Under the current collective bargaining agreement, NHL teams are more apt to spend money on players they have drafted and developed rather than paying top dollar for veterans in free agency.
The effect of clubs investing more cap space in keeping young players -- such as the reported eight-year, $100 million payday coming for Connor McDavid -- is that the league's superstars rarely reach the open market while still in their primes.
And with that, the free-agent pool is limited, and many of the multiyear contracts that are handed out come from win-now teams looking for the final piece of the puzzle instead of building-block players.
Which multiyear contracts will give those contenders the boost they need in 2017-18 and beyond, and which deals might turn sour by the end of next season (or before)? Let's have a look:
Multiyear deals that will look good in July 2018
Alexander Radulov, F, Dallas Stars
Contract: five years, $31.25 million
It didn't take very long for the Russian winger to prove he hadn't lost a step during his four seasons in the KHL. Radulov scored 54 points in 76 games and produced the highest rate of even-strength assists (1.24 per 60 minutes) on the Canadiens' roster. His passing ability and aggressive playing style are a perfect fit for playing on the top line in Dallas with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. In 687 minutes on the ice with Montreal star Max Pacioretty, the tandem dominated to the tune of a 55.2 Corsi for percentage and 60.7 goals-for percentage. It's hard to say how this contract will look by its final season, but in 2017-18, Radulov can play a major role in getting the Stars get back to the playoffs.
Nick Bonino, F, Nashville Predators
Contract: four years, $16.4 million
During the Predators' run to the Stanley Cup Final, center Mike Fisher was key -- as a defensive role player in the early rounds, then as Ryan Johansen's fill-in when Nashville's top center got hurt. With Fisher likely to retire, the Predators signed the player who best mirrors his skill set in Nick Bonino. During the past two seasons, Bonino has scored a solid 1.68 points per 60 minutes at even strength, while taking the second-highest percentage of defensive zone faceoffs on the Penguins' roster. His scoring totals were boosted by playing a large chunk of his minutes with Phil Kessel, but he joins a team with several up-and-coming skill forwards in Pontus Aberg and Kevin Fiala who could use a Cup-winning, two-way center by their side.
Kevin Shattenkirk, D, New York Rangers
Contract: four years, $26.6 million
The Rangers' solid 2016-17 power play just got a lot more dangerous. Shattenkirk, who has the best 5-on-4 scoring rate of any defenseman in the NHL during the past three seasons, joins a Blueshirts unit that already ranked 10th last season. At even strength, the former Blues defender solidifies at Rangers blue line that had already been improved this offseason by keeping Brendan Smith and adding Anthony DeAngelo, a former first-round pick with offensive skill. If reports are correct that veteran Kevin Klein plans to retire, Shattenkirk will not only fill his role on the second even-strength pair, but offer a significant upgrade.
Patrick Marleau, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
Contract: three years, $18.75 million
During the past four seasons, the long-time Shark has seen his point totals and time on ice go down, which would normally be a red flag, but the faded version of Marleau is still an effective offensive player. He scored 17 even-strength goals and had the second-best rate of shots on goal per 60 minutes on the Sharks. Toronto had the fifth-best 5-on-5 scoring rate in the NHL last season, but the Leafs were largely carried by their top-six forwards. Center Nazem Kadri's most common linemate in 2016-17 was Connor Brown, who scored only three goals in 419 minutes on the ice with Kadri. Marleau is a lock to be more effective, whether it's on a third line or moving up to play with the likes of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. At 37 years old, it's fair to wonder whether Marleau can keep up with the young guns, but it was clear last season that his skating is still strong enough to play in an uptempo Mike Babcock system.
