This week's Capped explores some big contracts that failed to produce in their first-round losses.

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Well that was an exciting first round of hockey! Unfortunately though, half of the teams are now booking tee times, and their general managers are wondering what went wrong. Though the picture may be clearer for some teams, there were certain players on every squad eliminated in the first round that failed to live up to their salary.

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Brent Seabrook (D) –  Chicago Blackhawks

Cap Hit  – $6,875,000

The whole Chicago Blackhawks team was a bit of a disappointment in their first round against Nashville, but the numbers look especially bad for Brent Seabrook. In the four-game sweep, Seabrook had zero points, and even though he put seven shots on net in that time, he had a shot differential of minus 27 in the series. Numbers like that are not acceptable from the third highest paid player on their roster behind only Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

With General Manager Stan Bowman promising changes, the 32-year-old Seabrook is a primary target to be moved. In order to be moved, he would have to waive his no-movement clause, otherwise this is a moot point. However, Chicago doesn’t have too many other options if they want to go for a real shakeup, and Seabrook could fit in as the number one defencemen on quite a few other teams.

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Mikko Koivu (C)  –  Minnesota Wild

Cap Hit  – $6,750,000

It’s tough to pick on the captain here when Minnesota did well in their first-round series, but someone has to shoulder the blame. Minnesota dominated the shot attempts in their first round, but unfortunately they ran into a brick wall named Jake Allen. Mikko Koivu only had six shots in the series loss, netting one goal and one assist. After a regular season that saw him with 58 points in 80 games, the 0.40 points per game was disappointing.

Koivu’s last season under contract is also going to see him making over $9 Million in actual salary. Minnesota has to make up their mind soon on what kind of direction they will be taking with Koivu, an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2018. With so much money already tied up in the incumbents, not to mention the monster contracts being paid out to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, Minnesota may be better off not bringing back their captain past next season.

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Max Pacioretty (LW) –  Montreal Canadiens

Cap Hit  – $4,500,000

The Montreal Canadiens had some troubles scoring goals this spring, so their top offensive weapon is probably a good spot to start the finger pointing. Max Pacioretty managed a whopping 28 shots in the first round series, but none of them found the back of the net. On the other end of the ice, Carey Price played a great set of games, and the defence was generally solid. The blame is squarely on the forwards. So what does this mean for Pacioretty in future seasons?

With two seasons left on one of the best bargain contracts in the league, it doesn’t make sense for Montreal to be changing much. However, with only 19 points in his last 38 playoff games, Pacioretty’s playoff performances are possibly costing him dollars off a future contract. Consistent 65-point seasons are great, but it’s tough to warrant more than $7 Million a season if you can’t bring near that same level in the playoffs.

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Zdeno Chara (D) –  Boston Bruins

*Cap Hit  – $6,916,667

Zdeno Chara and the rest of the Bruins had an underwhelming performance in the first round. Chara isn’t expected to be carrying the team anymore, but with multiple regulars injured, coach Cassidy had no choice but to roll out Chara more than he probably would have liked. This resulted in some very disappointing numbers from Chara aside from his 36 hits. Chara posted a single point and was minus three through Boston’s six game series. The loss can’t be blamed on Chara, but he wasn’t fooling anyone into thinking he was still the Norris contender he was years ago.  

*Due to a cap anomaly, Chara’s cap hit for next season goes down to $4 Million to match his actual salary as he turns 40. This rule was taken out in the newest collective bargaining agreement. This means that Chara and his contract can take a step back and fit right in as a secondary defenceman next year for the Bruins. This would have been a natural progression based on his age anyways, and it’s likely that if Chara decides to come back on another contract, then he continues the downward progression in his cost.

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Joe Thornton (C) –  San Jose Sharks

Cap Hit  – $6,750,000

Joe Thornton played through a torn ACL and MCL for his four playoff games this year, where he recorded two assists. It is amazing that he managed to stand, let alone compete in a fast-paced playoff game. It is uncertain whether these were his last games in San Jose. If that is the case, Thornton went out as a playoff warrior. He struggled earlier in his career with a reputation for disappearing in the playoffs, but San Jose’s early exit this year cannot be blamed on Thornton.

Two assists in four games is less than we would typically hope for from Thornton (especially taking into account that one game was 7-0 for San Jose), however given the circumstances, it is likely that Thornton’s next contract won’t be affected by this postseason showing. Thornton’s regular season numbers have been up and down the last few years, with them having been especially down this year. Regardless of the playoffs, his cost was going to be lower anyways. His next contract is going to be paying him to anchor a second line, a power-play unit, and to show up in the playoffs like he did last year.

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Find me on twitter: @alexdmaclean

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Recent Capped articles:

Playoff Performances and Future Contracts 

Setting Up Salary Cap Leagues