Which of the top NHL prospects will receive the biggest contract check?

When Canadian superstar Alexis Lafreniere reportedly signed a seven-year, $52.15 million deal to stay with the New York Rangers, speculation began as to who might be next to win the jackpot of an NHL contract.

At the end of the month, fellow Rangers forward Igor Shesterkin made headlines when he rejected a stunning eight-year, $88 million contract extension offer, according to ESPN. Had he accepted the extension, Shesterkin would have had a contract that surpassed 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 hardball – that he's hoping for a bigger return now that he's an unrestricted free agent and an integral part of the Rangers' Stanley Cup-winning team.

“I suspect Shesterkin will get more than $11.5 million apiece,” an agent told ESPN. “He’s not going to settle for a lower number just because.”

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

According to Forbes, Shea Theodore avoided unrestricted free agent status by signing a seven-year contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights – a move that will be worth a maximum of $51.975 million over the life of the contract.

Who else will demand these huge contracts – and more specifically, who will deserve them?

One player who could be rewarded with a nice salary 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 above his current cap hit of $3.9 million, especially now that they have more money to play have the disappearance of Connor Brown's overperformance.

Another potential big payday could be Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche, who is an unrestricted free agent with a current cap hit of $0.925 million. There is speculation that the team could give him a payout of $13 million through 2025 and beyond, but it remains to be seen whether his cap number can be raised.

Who gets what from the NHL team of their choice ultimately depends on market caps and budgets, and there's no question that more contracts will be announced in the coming days.