The most expensive Russians in the NHL are Ovechkin and Kaprizov. In total, ours will bring in $228 million

Let us immediately clarify that for the calculation we took only Russians under contract with the NHL who played at least one championship match last season. This list does not include, for example, Columbus forward Dmitry Voronkov, who has yet to make his NHL debut and is now sent to the AHL. We think his time with the Blue Jackets is on the horizon, but he’s not in our rankings yet.

Using this method we got: 56 Russian hockey players who will earn a total of $228.323 million. What is important is that we took for the calculation not the average salary of a player, but that which he will receive during the 2023/24 season.

And to make it really interesting, we’ve divided all the players into five categories:

Category “A”. Elite League

Although many NHL evaluations do not include the 38-year-old Ovechkin even among the top 30 players, believing his time is running out, the main Russian story in American hockey is still linked to Ovi. Will he beat Gretzky’s goalscoring record? There are 73 pucks left. Every goal of Alexander the Great will resonate all over the news.

Kaprizov became an assistant captain in Minnesota and is once again capable of scoring over 100 points in the championship. Panarin was depressed after his Rangers were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup. But this season, like Shesterkin, he must do everything to improve.

Sorokin receives little, but after one season his salary will rise to $8.25 million. Vasilevsky underwent back surgery and we await his return to the highest level.

Kucherov scored twice in the first match of the season against Nashville (5:3). Many are convinced that he is the best Russian player in the NHL.

$12.5 million – f Alexander Ovechkin (Washington)

$12.5 million – f Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota)

$11 million – f Artemi Panarin (Rangers)

$10 million – f Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay)

$9 million – to Andrei Vasilevsky (Tampa Bay)

$7 million – to Igor Shesterkin (Rangers)

$4 million – to Ilya Sorokin (Islanders)

Category B”. Club stars

Sergachev could move to category “A” this season; its shares are rising rapidly. He plays in Tampa as the best defender.

Bobrovsky might have slipped into the C category, but he enjoyed a renaissance when he led Florida to the Stanley Cup Final.

Svechnikov is still injured, even though everyone knows his great talent. Provorov revived his career by leaving Philadelphia for Columbus. Orlov did the same when he traded Washington for Carolina this year.

But Kuznetsov does not prevent restarting at all: his career with the Capitals is stagnating. Nichushkin, another Chelyabinsk resident, had a scandal when Colorado suspended him from the playoffs. The only way to apologize for this situation is to play well.

Barbashev added dryly: he won the Stanley Cup, rose to the first level of Vegas and signed a new contract. Buchnevich became a shining star for the Blues after leaving the Rangers. Kuzmenko is also on the rise, playing in Vancouver in a trio with Swedish megastar Pettersson.

Malkin is maturing magnificently in Pittsburgh (avoid the word “aging”), and his swan song could be a fourth Stanley Cup of his career. Tarasenko is looking for himself by moving to Ottawa. Georgiev has a good chance to become Colorado’s number one pick, and Marchenko has a good chance to prove he’s a big star in Columbus.

$11.05 million – with Mikhail Sergachev (Tampa Bay)

$10 million – to Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida)

$9 million – f Andrey Svechnikov (Caroline)

$8.5 million – with Ivan Provorov (Columbus)

$8 million – f Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington)

$7.75 million – with Dmitry Orlov (Caroline)

$7.5 million – f Valery Nichushkin (Colorado)

$7 million – f Ivan Barbashev (“Vegas”)

$6.9 million – f Pavel Buchnevich (St. Louis)

$6 million – f Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh)

$5.5 million – f Andrey Kuzmenko (Vancouver)

$5 million – f Vladimir Tarasenko (Ottawa)

$3.7 million – to Alexander Georgiev (Colorado)

$0.925 million – f Kirill Marchenko (Columbus)

Category “C”. Middle peasants

This is a diverse group of players. Some are already at the end of their NHL careers, like Zaitsev. Someone changed clubs in the hope of taking off, like Kostin.

