The NHL’s 10 Most Overpaid Players

10. Michael Ryder – F (BOS) – Now here’s the real criminal mastermind of the family. When the Bruins signed Ryder to a $12-million, three-year deal in the summer of 2008 (likely making him Newfoundland’s 3rd wealthiest man behind Alan Doyle and Brad Gushue), many wondered how a winger who scored just 14 goals with Montreal the previous season (and was benched for the Habs final seven playoff games) managed to secure a contract that paid him $4 million per year. For their part, Boston was starved for offence (6th worst in the NHL in 07/08) and believed Claude Julien, who once coached Ryder to solid seasons with both the Canadiens and their farm club in Hamilton, could revive the former two-time 30-goal scorer. They were right. Ryder notched 27 goals last season, then added five more in the playoffs (four of those versus Montreal). Problem was, by paying Ryder $4 million (not to mention another $3.5M to Marco Sturm), Boston left themselves with little cap room for Phil Kessel, eventually paving his way out of Beantown. To make matters worse, Ryder has only 10 goals and seven assists through 44 games this season. It’s no wonder the Bruins rank second last in league scoring.

<!–more–>

9. Jason Spezza – F (OTT) – Clearly the most hated hockey player in Canada. Is it even close? Have you ever met someone who said, “You know what, I like that Spezza kid.”? It’s never happened. At this point, Sens fans would take Mike Danton for him. Both soft and weak defensively, Spezza’s a playmaker without punch. But that’s not why Canadians don’t like him. Win or lose, the 26-year-old forward has an uncanny ability to appear arrogant or “douchey” in post-game interviews. I don’t even think it’s his fault. Before tearing his MCL in December, Spezza managed only five goals and 14 assists in 30 games, but it’s not all bad news for Sens fans. Spezza has only five years left on his contract at $7 million per year. Let’s get his reaction:

Oh yeah, and he’s a nerd.

8. Thomas Vanek – F (BUF) – While the 25-year-old Austrian’s easily the most skilled player on this entire list (and the most capable of making his inclusion look ridiculous by year’s end), you have to wonder if the small market Sabres would still match the Oilers seven-year, $50 million offer sheet if given a mulligan. At the very least, you’d have to think Sabres GM Darcy Regier wouldn’t mind holding down Kevin Lowe while Brian Burke got his son to brutalize him. After all, since signing the deal Vanek’s scored just 64 points in each of his past two seasons. This year he has 12 goals and 13 assists through 39 games.

7. J.S. Giguere – G (ANA) – It hurts to put Jiggy on this list. Not many goalies have his postseason resume. Giguere’s 2003 run to the Cup Finals, in which he became the fifth player to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy despite being part of the losing team (Devils defeated the Ducks in seven games), was easily the most dominating goaltending performance of the decade. In 2007, Giguere again led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup Finals, this time winning in five games over the Senators. But, after losing his starting gig to Jonas Hiller last season, Giguere’s now making $6 million a year to sit on the bench. Hiller’s contract is up at the end of the season, so look for Anaheim to do everything possible to shed Giguere’s salary. Here’s hoping he somehow ends up on Washington or Chicago.

6. Shawn Horcoff – F (EDM) – There will be a lot of Oilers with blood on their hands if Pat Quinn drops dead behind the bench this season, but Horcoff’s the only guy who should probably be arrested if it does happen. I mean, have you seen Quinn this year? He’s already replaced the gum he’s always chewing with Lipitor, and my inside sources at TSN tell me they’ve just finished preparing one of those dead guy montages with the sad music. Following a solid 07/08 campaign (21G and 35A assists in 53 games),  Horcoff re-signed with Edmonton for six years at $5.5 million per season. After the Chris Pronger debacle, Edmonton fans were just grateful a guy wanted to play in their city, but with only 53 points (17G, 36A) last season and 9 goals and 10 assists through 40 games this year, Horcoff’s left Oilers fans sobbing harder than Ryan Smyth.

5. Alexei Yashin – F (KHL) – When you’re listening to the highly entertaining Mike Milbury on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada it’s important to remember that signing Yashin to a 10-year, $87.5 million contract probably doesn’t even rank in his top five boneheaded GM decisions. In the summer of 2007, a year after jettisoning Milbury, owner Charles Wang bought out Yashin’s contract for $17.63 million (two-thirds of the amount left on the deal). This year Yashin’s being paid $3.2 million by the Islanders, next year it will be $4.75 million. He doesn’t come off the books until the end of the 2014/2015 season, but perhaps the Isles will get lucky and the Mayans will be right.

4. Rick Dipietro – G (NYI) – So, after getting rid of Milbury, good ol’ Chuck Wang got himself a new GM. Actually, he got himself two. After hiring former Rangers GM Neil Smith, Wang fired him after just six weeks on the job, naming back-up goalie Garth Snow his replacement. (It was weird then, it’s still weird now.) Snow’s first order of business was to lock-up DiPietro to an asinine 15-year, $67.5 million contract (averaging $4.5M a year). That was September, 2006. Since then he’s had more hip and knee surgeries then my grandma and Regis combined. On January 8th, Dipietro played his first game in over a year, allowing four goals on 28 shots in a loss to Dallas.

3. Chris Drury – F (NYR)- You want proof smoking cigars are bad for you? Throw out all the lung cancer statistics and simply look at all the moves Glen Sather has made with the Rangers. When he dies let’s just hope he donates his brain to medical science. At this point it’s gotta resemble one of those poor birds after an oil spill. In the summer of 2007, Slats signed Drury to a five-year contract worth $35.25 million. While known for his clutch play, Drury tallied just 58 and 56 points, respectively, in his first two seasons on Broadway. This year he’s given the Blueshirts six goals and 10 assists in 40 games. Sather couldn’t have made a worse signing.

2. Scott Gomez – F (MTL) - Oh, right. On the very same day he tied up Drury, Sather also signed Scott Gomez to a seven-year, $51.5 million deal. (As an aside, what the hell’s wrong with Alaska anyway? I know it’s supposed to be beautiful and everything, but does that outweigh giving us Scott Gomez, Sarah Palin and that crappy Northern Exposure show. Alaska even made Al Pacino go crazy. I’m just saying.)  After Gomez notched just 128 points in his first two years in New York, Sather somehow convinced Habs GM Bob Gainey to take on his contract, allowing the Rangers to sign Marion Gaborik to a five-year deal worth $7.5 million annually. Hey, maybe Sather isn’t so bad after all.

1. Wade Redden – D (NYR) – D’oh! Seriously, how can this be the same man who once built the Oilers dynasty? Can we at least get Sather to switch to Skoal to see if his decision making returns? After a year filled with trade rumours (not to mention rumours of drug use) led to a terrible season in Ottawa, Redden managed to finagle a six-year deal worth $6.5 million annually from New York. (I’m guessing his agent must have had a larger stash of Cuban cigars then George Burns in his prime.)  Last year, Redden’s skills were in such decline it caused New York Post columnist Larry Brooks to describe the six-year, $39 million albatross as the “worst contract in the history of the NHL, if not in the history of hard-cap pro sports.” This season hasn’t got much better for Redden. In December, coach John Tortorella benched him for a game versus the Islanders. Keep in mind (especially you Sens fans), this is the same man Ottawa decided to keep over Zdeno Chara. Not that I needed to remind you.