The National Hockey League (NHL) contract buyback phase has officially begun. It’s a good way for a club to break free from a troubled contract, but also expect to have to live with the consequences.
Last year, seven contracts were bought between July 5th and 13th. There were no major surprises, except perhaps for Colin White, whose six-year, $4.75 million-a-year contract was terminated halfway through the contract by the Ottawa Senators.
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Here are five players who could meet the same fate this year.
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– Joel Armia, Montreal Canadiens
Some will say Brendan Gallagher, others Mike Hoffman, but Joel Armia has been a thorn in the side of the Habs for several years. One of general manager Marc Bergevin’s final decisions before his sacking was to grant the Finnish striker a four-year, $13.6 million contract extension on July 27, 2021.
Armia are frequently injured and have scored 14 points in each of their last three seasons. We’ll remember his surprise hat-trick against the Washington Capitals on April 6 of last year, but otherwise he was pretty much invisible.
Canceling his contract would save CH nearly $7 million over the next two years, but would result in a $1.43 million penalty over the next two years.
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– Mike Reilly, Boston Bruins
In the 2022-2023 season, the defenseman was from the American League and participated in the Bruins’ historic season. Reilly, a former Canadiens, played 10 games in Boston and 36 more in Providence, where his 26-point performance was very decent, but not for a 29-year-old earning a $3 million salary.
The risk for the Bruins wouldn’t be huge as Reilly is in the last year of his contract. The operation could save a total of $1.33 million. A decision to think about for general manager Don Sweeney, who has a lot of deals to close this summer.
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– Matt Murray, Toronto Maple Leafs
Murray’s situation in Toronto is quite unique. The Ontario goalie didn’t meet his $6.25 million salary and could end up on the long-term absentee list due to injuries in his final year of the contract. Such a move would save valuable dollars, especially since Joseph Woll and Erik Kallgren could easily take his place in the hierarchy behind Ilya Samsonov.
The ideal solution for the Leafs would be to send Murray to another team in a gift pack with a prospect or draft pick. The takeover would be risky given that the $2 million penalty in 2024-2025 coincides with the entry of Auston Matthews and William Nylander into the Freelancers.
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– Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vancouver Canucks
A buyout would be a big risk here, as the defenseman still has $29 million to make four years from now, but according to Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman, the Canucks have chosen that direction. The Canucks would save a total of $10 million, which would allow them to put a large salary aside.
However, Ekman-Larsson’s experience is significant and the team’s defense hopes are slim. The former Arizona Coyotes captain was the Canucks’ second-best scorer at the blue line, though his 22 points was his worst tally all season.
At the age of 31, the decline in performance began quite early.
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-Ryan Suter, Dallas Stars
Will Suter’s contract be bought out for the second time in three years? At 38, the American full-back is no longer young. After being ruled out by the Minnesota Wild, the veteran returned to Dallas, where he agreed to a four-year contract.
However, Suter experienced a drop in performance in the playoffs. There was a lot of excitement in the duels against his ex-team and in the Western final against the Vegas Golden Knights, for the stars he was almost a nuisance. To add flexibility to an overall well-filled Dallas position, the four-season $1.43 million penalty might be acceptable.