Karlsson as captain is terrible, but I don't see the issue with the Ryan contract. On anh his role was limited because of players like Getzlaf and Perry, hence why they moved him. He's a very talented player and that's a very appropriate salary in the current market.
Now David Clarkson's contract... that's crazy.
Should be interesting to see the size of Stamko's new contract later this season. 13-14m a season?