The 1989–90 NHL season proved the Edmonton Oilers were still a dynasty, even without Wayne Gretzky. Led by Mark Messier, who won the Hart Trophy, the Oilers captured their fifth Stanley Cup in seven years by defeating the Boston Bruins. Wayne Gretzky, now with the Kings, secured his seventh Art Ross Trophy. This season marked a milestone in globalization, as Soviet stars like Sergei Makarov and Vyacheslav Fetisov made their debuts. In net, Patrick Roy led the league in save percentage, while Ray Bourque took home the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman.
| Rank | Player | NHL Salary ($US) | In today's $ | |
| 1 | Mario Lemieux | $2,500,000 | $6,499,556 | |
| 2 | Steve Yzerman | $1,800,000 | $4,679,681 | |
| 3 | Wayne Gretzky | $1,720,000 | $4,471,695 | |
| 4 | Mark Messier | $837,142 | $2,176,419 | |
| 5 | Bryan Trottier | $800,000 | $2,079,858 | |
| 6 | Bernie Nicholls | $720,000 | $1,871,872 | |
| 7 | Dave Taylor | $700,000 | $1,819,876 | |
| 8 | Chris Chelios | $654,875 | $1,702,559 | |
| 9 | Viacheslav Fetisov | $600,000 | $1,559,894 | |
| 10 | Larry Robinson | $550,000 | $1,429,902 | |
| 11 | Michel Goulet | $540,800 | $1,405,984 | |
| 12 | Denis Savard | $525,000 | $1,364,907 | |
| 13 | Dale Hawerchuk | $507,000 | $1,318,110 | |
| 14 | Raymond Bourque | $500,000 | $1,299,911 | |
| 14 | Ron Hextall | $500,000 | $1,299,911 | |
| 14 | Doug Wilson | $500,000 | $1,299,911 | |
| 17 | Mike Liut | $455,000 | $1,182,919 | |
| 18 | Paul Coffey | $450,000 | $1,169,920 | |
| 18 | Borje Salming | $450,000 | $1,169,920 | |
| 18 | Marc Habscheid | $450,000 | $1,169,920 | |
| 21 | Al MacInnis | $443,625 | $1,153,346 | |
| 22 | Mark Howe | $425,000 | $1,104,925 | |
| 22 | Tim Kerr | $425,000 | $1,104,925 | |
| 22 | Gerard Gallant | $425,000 | $1,104,925 | |
| 25 | Jari Kurri | $422,500 | $1,098,425 |
Photo credit: Upper Deck 1990-91