Worst NHL Contracts 2007

Here are the worst NHL contracts of 2007. This list was compiled in 2017 based on their performance during the 2006/07 season. Free agents signed that summer are eligible for next year’s list, so everyone nominated here has played at least 1 full season under the contract. There is preference given to contracts with more term remaining. These are only contracts signed under the restrictions of a salary cap. Contracts from before the lost season that got rolled back don't count.

1) Nikolai Khabibulin, CHI, 2 more yrs @ $6.8M AAV: His second season in Chicago was a little bit better, but still not enough to make this a playoff team. 60 GP, 25 W, 2.86 GAA, .902 SV% was good enough for the Blackhawks to finish in 26th place in the NHL.

2) Derian Hatcher, PHI, 2 more yrs @ $3.5M AAV: The big man is getting close to the end at age 34, as he may be too slow to play in “the new NHL”. In 82 GP he had just 9 PTS and was -22.

3) Mark Parrish, MIN, 4 more yrs @ $2.7M AAV: His goal production dropped by 10 in the same number of GP. The player is starting to decline now that he has passed his 30th birthday.

4) Marc Denis, TB, 2 more yrs @ $2.9M AAV: This was a disastrous signing for the Lightning. 17 Wins, 18 Losses, 0.883 SV%, and 3.19 GAA is not worth what they paid.

5) Mark Bell, SJ, 2 more yrs @ $2.2M AAV: Bell’s production was cut in half in 2007 over 2008, with 21 PTS in 71 GP. He recently pleaded no contest to a hit and run DUI, and his legal trouble may be weighing heavy on his shoulders.

6) Jose Theodore, COL, 1 more yr @ $5.3M AAV: His play hit a significant decline at age 30 with 13 Wins, 15 Losses, .891 SV%, and 3.26 GAA.

7) Martin Lapointe, CHI, 1 more yr @ $2.4M AAV: At 34 years old, Martin Lapointe just can’t do what he used to do.

8) Mike Rathje, PHI, 3 more yrs @ $3.5M AAV: He was limited to 18 games at age 32, and was not very good in that limited sample. He had just 1 point and was a -7.

9) Nolan Baumgartner, PHI, 1 more yr @ $1.2M AAV: That’s an expensive price to pay for an AHL player. I’m not sure what the Flyers thought they were getting, but it was not an NHL quality defender.

10) Jay McKee, STL, 3 more yrs @ $4M AAV: Similar to Rathje, McKee was limited to 23 games, scoring 0 PTS with a -9 at age 29. This contract is not going to get any better as he progresses into his 30s.

11) Martin Gerber, OTT, 2 more years at $3.7M: That’s an expensive price for 15 wins, a 2.78 GAA and .906 SV%.

12) Kim Johnsson, MIN, 3 more yrs @ $4.9M AAV: At age 30 he played 29 more games than the previous season and scored 3 fewer PTS. For that kind of money, he should be proving more than 22 PTS in 76 GP.

13) Bobby Holik, WPG, 1 more yr @ $4.3M AAV: At age 35 he played 18 more games than the previous season and scored 4 fewer PTS. At this point in his career he is not worth this kind of money.

14) Adrian Aucoin, CHI, 2 more yrs @ $4M AAV: The Blackhawks were a terrible team, and Aucoin chipped in just 16 PTS and -22 in 59 GP from a defenseman expected to provide better offense.

15) Mattias Norstrom, LA, 1 more yr @ $4.3M AAV: He scored 27 PTS in 77 GP the season before signing this contract, then dropped down to 11 PTS in 76 GP in year one at age 34. He was also -18.

Honourable mentions: Scott Hannan, Michal Handzus, Nikolay Zherdev, John Erskine, Rhett Warrener, Nick Boynton, Colin White, Sergei Samsonov