Superstars need to earn their keep. That should go without saying.
But in this salary cap era, NHL teams must also lean on cheap labour (relatively speaking, of course) if they are to have a successful season.
Would the Pittsburgh Penguins have won the 2016 Stanley Cup without Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary, Matt Cullen, Olli Maatta, Brian Dumoulin Matt Murray and Nick Bonino Bonino Bonino Bonino, a cadre of contributors making less than $2 million but proving worth beyond their pay stubs?
Winners need bargains: Kids on entry-level deals, veterans scooped up in the shadows of free agency’s spotlight auctions and backup goalies who suddenly bloom before their salaries have a chance to.
“Money comes into play, fitting guys under the cap. The $3-million to $4-million player is turning into the $700,000 to $1.5-million player. It’s OK to take a chance on some of these guys because they can play the game,” says Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper.
“It’s turning into a young man’s game.”
Indeed. Which is why so many of the NHL’s best bargains are in their early 20s, when their contracts are still under control.
This week we rank teams in a tightly contested National Hockey League from 1 to 30, but while taking a deeper look at which 30 players are delivering the most bang for their club’s buck in our second NHL Power Rankings: 30 Big Bargains Edition.
To show you how fast things change (and how quickly good-value contracts expire), only three of these 30 top bargains held this same distinction for their team in 2015-16’s bargain-hunting exercise.
Enjoy ’em while they’re cheap.
| Rank | Team | Previous | |
| 1 |  |
Rookie defenceman Zach Werenski (16 points through 22 games) has been a wonder, putting up points and playing big minutes for a surprise Metropolitan contender. Close runners-up here: Alexander Wennberg and Sam Gagner, who’s finally found a fit and on Monday enjoyed a four-point night. |
2 |
| 2 |  |
Blue-liner Colton Parayko is the type of defenceman who’s making such a big impact at a young age that he’ll be able to hold management hostage when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. |
7 |
| 3 |  |
Jimmy Vesey’s free agent payday was restricted to $925,000 annually due his rookie status, and the college star has transitioned nicely. His 15 points make him as productive as name-brand guys like Joe Thornton, David Krejci and Nathan MacKinnon. |
1 |
| 4 |  |
Artemi Panarin, voted 2016’s Rookie of the Year and 2017’s RFA with Most Leverage, has put up 21 points through 25 games. Not too shabby for a $812,500 cap hit. |
3 |
| 5 |  |
Unwanted in Calgary, beloved in Montreal, Paul Byron’s fast start has made the flexible forward worth every penny of his $1.17-million deal. |
4 |
| 6 |  |
Matt Murray’s contract extension doesn’t kick in till 2017, when he’ll rake $3.75 million per season. Until then, a Cup-winning starting-calibre goalie for $628,333 is pretty good value. |
11 |
| 7 |  |
Teen sensation Travis Konecny is producing points and bowling over veterans for a measly $894,167 cap hit. |
19 |
| 8 |  |
When you have an entry-level player leading the league in scoring and posing a threat to break any game open (as long as he’s not getting yanked off for concussion protocol), everyone knows your best bargain. |
16 |
| 9 |  |
In his last year of his entry-level deal, Chris Tierney — the youngest Sharks regular —is chipping in with some nice depth scoring. |
13 |
| 10 |  |
Winger Andre Burakovsky ($894,167) ranks fifth in team scoring, and all but one of his 10 points have come at even strength. |
6 |
| 11 |  |
Versatile forward David Pastrnak has exploded for 21 points in 21 games. He’ll be hard-pressed to make this list next season, when his entry-level contract expires and he cashes in huge. |
9 |
| 12 |  |
RFA-to-be Damon Severson is skating the second-most minutes in Jersey and leads the D core in points (14). Big responsibility for a 22-year-old rounding out an ELC that carries a puny $605,833 cap hit. |
17 |
| 13 |  |
