Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic this week released his yearly Top 10 Contracts List, the 2025 edition and sitting at No. 2 on the list is Lightning forward Brandon Hagel.
After three years with the Chicago Blackhawks, Hagel was signed by the Lightning in March of 2022 and was a part of helping lead the team to the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. In 2023 he gave a long-term commitment to Tampa Bay for eight-years, $52 million ($6.3 million average, keeping the Lightning’s cap space on the low end).
Hagel’s breakout season came in 2024-25 in which through 82 games he scored 35 goals, had 55 assists, 90 points, and was +33. Impressively as well is the note that all of Hagel’s goals have come outside of penalty minutes, proving that he has the ability to win the puck and create scoring opportunities against an even field.
The 26-year old left-handed shooter was named “NHL Start for the week” the first week of the 2025 season and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 2025. Signing him has proven to be a great signing for the Lightning in how he has led the team and succeeded offensively on the ice.
In three seasons with the Lightning, Hagel has a total 91 goals, 138 assists, and 220 points.
What started as Hagel not sure if his career would take off after being drafted by the Buffalo Sabrers in 2016 has turned out to be three continued years of improvement on the ice with the Lightning and now has him sitting second on Luszczyszyn Top 10 Contracts list, just under New Jersey Devils center, Jack Hughes, who is entering into the fourth year of his eight-year, $8 million contract with the Devils.
Hagel is entering into the third season of his eight-year contract and looks to continue to build on his career-high season he had in 2024-25.
"When Brandon Hagel signed an eight-year extension in the summer of 2023, he was coming off a breakthrough 64-point season — an impressive feat given his lack of time on the top power play. Combine that with his ability to drive play, and Hagel was starting to look like a core piece for the Lightning as a potential top-line threat. The max-term deal was a no-brainer, and while there was some sticker shock for some, the $6.5 million cap hit looked like one that would age pretty well (his market value at the time was around $7 million).
Today, the only shock is what Hagel has become: one of the best wingers in hockey. Hagel’s rise since signing has been meteoric, culminating in a spot on Team Canada amidst a season where he scored 35 goals and 90 points while finishing top 10 in Selke voting. Hagel has become a star, doing most of his damage at five-on-five, where only two players scored more points than him last season: David Pastrnak and Nikita Kucherov. He’s the real deal.
Naturally, that kind of production and defensive utility is going to be worth a lot of money, enough to nearly double Hagel’s cap hit, given his age and the rising cap climate. It may still be a shock at how valuable Hagel has become, but there’s no denying he’s become an eight-figure player after last season. With seven years left on his deal, Hagel has one of the absolute best contracts in hockey," said Luszczyszyn.
