NHL analyst labels Nathan MacKinnon's contract "one of the best deals in sport" compared to likes of Mitch Marner, $96M star

While talking about the NHL’s most valuable contracts, Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic pointed to Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon’s eight-year, $100.8 million deal as one of the most team-friendly across all of pro sports.

Luszczyszyn noted that despite MacKinnon being a top-3 player in the league, his contract carries an AAV of just $12.6 million. It is a steal compared to recent megadeals signed by Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen. Both signed eight-year, $96 million contracts.

"Just think of the two big deals that were just signed for Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner: both at a fair $12 million. Two superstars, yes, but not anywhere near MacKinnon’s level,” Luszczyszyn wrote.

“They’re top-20 players — MacKinnon is top three. How big is that difference and how many more millions is that worth? About $6 million by my estimate, giving MacKinnon one of the best deals in the sport."

Luszczyszyn explained that as the salary cap continues to rise, MacKinnon's $12.6 million cap hit will become an increasingly smaller percentage of the total - potentially dipping below 10% by the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, players like Marner, with a $12 million AAV, will take up a much larger slice of their team's cap space.

Dom Luszczyszyn compares Nathan MacKinnon's contract with Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid has one year left in his eight-year contract, which carries a $12.5 million cap hit per season. Nathan MacKinnon's deal comes in just $100,000 higher annually. While McDavid is due for a huge raise, MacKinnon still has six years left on his current contract.

Luszczyszyn noted that Nathan MacKinnon remains significantly underpaid for what he brings.

"That was the case when MacKinnon signed his deal for just $100,000 more than Connor McDavid’s league-leading AAV — just not to this degree," Luszczyszyn wrote.

The analytics expert noted that MacKinnon's true market value could be closer to $18.3 million per season, especially given his continued growth and long-term impact as one of the NHL's premier superstars.