Insider reveals nine players who could be bought out soon
This summer, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli has identified nine possible buyout candidates, two of whom were only signed by their respective teams the previous year.
The buyout window was closer than anticipated after Florida's victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 on Thursday night put them in position to capture their first-ever Stanley Cup. The NHL's buyout window officially starts 48 hours following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, so if Florida wins on Saturday, it will be available on Monday.
Pierre-Luc Dubois is the most prominent player on Frank Seravalli's list of nine National Hockey League players who could be purchased out when the window opens, which was released on Friday by Daily Faceoff.
After being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the previous season, Dubois inked an eight-year contract deal worth $8.5 million annually with the organization. His 40 points in 82 games and one goal in five Stanley Cup Playoff games during his rookie season in Los Angeles did not go as the franchise had hoped.
A delayed buyout of the 25-year-old might present challenges if it happens after June 24th. Dubois' buyout would only cost the Kings 1/3 of his contract because he is only 25 years old, as opposed to 2/4 after his birthday on June 24. According to Seravalli, the buyout of the Dubois contract would take place over the course of 14 years, with the total amount owed ranging from $1.1 to $3.8 million.
"Yes, we heard GM Rob Blake say at locker cleanout day that the Kings were not planning on buying out Dubois. But this makes too much sense. At least until June 24, it does. That's when Dubois turns 26. For now, he is 25, and that means the Kings are only responsible for paying one-third of the money remaining on his deal, instead of two-thirds which happens when he celebrates his 26th birthday. If the Cup Final goes to Game 7, then it won't be possible. And of course, a 14-year buyout sounds painful now, but the majority of the cap hits are negligible at a time when the cap will be well exceeding $100 million per year. The Kings would save $32 million in real cash � which is a serious amount of dough. It's better to admit a mistake and pay a lesser price rather than double down and have it hurt much worse in the long-term." Seravalli said.
The other eight names on Servalli's list are - Jack Campbell (Edmonton Oilers), Barclay Goodrow (New York Rangers), Joonas Korpisalo (Ottawa Senators), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (New York Islanders), Torey Krug (St. Louis Blues), Cal Petersen (Philadelphia Flyers), Cam Atkinson (Philadelphia Flyers) and Ryan Suter (Dallas Stars).
When the NHL window opens, it will be fascinating to watch how many, if any, players are bought out. However, considering some of the names Frank Seravalli put up and the fact that Dubois appears to be a strong contender to have his contract bought out, it might be really busy.
Source: Blade of Steel
Frank Seravalli names nine potential buyout candidates this summer
| POLL | ||
Which player do you think is most likely to be bought out? | ||
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | 38 | 22.4 % |
| Joonas Korpisalo | 15 | 8.8 % |
| Jack Campbell | 111 | 65.3 % |
| Barclay Goodrow | 6 | 3.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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