- Marcus Johansson had the NHL’s cheapest cost per point in 2025-26 at roughly $16K
- He is the only bargain near the top of the list not cashing in, headed to Sweden instead
- Read below for how Mavrik Bourque and others turned value years into big raises
Nobody in hockey produced a cheaper goal or assist last season than Marcus Johansson.
The veteran forward played the 2025-26 season on an $800K contract in Minnesota and put up 49 points. That works out to about $16,000 per point, the best rate among NHL forwards outside of entry-level deals. His 0.65 points per game lapped everyone else near the top of the value chart.
Take a look at the kind of quiet playmaking that made him such a steal:
There is a twist, though. Johansson is the only player near the top of that bargain list who isn’t cashing in. The 35-year-old is heading home to Sweden on a one-year deal with Farjestad BK of the SHL, likely closing out an NHL career worth more than 500 points.
Almost everyone else turned a bargain season into a payday. Mavrik Bourque is the clearest example. He gave Dallas 20 goals and 41 points on a $950K hit, then watched his life change in a matter of days.
Dallas traded his rights to Nashville on July 1, and the Predators handed him a six-year, $33 million deal that carries a $5.5 million cap hit. That’s almost six times what the Stars paid to get that production.
Nashville made it official:
The pattern held down the line. A.J. Greer parlayed 32 points on an $850K deal into a four-year contract in Anaheim that roughly quintupled his pay. Michael Carcone more than doubled his money in Utah. Parker Kelly and Linus Karlsson both landed fresh raises after cheap, productive years in Colorado and Vancouver.
Justin Sourdif is the rare holdout. The Capitals forward matched Kelly’s line almost exactly on an $825K hit, and his deal runs through 2026-27. Washington, one of the league’s biggest spenders this summer, gets one more discounted season before his restricted free agency arrives.
Johansson picked a different ending. He’s swapping the best value contract in the league for a trip back home to Sweden.
