10 Impact Players Most Likely to Be Victims of the NHL's Impending Cap Crunch

NHL teams may be forced to purge their rosters of high-priced talent this summer, even if it means buying out or trading useful players for less than full value. The cap crunch could be devastating for established NHL players and create a new buyout season for teams as they attempt to cut down to reach the cap number.

Some of these men were signed to long-term deals at the height of their abilities and are still playing at a high level. Some saw their skills erode quickly or were signed to bad contracts, and still others' quality of play has been reduced by injury.

Here are 10 impact players who are most likely to be bought out or traded this summer because of the cap crunch.

10. Mike Richards, C, Los Angeles Kings

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The Contract: Mike Richards is in the middle of a 12-year contract that expires in the summer of 2020. The cap hit is $5.75 million per season.

Why Can't They Afford Him? The Kings are in a cap crunch, sitting at close to $70 million this season with a plethora of free agents in the summer. Unrestricted free agents Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll may be re-signed, and restricted men like Tanner Pearson, Tyler Toffoli and Kyle Clifford will likely return with raises in pay.

What's The Solution? If Los Angeles can't trade him, it is likely to buy out Richards in the summer. If he was playing at his previous levels, Los Angeles would find a way to accommodate him. His quality of play has fallen so far that Richards is currently in the AHL.

9. R.J. Umberger, LW, Philadelphia Flyers

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The Contract: R.J. Umberger is in the middle of a five-year contract that brings a cap hit of $4.6 million annually. 

Why Can't They Afford Him? Philadelphia is in cap hell—its normal position—and Umberger is not close to providing value for the money. The team has enormous needs on defense and could use more power up front, but big salaries like Umberger's are going to make things difficult.

What's The Solution? The Flyers may choose to buy out Umberger or someone like Vincent Lecavalier. They may also try to make a trade with one of these veterans, perhaps taking on another unattractive contract for a defenseman who can help in a position of weakness. 

8. Paul Martin, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Contract: Paul Martin is in the final year of a five-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The veteran defender's annual cap hit is $5 million.

Why Can't They Afford Him? The club will likely want to sign Christian Ehrhoff to a long-term deal and may have to choose between the two defensemen. Pittsburgh has several cap issues, including the twin contracts of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. 

What's The Solution? Pittsburgh is locked in for a deep run in the playoffs and won't be offloading any veterans at the deadline. If it can fit Martin into next year's cap, he'll return; based on their current roster and rumored cap number, the Penguins may have to let him go via free agency.

7. Mike Green, D, Washington Capitals

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The Contract: Mike Green of the Washington Capitals is in the final year of a three-year contract. It pays him $6.083 million per season.

Why Can't They Afford Him? The Capitals are a top-heavy team in terms of salary due to paying impact players like Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. The club needs to sign restricted free agents Braden Holtby, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson this summer.

What's The Solution? Washington probably made Green's exit necessary when it added Niskanen and Orpik last summer through free agency. As the young players continue to progress, those bridge and long-term contracts mean Mike Green will be heading out of Washington.

6. T.J. Oshie, RW, St. Louis Blues

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The Contract: T.J. Oshie of the St. Louis Blues is in the middle of a five-year deal that pays him $4.175 million per year. 

Why Can't They Afford Him? The Blues will be spending big money on Vladimir Tarasenko and may want to bring back Vladimir Sobotka next season. Oshie is an effective player but is a little undersized at 5'11", 189 pounds for his style and may be prone to injuries as he ages. 

What's The Solution? Oshie may be expendable because the Blues have players they can plug-and-play at his position. Other candidates such as Jay Bouwmeester and Patrik Berglund play up the middle positions and may be retained because of it.

5. Dustin Brown, RW, Los Angeles Kings

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The Contract: Dustin Brown is in the first year of an eight-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings. The annual cap hit is $5.875 million per year, and the deal expires in the summer of 2022.

Why Can't They Afford Him? The Kings could afford Brown if he was delivering offensively. His output this season—as with the entire team—has been disappointing. Los Angeles will be too close to the cap to attract scorers this summer and has to re-sign veterans Jason Williams and Jarret Stoll. The poor performance of Mike Richards and the ongoing issues for Slava Voynov further cloud the situation.

What's The Solution? Drastic times require drastic action. Richards is in the minors, and Los Angeles will probably make a move this summer to get out from under the contract. Dealing Brown—a highly unusual move—would give the team enough room to maneuver in what has been a bizarre year for the team.

4. Patrick Sharp, LW, Chicago Blackhawks

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The Contract: Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks is in Year 3 of a five-year deal that pays him $5.9 million per season.

Why Can't They Afford Him? Chicago is facing some significant cap issues for 2015-16. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have matching $10.5 million contracts starting in 2015-16. Added to that are young players like Brandon Saad and Marcus Kruger who will be looking for additional dollars on their next contracts.

What's The Solution? Sharp is 33, and his offensive output is off by a substantial amount this season. The Blackhawks have other options, but he is vulnerable because of the size of his contract, age and eroding numbers. He is likely to move this summer.

3. Milan Lucic, LW, Boston Bruins

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The Contract: Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins is in the middle of three-year deal that pays him $6 million per season. 

Why Can't They Afford Him? The Bruins are having cap problems this season, and next year promises to be even more difficult. Big dollars are going to be required in order to sign Dougie Hamilton and Reilly Smith, with David Krejci's new deal for $7.25 million per year also coming online.

What's The Solution? Lucic has played more than 530 NHL games and has a lot of tough, physical miles on him. The scoring is down this season, and Boston can't afford to pay $6 million per year to a player who is not delivering impact offense.

2. Jay Bouwmeester, D, St. Louis Blues

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The Contract: Jay Bouwmeester of the St. Louis Blues is working on a five-year deal with an annual cap hit of $5 million.

Why Can't They Afford Him? The Blues have some major dollars to spend this summer, including significant money on emerging superstar Vladimir Tarasenko. Bouwmeester is a valuable defender but is being paid a lot for someone who doesn't deliver impressive offense.

What's The Solution? St. Louis has several options in terms of lowering salary, but if it decides to exchange Bouwmeester for a less expensive defender, it can retain its impact players. As good as he is as a defender, he is a prime candidate to move this summer.

1. Brent Seabrook, D, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Contract: Brent Seabrook is a key player for the Chicago Blackhawks. His current contract is a five-year deal that pays him $5.8 million per year and expires in the summer of 2016.

Why Can't They Afford Him? The Blackhawks are about to encounter a major cap crunch, as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane see their $10.5 million contracts kick in for 2015-16. Those are monster contracts, and the club also needs to re-sign players like Brandon Saad to significant deals. Seabrook may be the odd man out for Chicago.

What's The Solution? Seabrook has tremendous value and could fetch an emerging talent who is still in his entry-level deal. The 'Hawks are in real cap trouble and require innovative thinking this coming summer and into the future. Trading Seabrook is the kind of move that could get them back under control.