Top 10 NHL Buyout Candidates

With the amnesty buyout period upon us, some teams will have big decisions to make regarding over-earning and under-performing players.  Do they stick with the player in hopes that they might make a resurgence, or do they go ahead and write a massive check and essentially pay the player to play elsewhere.

Some decisions will also be made through necessity, so that a team can operate under the Salary cap.

The first volley has already been fired, as the Philadelphia Flyers have already made Daniel Briere aware that he will be bought out once the period begins 48 hours after the Stanley Cup is awarded.

Mar 13, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center

(48) during warmups for their game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Here are 10 other candidates for a buyout.  Some will be bought out this year, others might be bough out next summer and some might not be bought out at all.  If teams can find a way through trade to unload that salary, they would go in that direction, but some contracts are untradeable.

These are not the only players that could be bought out, but the top 10 that make sense to me.

Tomas Kaberle, Montreal Canadiens

Mar 01, 2012; Montreal, QC, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Tomas Kaberle (22) before the first period against Minnesota Wild at the Bell Center. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

The 35 year old Canadiens defenseman has 1 year and $4.5M salary on his current deal.  His buyout would be $3M and would clear $4.25M in cap space for the Canadiens.

Kaberle played in just 10 games for the Habs in the 2013 season.

Shawn Horcoff, Edmonton Oilers

April 19 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Shawn Horcoff (10) reacts during the third period of the game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Oilers captain has 2 years and $7M owing on his contract that kicked in for the 2009-10 season.  His $4.62M buyout would clear $5.5M in cap space for the Oilers

While the Oilers would prefer to trade the contract, there might not be many takers for the aging veteran who was overpaid even for the pre-lockout era.

Keith Ballard, Vancouver Canucks

Apr 10, 2013; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Keith Ballard (4) skates with the puck during the first period against the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Vancouver Canucks won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Canucks are in serious salary cap trouble, and moving Roberto Luongo‘s salary won’t be enough to get them out of it.  Ballard has two years left with a cap hit of $4.2M per season.  A payment of just over $5.5M relieves them of that cap obligation.

Ballard has been a part-time player for the last couple of years, and hasn’t even come close to living up to his contract.

Martin Havlat, San Jose Sharks

Apr 18, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Martin Havlat (9) skates up the ice during the first period of the game against the Minnesota Wild at the HP Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Havlat is a skilled but oft-injured winger who has trouble staying in the Sharks’ lineup, but when he does get in, his production does not match his contract.  He still has 2 years and $11M owing, so a buyout of  just over $7.25M would free up $5M in cap space, which the Sharks need in order to fit Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski as well as TJ Galiardi and James Shepherd under the cap going forward.

His status may negate an amnesty buyout, if he is deemed injured as he did not finish the Sharks playoff series with LA due to injury.

Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning

Apr 21, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier (4) skates with the puck as Carolina Hurricanes left wing

(28) defends during the second period at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Lightning would like to reduce their cap hit by the almost $7.75M that Lecavalier will occupy for the next 7 years, but the $30M cheque they would have to write to do it might be too daunting.  Lecavalier is a 2nd line centre on the Lightning and that is a lot of cash tied up in that asset.  For the next three years he has a salary of $10M before it begins to fall rapidly, especially over the last 3 years of the deal.

Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks

Jun 19, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81) warms up before game four of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-USA TODAY Sports

Like they did after their Cup victory in 2010, the Hawks are going to have to make some changes to their roster.  As valuable as Hossa is to the team, his cap hit is big and lasts for a long time.  He also has one of those contracts that goes until he is 42 years old, with minimal salary over the last few years, which might be subject to the new Salary Cap recapture penalties.

His buyout would cost the Blackhawks just over $21M, and would free up $5.275M in cap space for the next 8 years.  At 34 years of age, this might be one the Hawks have to swallow and cut the cheque.

Ville Leino, Buffalo Sabres

Mar 21, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Ville Leino (23) brings the puck into the Toronto Maple Leafs zone during the second period at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Leino was a benfactor of having a good playoff at the right time and the Buffalo spending spree of 2011.  However, he has underperformed in Buffalo, and I would think they would like to get themselves out of the $4.5M cap hit for the next 4 years by cutting him a $10M cheque.

Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers

Apr 27 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers Pgoalie Ilya Bryzgalov (30) during warm ups prior to game against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Flyers have stated they will not buy out Bryzgalov, there might not be any other option.  The Flyers are well above the cap, and need to get well below it before many of their star players become restricted free agents – Claude Giroux (RFA), Brayden Schenn (RFA), Sean Couturier (RFA) and Matt Read (UFA).

His $23M buyout would be a tough cheque to write, but combined with Briere, it would free up over $12M in cap space.

Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders

Feb 11, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro (39) makes a save during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Another no-brainer, the Islanders will no doubt scratch a $24M cheque to relieve themselves of his $4.5M cap hit that would go on for another 8 years.