While it’s still very early in the 2026-27 season, it’s not too early to begin looking at players who may be setting themselves up to earn a big pay raise in the summer. With the salary cap rising at a steep rate, promising individual performances can have even more weight as teams look to identify and pay players before those players can realize the full extent of their value on the open market.
The Anaheim Ducks’ decision to pay Tristan Luneau, with less than 30 NHL games to his name, a $7.2MM AAV on a long-term contract extension serves as an illustration of this principle in action.
One player who is lining himself up to earn a substantial pay raise is Minnesota Wild winger Max Shabanov. The 26-year-old former KHL star endured a difficult NHL rookie season with the New York Islanders in 2025-26, and New York ultimately non-tendered him after he scored just 18 points in 44 games.
The Wild inked Shabanov to a one-year, $1.6MM deal, and he’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights over the summer. His early-season form suggests a major pay raise could be in store, as he’s found himself a regular role on Minnesota’s top power play unit and has produced nine points in his first 13 games with the Wild.