Washington Capitals: Top 5 worst contracts in team history
Before the Washington Capitals reached the top of the hockey world, they made several mistakes along the way. I’m not just talking about on the ice but within the front office. These mistakes proved costly for the team financially as the Caps overpaid for these guys.
Sometimes though the Caps can get it right with their contracts. For example this summer when they extended Alex Ovechkin. Some people were negative about the deal but honestly it would’ve strapped the Caps if it was over 10 million. The fact he will be making $9.5 million per year allows the Caps to spend a little bit to remain competitive.
Anyway here’s the worst of the worst.
#5 Roman Hamrlik
Back in the summer of 2011, the Caps added veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik. They signed him to a two year deal worth $7 million. He did well in his first season of that contract so at the time it didn’t look bad. He had two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 68 games while averaging 19:13 minutes of ice time.
The next year he struggled and part of it was due to the lockout shortened season. After recording just one assist he was waived by the Caps after just four games.
#4 Chris Simon
Coming in at number four in our list is Chris Simon. Nothing against these players that we mention on here. It’s more a knock at spending the kind of money and it not being worth it is the name of the game.
Simon was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round in the 1990 NHL Draft at 25th overall. He later got traded to Quebec then to Colorado before they sent him to Washington prior to the 1996-97 season.
Simon was an enforcer but for one season he was a natural goal scorer. After scoring a combined 10 goals in his first two seasons, Simon led the team with 29 goals in the 1999-00 season. He then got a raise to $2.25 million, a contract that he earned. Despite that, his numbers went down.
Simon scored 10 goals the next season and 14 the year after that. In the 2002-03 season he had just two assists in 10 games with the Caps before the team traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Simon has struggled in life after hockey and four years ago filed for bankruptcy. He suffers from depression, anxiety and PTSD and we are praying for him that he gets out of this okay. Simon was in more than 100 fights in his NHL career and racked up 1,824 penalty minutes.
#3 Jeff Schultz
Everyone talks about the first round selection of Alex Ovechkin in the 2004 NHL Draft but there was another pick the Washington Capitals sleeted in the first round at 27th overall. That player was Jeff Schultz.
Schultz made his debut as a 20 year old in the 2006-07 season where he recorded three assists. The next year he had five goals and 13 assists for 18 points. In 2008-09, Schultz recorded 12 points with a goal and 11 assists. The next year he had three goals and 20 assists for 23 posts including a career high plus minus of +50.
In 2010-11 he had one goal and nine assists for 10 points and was even worse the next two seasons. He had one goal and five assists for six points in 2011-12 and just three assists in the lockout shortened 2013 season. Schultz was bought out after the season.
Schultz had just one year remaining on his contract that he signed three summers prior to that buyout. It was worth four years and $11 million. In 2011-12, Schultz appeared in just 54 games. In 2013 he was in just 26 and earlier that season rumors had it that he wanted to be traded. Some fans wanted him gone as well.
Schultz would end up signing with the Los Angeles Kings and although he played just 10 regular season games over the next three seasons, he appeared in seven games during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2014 and his name is on the Cup.
#2 Michael Nylander
Michael Nylander signed with the Capitals on July 2, 2007 for four years and $19.5 million. It was actually his second stint with the Caps having been a member of the team back in the 2002-03 season when he was traded by the Chicago Blackhawks. Nylander got traded a year later to the Boston Bruins during the team’s fire sale.
Nylander had 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points in 71 games the remainder of that 2002-03 season. The next year he had two assists in three games before being dealt to the Bruins. He came back to the Caps in 2007 as a 35 year old looking to help lead one of the younger teams in the league. Yes believe it or not the Caps were actually young at one point in time.
Nylander had 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points in 2007-08 and followed that up with nine goals and 24 assists for 33 points the next year. When Nylander joined the Caps in 2007, he backed out of a deal with the Edmonton Oilers which pissed them off. He signed a four year contract with Washington.
Nylander had previously posted career highs of 26 goals and 57 assists with the New York Rangers. Nylander’s first season with the Caps was cut short with a shoulder injury. In his second season, his role declined and his playing style clashed with Bruce Boudreau’s coaching style.
Nylander had a $4.9 million cap hit and a no movement clause which made it impossible to deal him. He was even banished from the practice facility by November 2009 and then loaned to Grand Rapids of the AHL. He would later finish that season in Finland. He never played another NHL game.
#1 Jaromir Jagr
If this was about the top 5 about the worst trades in franchise history, this would be right up there was well. After the Washington Capitals acquired Jaromir Jagr from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a blockbuster trade, Jagr agreed to become the highest paid player in the league. He inked a seven year, $77 million deal in 2001.
Jagr was a five time Art Ross Trophy winner and came off a 121 point season with the Penguins when he joined the Caps. He was supposed to usher in a new era and take the team to new heights.
After scoring 52 goals the previous season, Jagr only had 31 goals and 48 assists for 79 points in his first season in D.C. The next year he slightly rebounded but only by five goals. Jagr had 36 goals and 41 assists for 74 points. The next year he had 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points in 46 games before the team dealt him away in their fire sale.
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The Caps failed to make the playoffs in Jagr’s first season in D.C. In his second, they ended up getting bounced in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jagr was traded to the New York Rangers for Anson Carter and the Caps had to pay a portion of that salary.