| vs previous season | ||||||
| Rank | Player | NHL Salary ($US) | In today's $ | +/- ($) | +/- (%) | |
| 1 | Sergei Fedorov | $28,000,000 | $52,835,784 | $23,800,000 | 567% | |
| 2 | Joe Sakic | $17,000,000 | $32,078,869 | $13,900,000 | 448% | |
| 3 | Chris Gratton | $10,000,000 | $18,869,923 | $9,025,000 | 926% | |
| 4 | Wayne Gretzky | $6,500,000 | $12,265,450 | $1,452,500 | 29% | |
| 5 | Mark Messier | $6,015,000 | $11,350,259 | $15,000 | 0% | |
| 6 | Paul Kariya | $5,500,000 | $10,378,458 | $4,925,000 | 857% | |
| 6 | Pavel Bure | $5,500,000 | $10,378,458 | $500,000 | 10% | |
| 8 | Jaromir Jagr | $5,100,000 | $9,623,661 | $1,050,000 | 26% | |
| 9 | Steve Yzerman | $5,079,063 | $9,584,153 | $586,714 | 13% | |
| 10 | Pat LaFontaine | $4,800,000 | $9,057,563 | $200,000 | 4% | |
| 11 | Brett Hull | $4,700,000 | $8,868,864 | $300,000 | 7% | |
| 12 | Patrick Roy | $4,463,260 | $8,422,137 | $7,316 | 0% | |
| 13 | Scott Stevens | $4,312,500 | $8,137,654 | $562,500 | 15% | |
| 14 | Dominik Hasek | $4,000,000 | $7,547,969 | -$200,000 | -5% | |
| 14 | Peter Forsberg | $4,000,000 | $7,547,969 | $1,126,500 | 39% | |
| 16 | Mike Richter | $3,900,000 | $7,359,270 | $300,000 | 8% | |
| 17 | Eric Lindros | $3,746,800 | $7,070,183 | -$435,200 | -10% | |
| 18 | Chris Chelios | $3,709,905 | $7,000,562 | $909,905 | 32% | |
| 19 | Brendan Shanahan | $3,600,000 | $6,793,172 | |||
| 19 | Jeremy Roenick | $3,600,000 | $6,793,172 | $400,000 | 13% | |
| 21 | Doug Gilmour | $3,550,000 | $6,698,823 | $1,314,350 | 59% | |
| 22 | Al MacInnis | $3,500,000 | $6,604,473 | |||
| 22 | Mike Modano | $3,500,000 | $6,604,473 | $578,100 | 20% | |
| 24 | Raymond Bourque | $3,436,719 | $6,485,062 | $935,119 | 37% | |
| 25 | Joe Murphy | $3,400,000 | $6,415,774 | $600,000 | 21% | |
| 25 | Teemu Selanne | $3,400,000 | $6,415,774 | $550,000 | 19% | |