Steve Mason, G, Winnipeg Jets
Contract: two years, $8.2 million
Mason probably thought he left seasons like he had in 2016-17 back in Columbus. After three strong seasons with the Flyers, the former Calder Trophy winner managed just a .908 save percentage, his worst mark by far since he was traded to Philadelphia by the Blue Jackets in 2013. Even with a season-long slump, which may have been fueled by poor defensive play in front of him, Mason wrapped up his time as a Flyer with a .917 save percentage in four seasons, a mark that is .001 behind Henrik Lundqvist and tied with Jonathan Quick during that time period. Meanwhile, the Jets rank 26th in team save percentage since 2012-13. If Winnipeg gets even average play from its new goalie, an improved defense and exciting young group of forwards should make it a contender.
Justin Williams, F, Carolina Hurricanes
Contract: two years, $9 million
Since Bill Peters took over as coach in 2014, Carolina ranks fifth in the NHL in Corsi for percentage, tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins. So what's the difference? The Penguins have had players who can actually score when they shoot. Only five Canes forwards scored double-digit even-strength goals last season, and Jeff Skinner was the lone all-situations 20-goal scorer. While Williams did have the benefit of playing alongside dynamic center Evgeny Kuznetsov, his terrific 19 goals and 19 assists at even strength are par for the course during his career. He has netted over 0.5 points per game every full season since his rookie campaign, and has missed only three games since 2011-12. Williams can help maximize the talent of some of Carolina's younger forwards.
Multiyear deals with potential for disaster
Dan Girardi, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
Contract: two years, $6 million
There was a time when Girardi was a top-notch shutdown defenseman, but those days are long gone. During the past three seasons, Girardi ranked last on the Rangers in both relative goals for percentage and relative Corsi percentage. According to the analytics site Natural Stat Trick, Girardi was on the ice for the second-most high-danger shot attempts per 60 minutes on the team. Moreover, the 33-year-old defenseman saw a drop in ice time for the fifth straight season. It's hard to see him bouncing back after spending so many years playing a tough, physical game.
Karl Alzner, D, Montreal Canadiens
Contract: five years, $23.1 million
Teams should always be cautious giving older players big contracts when their play has slipped recently, but especially if the player's performance has gone in the tank on a good team. Alzner had his worst career puck possession season in 2016-17, and sunk teammate John Carlson's play when the two were together. When playing with Alzner, Carlson had a 46.1 Corsi for percentage; without him, he posted a 54.4. While the Capitals did allow just 1.65 goals against per 60 minutes with Alzner on ice last season, that number might be fool's gold because he was also on for the second-highest number of high-danger chances.
Trevor Daley, D, Detroit Red Wings
Contract: three years, $9.5 million
Pittsburgh's trade for Daley was one of the moves that sparked the Penguins' return to dominance. During the past two seasons, the veteran defenseman scored 41 points in 109 games, played 20:25 per game during the regular season and appeared in 35 playoff games. In the right situation for a contender, Daley could still eat minutes and add some offensive firepower. However, Detroit's blue line now has four D-men over 30 years old, and three of them have no-trade or no-movement clauses. As a long shot for the playoffs next season, the Wings should only be signing players in the 30-and-up age range if they can eventually trade them at the deadline, as they did with Thomas Vanek last season.
Dmitry Kulikov, D, Winnipeg Jets
Contract: three years, $12.99 million
After three straight seasons of negative relative Corsi ratings and just five points in 47 games for the Buffalo Sabres last season, you would have bet the former first-round pick of the Panthers would have landed a prove-it, one-year contract. Instead, he got job security from a team that has struggled on defense.
Patrick Eaves, F, Anaheim Ducks
Contract: three years, $9.45 million
After joining the Ducks ahead of the trade deadline in 2016-17, Eaves scored 11 goals in 20 games and added four more points in seven playoff games. While his stint in Southern California couldn't have been much better, Eaves also had a higher shooting percentage in that span (20.0) than he's posted in his career. And before 2016-17, the 33-year-old hadn't appeared in more than 70 games in a season since 2008-09. Last season looks more like an outlier than what the Ducks should expect from Eaves going forward.