We've looked at the most interesting contracts in the Metropolitan, Pacific and Central Divisions and it's clear by looking around the league how drastic markets have changed in such a short time.
When we get to the Atlantic Division, we see a lineup of playoff hopefuls, a few Stanley Cup contenders and, overall, the NHL's toughest region top-to-bottom.
There is an ongoing changing of the guard in the Atlantic, but the long-time kings of this hill are not going to be pushed off easily. Toronto and Florida may have fallen off in 2026, but both appear ready to push back again in 2027. Every team here is pushing for the playoffs, and there is little room for error on the cap sheet.
So here is a look at the most interesting contracts on every team in the Atlantic Division, and the ramifications they could have for each organization.
Boston Bruins: Pavel Zacha
Boston's front office didn't allow a playoff miss in 2025 to derail plans, and the team was able to get back to the post-season with 100 points in 2026. They could not advance past the rising Buffalo Sabres, and still have to contend with a deep and talented group of Atlantic Division teams.
J.J. Peterka was the team's big summer addition, and he should add some pop to an offence that was already top 10 last season. One of the major reasons scoring came more frequently for the Bruins in 2025-26 was Zacha, who scored a career-high 30 goals and 65 points. A centre, Zacha holds a very important spot in this lineup and his $4.75 million cap hit is a bargain at this point. But there's only one season left on that contract, meaning Zacha could go to market as a free agent in 2027. So what is a player of his type worth in this cap inflation world? If you look at the Sabres team that eliminated Boston, Josh Norris earns $7.95 million on a deal signed in 2022 that bet on his potential, but Zacha has been more productive and available for years.
There will be sticker shock here, as there is everywhere in the league these days. Zacha's number won't be cheap and, depending on how Boston's season unfolds, we also shouldn't be surprised if trade rumours kick up at some point.
Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Dahlin
A Norris Trophy finalist for the first time last season, Dahlin is right in his peak years at 26 years old. He had his best regular season yet and in his first playoff appearance, Dahlin recorded 14 points in 13 games.
When Dahlin signed his current contract in 2023, the $11 million AAV made him one of the highest-paid players at his position, just behind Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty, who set the bar on their contracts signed years ago. But Buffalo committed to Dahlin for eight years and now, entering just the third season of that extension, suddenly his AAV is somehow looking like a steal. Cale Makar has set the new high bar for defencemen with a $20.4 million AAV and Quinn Hughes will likely follow with a number comparable to it. Even Bowen Byram, who played behind Dahlin on Buffalo's depth chart, will make $12.5 million when his new contract with Chicago kicks in next season. Still-unproven RFA Zeev Buium just re-upped in Vancouver for $9.380 million, and is a clear example of how the entire defence market is changing.
By the time Dahlin's deal expires in 2032, he probably won't have a top-10 AAV anymore at his position... and maybe not even a top-20.
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Detroit Red Wings: Moritz Seider
There is a lot going on in Detroit lately, and not much of it is great. Dylan Larkin's trade request appears to stand and though he is at training camp, he's no longer the team captain. Patrick Kane is gone. Alex DeBrincat has a year left on his contract, after which he could explore UFA. In the meantime, they have the longest current playoff drought in the league and there's only an interim GM in place to steer the ship.
So, this is a silver lining. Seider, the 2022 Calder Trophy winner, is now 25 years old, in the peak years of his career, and seems to still be levelling up. He set new career-highs in his offensive totals last season, and averaged 25:40 of ice time a game — only Hughes and Zach Werenski earned more ice time around the NHL. Seider finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting, and might be just at the start of an era where he's going to be an annual candidate for that award.
With everything else going on, at least this isn't a contract Detroit has to worry about for some time. Seider will make less than $9 million against the cap through the 2030-31 season. If he does in fact turn into a Norris Trophy winner or even close to it, this will undoubtedly be one of the best value contracts going.
Florida Panthers: Anton Lundell
Thirteen Florida Panthers skaters have contracts in place for at least the next four seasons, so the core is solidly locked in. Included in that group is soon-to-be 25-year-old Anton Lundell, who would be a capable No. 2 centre on some teams, but is the third centre on Florida's stacked depth chart, a proper place for where he's at in his career.
