Waiting for Gaudreau: The biggest contracts in Calgary Flames history

BIGGEST CAP HIT

• $7 MILLION – JAROME IGINLA (2005-08)
  Coming off of a stretch where he scored 35, 41 and 50 goals and was among the best hockey players on the planet, Darryl Sutter astutely opened the cheque book.
• $7 MILLION – JAROME IGINLA (2008-13)
  Iginla’s play didn’t deteriorate during his previous contract (above), where he scored 35, 39 and 50 goals. So, he got another, longer, one.
• $6.75 MILLION – MARK GIORDANO (2016-22)
  Giordano replaced Iginla as captain after the latter’s departure and continued his quiet progression into a Norris-caliber defender.
  
• $6.68 MILLION – JAY BOUWMEESTER (2009-14)
  Darryl Sutter traded for Bouwmeester’s rights before the draft and signed him to a big, big money deal.
• $6.5 MILLION – DION PHANEUF (2008-14)
  Phaneuf’s first contract after his entry-level deal was steep and almost impossible to live up to.
• $6.375 MILLION – SEAN MONAHAN (2016-23)
  
• $5.83 MILLION – MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF (2008-14)
  Kiprusoff put up some gaudy numbers in the first couple of season after the lockout, so he got a hefty raise.
• $5.75 MILLION – DOUGIE HAMILTON (2015-21)
  The Flames acquired Hamilton with great fanfare at the 2015 NHL Draft and then locked him up long-term, with a cap hit only beaten by Giordano’s.
  
• $5.25 MILLION – ALEX TANGUAY (2006-09)
  The Flames traded for Tanguay at the 2016 NHL Draft and signed him to a fairly big-money deal. He was coming off a few really productive seasons and the hope was he’d be a good fit with Jarome Iginla.
• $5.25 MILLION – DENNIS WIDEMAN (2012-17)
  Jay Feaster traded for Wideman’s rights and signed him long-term to bolster the power-play – ala Sutter with Bouwmeester three seasons prior. It has been… mixed.
  

BIGGEST TOTAL VALUE

• $44.625 MILLION – SEAN MONAHAN (2016-23)
  Monahan’s deal is for seven seasons at $6.375 million apiece.
• $40.5 MILLION – MARK GIORDANO (2016-22)
  Current Flames captain Giordano signed a six-year deal at $6.75 million per season.
  
• $39 MILLION – DION PHANEUF (2008-14)
  Back when he was thought to be the answer on the blueline, young Phaneuf signed for six seasons at $6.5 million per season.
• $35 MILLION – MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF (2008-14)
  Miikka Kiprusoff’s last NHL contract was for six seasons and $5,833,333 (rounded to $5.83 million). He was good for five of those seasons.
• $35 MILLION – JAROME IGINLA (2008-13)
  Coming off a three-year deal at $7 million apiece, the Flames extended Iginla for five more seasons at the same cap hit.
• $34.5 MILLION – DOUGIE HAMILTON (2015-21)
  Arguably Brad Treliving’s biggest swing, acquiring Hamilton for picks and signing him for six years (at a hefty $5.75 million cap hit).
  
• $33.4 MILLION – JAY BOUWMEESTER (2009-14)
  Compared to some of the deals that came after him, Bouwmeester’s was rather pedestrian: five seasons at $6.68 million. He was the highest-paid Flame (in terms of cap hit) for three days following Iginla’s trade to Pittsburgh.