Compliance Buyouts Thread

[Guest]

Thread for all the buyouts this off-season. Aaron Rome from the Stars is the first to go.

The NHL offseason is officially underway as the buyouts have begun.

If you'll recall, every NHL team was given two buyouts to use free of salary cap charge in the new CBA to help teams meet a cap that was coming down. Those buyouts could be used either last summer or this but after this offseason they are done.

The window to begin the buyouts opened on Monday morning and the Dallas Stars are the first team to use it, buying out defenseman Aaron Rome per reports from both Bob McKenzie and Ren Lavoie.

Rome only has one season left on his deal for $1.5 million but he was close to a non-factor for the Stars this season under Lindy Ruff. He played just 25 regular-season games averaging 13:05 per game and produced one assist. In the postseason he appeared in just one game for Dallas in which he played just 8:51.

In other words, he didn't have a big role and that probably wasn't going to change as he will turn 31 just before the start of next season.

Rome will still receive 2/3 of his salary with the buyout spread out over a couple of years but unlike a traditional buyout, there will be no lasting effects on the Stars' salary cap for next season, giving them just a little more room under the cap should they plan to use it.

Rome signed with the Stars as a free agent two years ago after a three-year stop in Vancouver.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-...pliance-buyout

[leaffan]

Both Richards (LA and NY) are expected to go.

[Ravin]

I'm torn on Fluery and if we should send him packing. Simply because, who do we replace him with? You can't say Miller, because we don't have the cap space, and is there any option of a goal right now that will give you 45 wins a year? And with the goalies out there now, there really isn't an option unless you go like a two goalie system. And that hasn't really worked out well for anyone in the league.

But Pittsburgh is in so much trouble money wise, you almost have to just to get the cash to spend on players.

[Guest]

Ville Leino with the Sabres and David Booth with the Canucks are on waivers for the purpose of their buyouts today.

Click HERE for a good read from CBS Sports about each team and their possibilities for their remaining buyouts. Interesting for my team, the Capitals will not use it on Brooks Laich. That $4.5 million could be used for so much more, instead of hedging our bets he can stay healthy. His physical style has taken a toll on his body and I wouldn't count on him being healthy for an entire season anymore.

[leaffan]

Ville Leino with the Sabres and David Booth with the Canucks are on waivers for the purpose of their buyouts today.

Click HERE for a good read from CBS Sports about each team and their possibilities for their remaining buyouts. Interesting for my team, the Capitals will not use it on Brooks Laich. That $4.5 million could be used for so much more, instead of hedging our bets he can stay healthy. His physical style has taken a toll on his body and I wouldn't count on him being healthy for an entire season anymore.

Really surprised they didn't use it on Laich unless they think he's going to bounce back. Still his contract is warranting something a little more than just over 40 and under 50 pts a year.

[leaffan]

Read on twitter the devils might use their buyout on Volchenkov. Really odd move if true. The guy is making 4.25 for just 2 more years and he's gotta be easily tradeable at that amount. Might just be some people throwing shit at the wall.

Other thing I found out today was all the bonuses are being handed out now so some teams are going to lose cap space next year. Devils and Red Wings for example are going to lose around 3mil in cap space next season due to overages.

[Guest]

Really surprised they didn't use it on Laich unless they think he's going to bounce back. Still his contract is warranting something a little more than just over 40 and under 50 pts a year.

I really think they are going to have him bounce back, but his injury history doesn't make me believe that at all. I would rather have the money, or maybe trade him for a similar contract. Volchenkov actually makes a lot of sense for this team.

[leaffan]

I really think they are going to have him bounce back, but his injury history doesn't make me believe that at all. I would rather have the money, or maybe trade him for a similar contract. Volchenkov actually makes a lot of sense for this team.

Buffalo would probably claim him when he got put on waivers to be honest. He's just trade bait next season to them and fills some gaps for the time being.

[Guest]

Brad Richards was bought out of the last six years of his contract by the New York Rangers, Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reported. The veteran forward was an integral part of the Rangers squad that made it to the Stanley Cup Final, but his nine-year, $60 million and its $6.67 million annual cap hit far exceeded his value as a roster player for the Rangers.


This is going to be an expensive hit for Rangers owner Jim Dolan, but if the Rangers want to remain a Cup contender, they had to buy out Richards' contract. With many restricted free agents left to sign and recent big-money, long-term deals awarded to Henrik Lundqvist and Dan Girardi, Richards' contract became too prohibitive under the cap for the Rangers to justify keeping him.

Richards will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

More to come.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-...w-york-rangers

[Guest]

Mike Richards will not be bought out by the Kings. That $5.75 cap hit is going to hurt when it comes time to pay up for their young talent. Even though he's no longer the scorer he once was, Richards can still play in a variety of roles and handle the tough defensive assignments, and you can't find that versatility on demand. I can see why they are keeping him.

[Ravin]

Next year is where it will hurt the most, as the list of RFA's they have to resign is impressive.

Kyle Clifford, Tanner Pearson, Tyler Toffoli and Jake Muzzin all are up, and you know the last three are going to need some bucks with how they have played. Then on top of that you have to resign Justin Williams, Jarret Stoll, Alex Martinez and Robyn Regehr. Of those, Williams and Martinez are the most critical, while Stoll and Regehr can let walk. Year after Kopitar's deal is up.

But they are not in a bad position when you actually look at the team. Their core is solid in their top 6, with three signed long term, and Kopitar an obvious resign. Two defence signed long term, plus I suspect Martinez and Muzzin to be around. So the Kings need to basically get a bottom 6 and last pair defence. They have $13million right now to spend with 18 players under contract.

How great of shape are they in? They need to replace Dwight King on forward and Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene on defence. All easily replaceable players in my eyes, and again, all in the bottom portion of the roster. They could get away with bringing in some prospects or filling it with cheap vets. The biggest money maker leaving is Gaborik, but even though, you are not throwing more than $5m for like 2 years at that guy.

Kings really have nothing to fear till next year, and even then, they have a crap load of money to throw at those RFA's.

[Guest]

Ed Jovanovski- Panthers
Christian Ehrhoff- Sabres
Mike Ribeiro- Coyotes

LOL at Phoenix buying out Ribeiro. They outbid the Caps for him and then release him....I guess his "behavior" issues were too much to conquor

[Ravin]

The Ed Jovanovski one is a little weird considering they wanted him back as a franchise player thing from back in the day.

Ehrhoff was simply a "cashed in at the right time" kind of player. Had a great year with Vancouver and got paid off big time by Buffalo, despite having no history of being that kind of defencemen over a long term.

[dave]

I honestly don't get the Jovanovski buyout. Why would you waste one of your two buyouts on a guy with one year left on his deal? I get that he's overpaid, but I just suck it up and use the second compliance buyout on a player whose contract is more onerous.