The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in a season where Mario Lemieux got the most point but couldn't lead the Penguins past the 1st round of the playoffs. Anaheim's Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya finish second and third in points, after Lemieux, but are not in the Top 25 best paid NHLers that season.
| vs previous season | |||||
| Rank | Player | NHL Salary ($US) | In today's $ | +/- ($) | +/- (%) |
| 1 | Mario Lemieux | $11,321,000 | $19,509,508 | $6,749,571 | 148% |
| 2 | Mark Messier | $6,000,000 | $10,339,815 | ||
| 3 | Wayne Gretzky | $5,047,500 | $8,698,369 | -$1,497,863 | -23% |
| 4 | Pavel Bure | $5,000,000 | $8,616,513 | $500,000 | 11% |
| 5 | Pat LaFontaine | $4,600,000 | $7,927,192 | $300,000 | 7% |
| 6 | Steve Yzerman | $4,492,349 | $7,741,676 | $788,546 | 21% |
| 7 | Patrick Roy | $4,455,944 | $7,678,940 | $1,525,947 | 52% |
| 8 | Brett Hull | $4,400,000 | $7,582,531 | $600,000 | 16% |
| 9 | Sergei Fedorov | $4,200,000 | $7,237,871 | $37,967 | 1% |
| 9 | Dominik Hasek | $4,200,000 | $7,237,871 | $1,474,701 | 54% |
| 11 | Eric Lindros | $4,182,000 | $7,206,851 | ||
| 12 | Jaromir Jagr | $4,050,000 | $6,979,375 | $800,000 | 25% |
| 13 | Scott Stevens | $3,750,000 | $6,462,384 | $550,000 | 17% |
| 14 | Brendan Shanahan | $3,600,000 | $6,203,889 | $125,000 | 4% |
| 14 | Mike Richter | $3,600,000 | $6,203,889 | $600,000 | 20% |
| 16 | Alexander Mogilny | $3,500,000 | $6,031,559 | -$250,000 | -7% |
| 16 | Al MacInnis | $3,500,000 | $6,031,559 | $300,000 | 9% |
| 18 | Jeremy Roenick | $3,200,000 | $5,514,568 | $1,800,000 | 129% |
| 19 | Joe Sakic | $3,100,000 | $5,342,238 | $200,000 | 7% |
| 20 | Brian Leetch | $3,087,500 | $5,320,697 | $475,000 | 18% |
| 21 | Rob Blake | $3,075,000 | $5,299,155 | $750,000 | 32% |
| 22 | Pierre Turgeon | $3,000,000 | $5,169,908 | -$400,000 | -12% |
| 22 | Pat Verbeek | $3,000,000 | $5,169,908 | $1,250,000 | 71% |
| 22 | Alexei Zhamnov | $3,000,000 | $5,169,908 | $2,088,750 | 229% |
| 25 | Kevin Stevens | $2,997,614 | $5,165,796 | $60,000 | 2% |