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NHL Player Rankings: Top 5 Players Cashing In During Their Contract Year

By Patrick Schmidt

Nov 26, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis (26) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis (26) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 7, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno (71) looks on before the game against he Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno (71) looks on before the game against he Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

The best way to cash in on a big free agent contract is to play your best in the final year of your current deal and that’s what these five NHL players are doing as they are thriving in their contract year.

The contract year phenomenon has been a prevailing element across the four professional sports since the advent of free agency and the lure of lucrative contracts waiting after a breakthrough season. The NHL is no stranger to this phenomenon, although it’s not as prevalent as players in the NBA or MLB who will underachieve for years before having one strong season and being rewarded for six good months of work.

However, there are those who magically have their best seasons when they are scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the year when the source of their next paycheck is unclear. These five NHL players are at various stages of their career with some being established veterans while some are rising talents in search of their first big contract.

What they have in common is they are all going to be free agents at the end of the year and with their team and contract status a mystery for the 2015-2016 season they are in need of a big performance in their contract year to ensure they are coveted commodities when free agency begins next summer.

Without further ado, here are the five players with the best chance of having the contract year performance of the season.

 All contract information courtesy of capgeek.com and all stats courtesy of hockey-reference.com and current prior to Dec. 9 games.

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