Will there be any high-priced buyouts this offseason?
One of the more interesting aspects of the offseason are the buyout windows. It’s an intriguing way to create cap space, especially because it comes at a price of gaining a decent amount of space in the short term but also losing a little bit in the long term, so the risk and reward is a bit of a gamble for the teams trying to see if it’s the right move.
Capfriendly, one of the most reliable sources for salary cap information, is often used by NHL fans to see what the buyout cost and savings would be for players, particularly ones on bad contracts. The main page of the website showcases the most popular buyouts in one section.
Right now, the most popular candidates are Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray and center John Tavares, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver-Ekman Larsson, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mikael Granlund, Montreal Canadiens winger Mike Hoffman, New York Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow, Boston Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly, and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell.
Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli took a look at these names on Daily Faceoff Live to see if any of them will actually get bought out.
Frank Seravalli: I’d be very surprised. I think the most likely, if any of them, would be Oliver Ekman-Larsson. I project Matt Murray’s going to LTIR. John Tavares is going nowhere. Mikael Granlund doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense. I think they’re better off trying to trade him, even if they have to give up something rather than buying him out. Jack Campbell’s not going anywhere. If the Oilers are smart, they’d rehab him. Barclay Goodrow, the juice isn’t really worth the squeeze. Mike Reilly, don’t think so, they’ll just stash him if they need to. And Mike Hoffman, I’m told the Canadiens are trying to move, but aren’t going to be paying a huge price in order to do it.
Tyler Yaremchuk: An Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout would also be a split cost as well, with around half a million dollars. $300k to $600k per year going to the Arizona Coyotes, and the Canucks obviously eating the bulk of that.
You can watch the full episode here…