When the Canadian sensation Alexis Lafrenière After signing a seven-year contract worth $52.15 million to stay with the New York Rangers, speculation began to abound about who could be next to receive the jackpot of a contract with the NHL.

Earlier this month, Lafrenière’s Rangers compatriot Igor Shesterkin made headlines when he turned down a staggering eight-year, $88 million offer to extend his contract, according to ESPN. Had he agreed to the extension, Shesterkin would have had a larger contract than goaltender Carey Price, who signed an eight-year, $84 million extension with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017.

But insiders say Shesterkin is playing hardball — that he’s hoping for a bigger payday now that he’s an unrestricted free agent and a vital part of the Rangers’ Stanley Cup-winning team.

“I think Shesterkin will get over $11.5 million per person,” one agent said. at ESPN. “He’s not going to settle for a lower number just because.”

Other free agents are looking at other big contracts that have just been signed by newcomers to, perhaps, influence their decisions. Jake McCabe, for example, just signed a five-year, $22.55 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to the official. NHL Page.

Shea Théodore, according to Forbesavoided “unrestricted free agent” status by signing a seven-year contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights — a move that will have a cap value of $51.975 million over the life of the contract.

Who else will demand these giant contracts – and, more to the point, who will deserve them?

One player who could be rewarded with a nice salary is Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers. He’s already a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, but that won’t stop the Oilers from potentially offering him a contract above his current $3.9 million cap hit, especially now that they have more money to play, thanks to the disappearance of Connor Brown’s surplus performance.

Another potential big payday could go to Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche, who is an unrestricted free agent with a current cap hit of $0.925 million. It’s speculated that he could see a $13 million salary from the team for 2025 and beyond, although it remains to be seen if his cap hit can be raised.

Ultimately, who gets what from their NHL team of choice will come down to market cap and budget, and there’s no doubt more deals will be announced in the coming days.