26 buyouts would be almost 133 million against the cap.
Or about 4.3 million per team in cap space.
Not all of these might happen. But A little insight.
STL and the Penguins both remove 2.
Both teams could use the cap space and are in a win now mode. There are other teams that could move no one. For example TOR or BOS or NYR, who could benefit from taking another teams CBO and buying it out for a price. All three are profitable teams with money, yet don't really have anyone worth buying out. NYR aren't in win now mode and are rebuilding so it might be best to let their one or two bad contract expire and get something for their CBO as none of their bad contracts extend beyond 1 year.
Another team that could benefit from this is DET as Nielsen could also be a guy moved. But for some teams, it's not worth the price to them. Hence they hold onto contracts. But would probably be better for the whole league for them to move on from them.
Other teams here are forced to make a move. Tampa Bay for example, or Washington. Both are teams tight against the cap who will have cap issues next season at a flat cap.
Washington would have under 10 million of cap space, But only 11F and 4D and 1G under contract. Needing to add 6 players for 10 million is slim unless all are coming on league minimum deals. But even if they did their cap the year after will be a mess with OV, Vrána, and Samsonov (taking over for Holtby) would all need new contracts. The cap room must come somewhere. It's best to get out from under it now.
A good chuck of he list are older guys who don't perform to their cap hit anymore.
Guys like Cole, Staal, Gourde, Little or Hornqvist. Could all easily find new contracts on other teams at a lower cap hit. But for one reason or another teams move on.
There are a lot of goalies who have basically flamed out. Quick has 2 straight bad years. Pekka looks like the tires have fallen off at 37. The other two are already riding pine.
There are probably a handful of other guys in the league to move but simply aren't worth the cost of moving while they are still productive. Guys like Duncan Keith in Chicago. He's 36, on a big contract that lasts for 3 more years. But he's still productive so didn't make the list. Same could be said for Parise or Sutar in MIN. Long contracts, 35+ players at big cap hits. But they are still playing well. In an ideal world you maybe dump those. But the cost of replacing and dumping aren't worth it while they are still performing.
The league is definitely getting younger going through rosters. There aren't many teams with multiple players to move. But almost all teams have 1 bad contract to give up.
Another big question is what about teams that don't make a profit.
You have low budget teams. This is why CBJ does not buy out a player, or OTT below. It simply isn't worth it to them.
Over all there is a lot of cap space the league could potentially open up here. However, I think this might be one of the last times you see a CBO. SImply looking at how young the teams are getting and how most teams are not handing out contracts beyond 34 anymore. Most of these contracts were signed 16-17 or earlier. There are a few that were not but most of them were bad judgement calls like Vlasic and Ghost. Or bad gambles on aging players like Pekka and Steen.
Looking at how contracts have been dished out recently to upper aged players, they go till about 33-34 and they end. From there the deals are a lot lower cap hit, and for much shorter term.
It will be interesting to see when the next batch of older players contracts start coming up.
You have OV, Bergeron, Malkin, and a few others coming up in the next year or two.
Something tells me they will be big money short term deals. Simply because no one wants to be stuck holding those long term upper age contracts.
St. Louis isnt buting out Allen, hes having a great year. LA isnt buying out Quick, hes also not having a bad year. Pittsburgh isnt buying out Hornqvist and JJ, if they are buying out 2 guys it will be Tanev and JJ. Nashville isnt buying out Rinne before Turris. NYI will probably want to get out of the Boychuk contract too
Bruins will take Steen and a 1st for a 4th (like the backes deal) and use their buyout!
Hard pass, it's one year and we can move Allen and Bozak pretty easily. In fact, we may buyout Faulk instead. It'd save us more money than a Steen buyout.
St. Louis isnt buting out Allen, hes having a great year. LA isnt buying out Quick, hes also not having a bad year. Pittsburgh isnt buying out Hornqvist and JJ, if they are buying out 2 guys it will be Tanev and JJ. Nashville isnt buying out Rinne before Turris. NYI will probably want to get out of the Boychuk contract too
Let me do this point by point.
A. No penguins fan would say they are buying out Tanev. Hornqvist though is easily a square peg in a round whole on the team.
B. Quick is having a bad year. He has a 0.904 save% coming of a .888 year. He's done. They move on.
C. Allen is a 4 million back up who is sheltered. At best case they trade him. But I think that's going to be a harder sell than you think. That's a lot of money to be paying a backup goalie when you are tight against the cap.
D. You are right on the NYI.
E. Nashville is a team I looked at for some time. Here is the thing ok them. They have a replacement for Pekka already on the roster. He's much older and carries a large cap hit.
While Turris contract is not the greatest. He's only 31 next year in a league where there are no centers. The UFA lot for centers is pathetic at best. Which is why I did not buy him out. Because I believe it might be easier for them to trade him off the roster.
Let me do this point by point.
A. No penguins fan would say they are buying out Tanev. Hornqvist though is easily a square peg in a round whole on the team.
B. Quick is having a bad year. He has a 0.904 save% coming of a .888 year. He's done. They move on.
C. Allen is a 4 million back up who is sheltered. At best case they trade him. But I think that's going to be a harder sell than you think. That's a lot of money to be paying a backup goalie when you are tight against the cap.
D. You are right on the NYI.
E. Nashville is a team I looked at for some time. Here is the thing ok them. They have a replacement for Pekka already on the roster. He's much older and carries a large cap hit.
While Turris contract is not the greatest. He's only 31 next year in a league where there are no centers. The UFA lot for centers is pathetic at best. Which is why I did not buy him out. Because I believe it might be easier for them to trade him off the roster.
A. I personally dont see them buying out more than 1 guy, Hornqvist has had a solid season following up his bad one last year so IMO hes bounced back. Jugs contract is awkward they could try and move that. Also they dont want to loose a goalie to expansion again so they will likely try and move Murray.
B. Quick is playing on the second worst team in the league and will be there to mentor Pettersen, LA has cap space and finances they are significantly more likely to offer their buyout to another team.
C. Yes Allen is overpaid to be a backup but you can make the same arguement about Raanta. Bozak has been replaced by Thomas almost completely.
D. I proposed a trade with Toronto around Mayfield and Johnsson in exchange for Toronto buying out Boychuk. I think it helps both parties if the cap goes down.
E. Yes Rinne had a bad year. Yes they have Saros and Ingram coming up, but Ingram isnt ready to make the jump buth Rinne and Saros have 1 ywar left on their contracta and Nashville is likely retooling this year so Why not get rid of the 4 year long anchor insteard of the 1 year long one. Hey, maybe Rinne even bounces back a bit.