3 Summer Deals That Could Haunt These Clubs for YEARS

Their team might be negatively affected by these three contracts.

 

1 Washington Capitals – Alex Tuch. (8 years multiplied by $10.5 million)

 

We heard rumors about a possible deal involving Alex Tuch for weeks and months as he appeared unable to come to an agreement during negotiations with the Buffalo Sabres, and now we understand why. Tuch inked a monster contract as part of a sign and trade between the Sabres and Capitals, and it’s difficult to see how this deal will succeed in the long term.

 

Tuch is already thirty years old, and he will be thirty-eight when this agreement expires. Few, if any, players are able to keep their prime form at such a late stage of their careers. However, the Capitals are in a win-now mentality, so that will be a concern for them another day.

 

2 Toronto Maple Leafs sign Darren Raddysh for eight years at $8.5 million.

 

The Tampa Bay Lightning were unwilling to pay Darren Raddysh the amount he wanted, much like the Sabres did with Tuch, and instead sent him to a division competitor through a sign and trade. This might be a tragedy in the making if the Lightning’s decision to trade Raddysh within their own division is alarming to start with, and Raddysh is already 30 years old, much like Tuch.

 

However, like the Capitals, the Maple Leafs are in a win-now mentality and may be even more eager to assemble a competitive roster around captain Auston Matthews before his contract expires at the conclusion of the 2027–28 season.

 

3 Bowen Byram – Chicago Blackhawks (6 years x $12.5 million)

 

Byram is at the top of this list of most expensive contracts, not because of his age but because of the huge ramifications that come with such a big deal. The Blackhawks were determined to bolster their lineup with a number one defensemen to help star forward Connor Bedard, but Byram has not yet shown to be a genuinely bona fide top pairing defensemen.

 

Although Byram has really shined, he has gained from having elite NHL defensemen like Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin take on the hardest matchups during his stints with the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres, respectively. This could be a very expensive error on the part of the Blackhawks, who are attempting to construct a contending squad around Bedard, if Byram does not meet those expectations, even though he may very well possess the talent to be the player they believe he is.

 

What do you think is the riskiest contract of the summer so far?