,000,000
Thomas Chabot, Senators, $8,000,000
Philip Broberg, Blues, $8,000,000

Highest-paid goaltenders in 2026-27 by cap hit

▶ Top 30

Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, $11,567,857
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, $9,500,000
Thatcher Demko, Canucks, $8,500,000
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, $8,500,000
Jake Oettinger, Stars, $8,250,000
Jeremy Swayman, Bruins, $8,250,000
Linus Ullmark, Senators, $8,250,000
Ilya Sorokin, Islanders, $8,250,000
Juuse Saros, Predators, $7,740,000
Dustin Wolf, Flames, $7,500,000
Sergei Bobrovsky, Maple Leafs, $7,000,000
Filip Gustavsson, Wild, $6,800,000
Lukas Dostal, Ducks, $6,500,000
John Gibson, Red Wings, $6,400,000
Adin Hill, Golden Knights, $6,250,000
Jordan Binnington, Blues, $6,000,000
Jacob Markstrom, Panthers, $6,000,000
Philipp Grubauer, Kraken, $5,900,000
Logan Thompson, Capitals, $5,850,000
Spencer Knight, Blackhawks, $5,833,333
Elvis Merzlikins, Blue Jackets, $5,400,000
Tristan Jarry, Oilers, $5,375,000
MacKenzie Blackwood, Avalanche, $5,250,000
Darcy Kuemper, Kings, $5,250,000
Jet Greaves, Blue Jackets, $5,000,000
Joey Daccord, Kraken, $5,000,000
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Sabres, $4,750,000
Karel Vejmelka, Mammoth, $4,750,000
Kevin Lankinen, Canucks, $4,500,000
Joonas Korpisalo, Rangers, $4,000,000

What is the NHL salary cap for 2026-27 and 2027-28?

2026-27

Upper limit: $104 million
Lower limit: $76.9 million

2027-28

Upper limit: $113.5 million
Lower limit: $83.9 million

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are the NHL's highest-paid players in 2026-27? See full breakdown

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