When Canadian sensation Alexis Lafreniere signed a seven-year, $52.15 million contract to remain with the New York Rangers, speculation began to arise about who could be the next to hit the jackpot of an NHL contract received.

At the beginning of the month, Igor Shesterkin, Lafreniere’s Rangers compatriot, made headlines when he turned down an eight-year, $88 million offer to extend his contract, according to ESPN. Had he accepted the extension, Shesterkin would have had a contract that exceeded that of goaltender Carey Price, who signed an eight-year, $84 million extension with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017.

But insiders say Shesterkin is playing hard — that he’s hoping for a bigger payday now that he’s an unrestricted free agent and a vital part of the Rangers’ Stanley Cup-winning team.

“I suspect Shesterkin will get well over $11.5 million per person,” one agent told ESPN. “He won’t just settle for a lower number.”

Other free agents are looking at other big contracts just signed by newcomers to perhaps influence their decisions. For example, Jake McCabe just signed a five-year, $22.55 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to the official NHL page.

Shea Theodore has bypassed unrestricted free agent status by signing a seven-year contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights, according to Forbes – a move that will have a maximum value of $51.975 million over the life of the contract.

Who else will demand these jumbo contracts – and, more specifically, who will earn them?

One player who could be rewarded with a nice payday is Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers. He’s already a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, but that won’t stop the Oilers from potentially offering him a contract that’s more than his current $3.9 million cap hit, especially now that they have more money to play with , thanks to the disappearance of Connor Brown’s performance overage.

Another potential big reward could be Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche, an unrestricted free agent with a current cap hit of $.925 million. There is speculation that he could receive a $13 million bounty from the team for 2025 and beyond, but it remains to be seen if his cap hit can be increased.

Who gets what from the NHL team of their choice will ultimately depend on market cap and budget, and there’s no doubt that more contracts will be announced in the coming days.