Roster Construction

League Value Map

Every team's production against what its lineup costs, measured against the league benchmark for the slots it fills. 2025-26 production, 26-27 cap hits.

Market-priced slots only. Entry-level and RFA-expiry contracts are set aside on both axes. The benchmark is built from open-market deals, so club-controlled contracts read as bargains no matter who signed them, and leaving them in pushes every team onto the cheap side.

Every NHL team ranked by production index minus cost index, measured over market-priced slots.
#TeamVerdict
1EDM1.231.05+0.18Paying up3 of 18764
2COL1.211.04+0.16Good value2 of 18364
3TBL1.201.05+0.15Paying up3 of 18462
4CAR1.080.96+0.12Good value0 of 17271
5DAL1.131.02+0.11Good value1 of 18664
6OTT1.050.93+0.11Good value3 of 18473
7UTA1.080.97+0.11Good value0 of 17074
8PIT1.030.93+0.10Good value4 of 18562
9BUF1.141.05+0.09Paying up5 of 17167
10BOS1.040.95+0.08Good value3 of 18371
11FLA1.111.05+0.06Paying up0 of 17459
12MTL1.211.17+0.04Paying up4 of 16467
13SEA0.830.81+0.02Thrifty5 of 18468
14TOR1.151.14+0.01Paying up2 of 17564
15VGK1.131.12+0.01Paying up2 of 18261
16NJD1.031.02+0.01Market rate1 of 18369
17DET1.001.00+0.01Market rate5 of 17673
18WSH1.041.04-0.01Market rate2 of 17371
19LAK0.990.99-0.01Market rate2 of 18670
20CBJ1.031.07-0.04Market rate4 of 17669
21PHI1.001.03-0.04Market rate4 of 17468
22NSH0.951.01-0.06Poor value3 of 18767
23MIN1.011.07-0.07Poor value3 of 18560
24WPG0.900.97-0.07Poor value4 of 18761
25STL0.880.98-0.10Poor value5 of 18466
26NYR1.061.17-0.11Paying up7 of 18868
27CHI0.871.03-0.16Poor value7 of 18564
28ANA0.961.15-0.19Poor value4 of 16466
29VAN0.750.95-0.20Poor value6 of 18761
30NYI0.891.09-0.20Overpaying5 of 17566
31SJS0.801.06-0.26Overpaying5 of 17565
32CGY0.630.90-0.27Thrifty5 of 181160

Slots come from each team's projected lineup; benchmarks from every qualifying occupant of that slot league-wide. A team is scored only on the slots where its occupant has both a real contract and a usable stat line, so the denominator varies by club.