The window for the NHL’s amnesty buyouts is set to open Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET (48 hours from the Stanley Cup clinching) and will slam shut — until next summer — at 5 p.m. ET on July 4, the eve of free agency.
Each team has been granted two compliance buyouts to use either this summer or next, a clause embedded in the new CBA to provide some previously spend-silly GMs with a mulligan. Or two. Some teams have already stated their intentions publicly; others are remaining tight-lipped and will work the trade phones until they’re left with no other options.
In order to be bought out, the player must not be injured, however. He must also pass through waivers, although that is more a matter of formality since no one is jumping to pay Ilya Bryzgalov what the 2011 Flyers are.
Who we know is gone for sure:
Tomas Kaberle
Ilya Bryzgalov
Danny Briere
Rumored to be gone:
Keith Ballard
Eric Cole
Mike Komisarek
Vincent Lecavalier
Brad Richards
Rick DiPietro
Anton Volchenkov
Ed Jovanovski
Ville Leino
and so on