But the potential for growth still exists. Last season, Lundell was on his way to his first 20-goal, 50-point campaign but fell just short in only 64 games played. His per-game offensive numbers have been on the rise for a few years in a row.
A young player on a roster full of vets, it's impressive that he's an important part of the PK but he's earned it with his defensive sense. Even the season before last, when Florida was healthy and won its second Stanley Cup, Lundell averaged the second-most penalty kill time among Panthers forwards.
He makes $5 million against the cap, one heck of a bargain in this economic climate for a responsible young centre with plenty of playoff experience and success, and an Olympic bronze medal. If this does turn into a career offensive season for Lundell and he truly "breaks out" he'll end up having one of the best bargain deals in the league for still another three years after.
Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki
There might be no other front office that has set up its cap structure better than the Canadiens, who seem to just be opening a multi-year window where the Stanley Cup will become a realistic goal. At the head of that is last year's Selke Trophy winner and 101-point scorer, captain Nick Suzuki. Suzuki's $7.875 million AAV has been eclipsed by three other Habs since he signed the deal in 2021, but only one of them (and no forwards) inked a contract that had a higher cap hit percentage than Suzuki's 9.55.
That, in a sense, is the "internal cap" the Habs could work with. But when you project into the future, which Canadiens player could be the next to earn a contract over $10 million? Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky are anticipated to one day have an impact, but they aren't in the NHL yet and couldn't get an extension before at least 2029. Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov are all signed for at least the next five years.
So the answer to this tricky question is: Suzuki. Of the core players, he is the next to have a contract expire, and that won't happen until 2030. That's a lot of value to overshoot for a long time, and he is the jewel on the team's cap sheet.
Ottawa Senators: Thomas Chabot
There are a couple mid-20s defencemen on this list for how much value their contracts will bring as they age, but Chabot will come due for an extension when the cap is two years more inflated from now. Making an $8 million AAV today, Chabot could very well become the highest-paid Senators player in 2028, when he could surpass Drake Batherson's fresh $10.75 million deal.
What will the nature of that negotiation be? How much higher can he go than the rest of his team, and what payday will he put himself in position to get with his play? Will a trade ever come into the scenario? But also: what if he's named the next captain to replace Brady Tkachuk after he abandoned the city? That alone would add some flavour to the situation.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Nikita Kucherov
In his 32-year-old season last year, Kucherov still had his fastball, scoring 130 points and winning the Hart Trophy. If he were to hit unrestricted free agency next summer he would be one of the biggest stars ever to do so, but the likelihood of that feels remote.
Still, the Lightning have over the years tended to re-sign their core players well before their contracts expire and before alternate narratives start spinning. Kucherov also comes up for a new deal at a fascinating time when a few players have leapfrogged over others to become the highest paid per season, and when Makar nearly signed for the maximum 20 per cent. Kucherov could chase that if he wanted to, but Tampa's been able to use their no-tax advantage to keep AAVs down in the past.
Odds are that will happen again, but it's curious that the deal is not done yet. And even if he had another depressed AAV on an extension, Kucherov is still in line for a hefty raise given where the salary cap is at.
Acquired in a sign-and-trade so that Toronto could get the eighth season and Tampa could get something (a fifth-round pick) in return for a departing defenceman, Raddysh has a great opportunity in front of him with a range of possible outcomes. His 70-point season in 2025-26 nearly doubled his previous career-high, and the 22 goals he scored were nine more than he managed to get in the 176 career games he played before last season.
With that one great season under his belt, Toronto signed 30-year-old Raddysh for the maximum term and an $8.5 million AAV, complete with a full no-movement clause. Given where contracts are going for defencemen, it's hard to say Raddysh was overpaid — among all contracts that have been signed, including ones that don't begin until next season, Raddysh's cap hit is tied for 20th among all blue liners already, and more will pass him over the next 12 months.
The risk is more about how much, and for how long, can Raddysh continue the production he had last season? He'll be 31 in February and the pressure is on him to quarterback Toronto's top power play, taking over from Morgan Rielly. This contract has a chance to be a screaming value, but the player still has some proving to do.
