According to figures from CapWages, the Pittsburgh Penguins still have about $249,229 in salary cap space on a budget that has swollen to $87,750,771.

However, only seven players on the current roster have a salary cap above $5 million. So where do these players rank compared to their counterparts in the NHL?

Well, the answer is quite surprising, as Pittsburgh’s five highest-paid players barely make it under the NHL’s top 150 salary cap picks.

Kris Letang – $6.1 million (142nd)

Veteran defenseman Kris Letang is the only player on this list with the most years remaining on his contract. In July 2022, he agreed to a six-year extension with four seasons remaining and an annual value of $6.1 million.

Since Letang is 37 years old and has already had a lot of injuries, no one knows if he can fulfill his contract and still be a member of the Penguins at the age of 41.

But as one of the veterans with plenty of experience, there’s no denying that he has a place in the lineup. However, depending on how next season goes, Pittsburgh could be in a rebuilding phase and no longer a contender.

Evgeni Malkin – $6.1 million (141st)

Evgeni Malkin has spent his entire career with the Penguins, and this upcoming season will be the penultimate of a four-year extension he signed with former general manager Ron Hextall in July 2022.

At 38 years old, there is no guarantee that fans will see Malkin finish his professional hockey career in Pittsburgh, as rumors swirled this summer that he would return to Russia to play in the KHL.

Malkin has been healthy and hasn’t missed a game the last two seasons, but he’s not the 100-point player he once was.

Kevin Hayes – $7.1 million (98th)

Kevin Hayes signed a seven-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in June 2019. He is in the penultimate year of the contract, is worth $50 million and has an annual average value of $7.1 million.

Hayes will make his Penguins debut in October. He is another veteran, and current general manager Kyle Dubas signed him to help lift the team out of its two-season postseason drought.

Sidney Crosby – $8.7 million (45th)

No one could ever deny that Sidney Crosby is a money-hungry man who still plays at a Hall of Fame level despite his annual income of $8.7 million.

Crosby is the longest-tenured captain in franchise history and could become a free agent in 2025 when his 12-year, $104 million contract expires on July 1.

Although he has not yet signed a contract extension, he will undoubtedly take advantage of another “hometown” discount to help management continue to build a contender around him.

Erik Karlsson – $11.5 million (sixth)

The Penguins signed three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson in a trade with the San Jose Sharks in August 2023. His current contract, worth $92 million, was signed in 2019 and he has three seasons left on it.

Karlsson’s average annual value is $11.5 million, with a cap hit of $1.5 million thanks to a $1 million signing bonus and a base salary of $10.

The only players who earn more money than the Swedish defender are Auston Matthews ($13.2 million), Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million), Connor McDavid ($12.5 million), Artemi Panarin ($11.6 million) and Elias Pettersson ($11.6 million).