Kid forwards Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and Michael Ferland are all great value, but where would Calgary be without backup-turned-starter Chad Johnson? Not in the hunt, that’s for sure. Best $1.7 million they spent last summer. |
29 |
| 14 |  |
Speedy winger Viktor Arvidsson is producing at a level about five times his NHL salary of $640,000 and picking up some of the slack from slow-starting forwards Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg. |
14 |
| 15 |  |
Erik Haula — a member of Minnesota’s “four fourth lines,” as coach Bruce Boudreau put it — is fast as wind. Too bad he’s missed a big chunk of the season with a lower-body injury. Still, his cost per goal ($250,000) and per point ($142,857) are the team’s best value. |
10 |
| 16 |  |
A twist here. Depth centre Brayden Point, 20, is out-producing the likes of Jonathan Drouin — who’s also still on his entry-level deal. |
5 |
| 17 |  |
Far from perfect, journeyman Peter Budaj ($600,000) has kept the Kings playoff relevant in the wake of Jonathan Quick’s long-term injury. They could’ve sought someone better, but not cheaper. |
8 |
| 18 |  |
Forward Ryan Dzingel ($750,000 cap hit) is on a nice upward trajectory after splitting 2015-16 between Ottawa and Binghamton. He’s playing more disciplined and more productive hockey — six goals and eight assists already. |
20 |
| 19 |  |
John Gibson — a No. 1 goalie making $2.3 million — couldn’t bail out Jonathan Bernier during Sunday’s 8-3 loss to the Flames because coach Randy Carlyle said, he came down with diarrhea. Hey, it even happens to the best bargains. |
12 |
| 20 |  |
Unable to make himself a fixture in Tampa Bay, the undersized Jonathan Marchessault (10 goals, 19 points, $750,000 cap hit) is now the go-to example for anyone defending the analytical bent of the new Panthers, who fired a well-respected coach in Gerard Gallant. |
18 |
| 21 |  |
Eight goals in his sophomore season give Dylan Larkin the nod here, but the 20-year-old’s minus-7 rating and assist total (one) leave room for even more value to give. |
28 |
| 22 |  |
A toss-up between Toronto’s two wonder rookies here. We’ll give Mitch Marner the nod over Auston Matthews because he’s a little cheaper and creates a few more chances. (But we could change our mind next week.) |
23 |
| 23 |  |
Nikolaj Ehlers, the young dynamic Jets winger not named Patrik Laine, is having a heckuva sophomore campaign. Twenty-two points through 28 games is good value at less than $900,000. Ehlers is just barely delivering a better cost-per-point rate than Laine, but we’re placing a premium on goals. Laine has 17 of ’em and is tied with Sidney Crosby for the NHL lead. |
22 |
| 24 |  |
No one’s breaking the bank in Carolina anymore, but Noah Hanifin — a sophomore defenceman — logs top-four minutes, contributes on the power-play and has improved his game noticeably from last season. |
15 |
| 25 |  |
With Dallas getting hit hard with injuries up front, winger Patrick Eaves ($1 million) is having himself a relatively fantastic season, scoring 18 points in 25 games. Good timing, too: He’ll turn UFA this summer. |
21 |
| 26 |  |
One of the few Sabres able to create offence this season, Sam Reinhart has delivered five goals and 14 points for entry-level money. |
25 |
| 27 |  |
Dennis Seidenberg, 35, was bought out by Boston and went into the World Cup playing for work. For a cool million bucks, he’s brought excellent value to Brooklyn. He’s on pace for a career high in points and is a plus player on a minus team. A good UFA signing by Garth Snow? Believe it. |
26 |
| 28 |  |
Centre Bo Horvat ($894,167) is a rare bright light of hope in Vancouver. The team leader in goals has reached that height with just one power-play point. Now that he’s also turning into the club’s go-to face-off man, he’ll be in line for a massive raise this summer. |
30 |
| 29 |  |
Left wing Jordan Martinook, 24, has produced nicely in the final year of his two-season bridge. We’ll give him the nod (for now) over Max Domi and Radim Vrbata on a team loaded with cheap forwards. |
27 |
| 30 |  |
On his fifth team in five years, Rene Bourque has found a bit of a niche, potting eight goals for a seriously struggling Colorado roster. |
24 |