Gavrikov and Zub are two defenders who cannot be called stars, but they bring a lot of value to their clubs. Zadorov is also valuable as a highly specialized defenseman for Calgary.

Mikheev receives injury after injury. We don’t even know if he will shoot in Vancouver – the striker will soon be 30 years old. But Samsonov should become Toronto’s starting goaltender, and he can improve.

Everyone plays decently, playing their medium and small roles. Some, like Namestnikova and Kulikov, can already be called NHL alumni.

$6.5 million – with Vladislav Gavrikov (Los Angeles)

$5.35 million – f Ilya Mikheev (Vancouver)

$4.5 million – with Nikita Zaitsev (“Chicago”)

$4 million – with Artem Zub (Ottawa)

$3.75 million – with Nikita Zadorov (Calgary)

$3.55 million – to Ilya Samsonov (Toronto)

$2.75 million – with Ilya Lyubushkin (Anaheim)

$2.75 million – to Semyon Varlamov (Islanders)

$2.5 million – f Alexander Barabanov (San Jose)

$2.5 million – with Alexander Romanov (Islanders)

$2.25 million – f Evgeniy Dadonov (Dallas)

2 million dollars – to Petr Kochetkov (Caroline)

$2 million – Vladislav Namestnikov (Winnipeg)

$1.8 million – f Klim Kostin (Detroit)

$1.7 million – Yakov Trenin (Nashville)

$1.25 million – f Alexey Toropchenko (St. Louis)

$1.1 million – with Nikolay Knyzhov (San Jose)

$1 million – with Dmitry Kulikov (Florida)

Category “D”. Take your first steps in the championship

This is a group of rookies who will receive some playing time in the NHL, hoping to prove themselves in the league. Miroshnichenko, who was paired with Ovechkin in the preseason, has a good chance. Defender Mintyukov is highly rated. One day, Askarov will play in Nashville. It’s hard to guess what happens next, and we just wish them good luck.

$1.05 million – to Daniil Tarasov (Columbus)

$0.95 million – with Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim)

$0.95 million – f Ivan Miroshnichenko (Washington)

$0.925 million – to Yaroslav Askarov (Nashville)

$0.925 million – f Vasily Podkolzin (Vancouver)

$0.833 million – f Nikita Alexandrov (St. Louis)

$0.825 million – f Pavel Dorofeev (“Vegas”)

$0.8 million – f Egor Chinakhov (Columbus)

$0.775 million – with Egor Zamula (Philadelphia)

$0.775 million – with Daniil Miromanov (“Vegas”)

$0.775 million – with Alexander Alekseev (Washington)

$0.775 million – with Nikita Okhotyuk (San Jose)

$0.775 million – f Egor Afanasyev (Nashville)

Category “E”. Their careers are not impressive

Guryanov left Dallas for Montreal, then ended up with the Predators. And at the age of 26 he was sent to a farm club and did not participate in the first game of the NHL season for Nashville. It seems the Tennessee club didn’t need him after the preseason.

Maltsev moved from New Jersey to Colorado and has now signed with the Kings – and it appears he will be playing in the AHL.

Denisenko, 23, was drafted by Florida in the Stanley Cup Final, but has now been sent to the AHL. And as he was returning from the draft to waivers, he was intercepted by Vegas. We don’t see that in the Golden Knights roster yet.

The 24-year-old Prosvetov had been looking for himself in North America for seven years, and Arizona sent him again to a farm club – but the goalkeeper was then intercepted by Colorado. For what? We will know soon.

In a good way, it would be good for category “E” players to return to the KHL to restart their careers. But their perseverance and patience must be respected.

$0.85 million – Denis Guryanov (Nashville)

$0.755 million – to Ivan Prosvetov (Colorado)

$0.755 million – f Mikhail Maltsev (Los Angeles)

$0.755 million – f Grigory Denisenko (“Vegas”)