5 NHL Players Who Could Be Bought Out This Offseason

Once the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have ended, the NHL's offseason will officially begin.

Fans and pundits will be focused on the NHL Draft in Buffalo on June 26-27, followed by the start of free agency on July 1, and potential activity in the trade market.

NHL teams will also have two periods to buy out players' contracts.

The first begins on the later of June 15 or 48 hours following the end of the Stanley Cup Final, and closes on June 30 at 5 pm ET. Teams with players who file for arbitration and have the case settled or awarded may receive a second 48-hour buyout window.

The buyouts apply only to players whose contracts have an average annual value greater than $4 million, and were on the team's roster at the most recent NHL trade deadline.

Contract buyouts are two-thirds of the remaining base salary over twice the remaining term for players 26 and older. For those under 26, it's one-third the remaining base salary over twice the remaining term.

Signing bonuses are guaranteed to the players regardless of the contract buyout, and are exempt from the buyout formula.

Players on 35-plus contracts can be bought out with the same formula, but the team receives no salary-cap relief.

Teams prefer to trade a contract rather than have any lingering dollars use up valuable salary-cap space. Nevertheless, a few NHL players could receive buyouts this summer if their clubs cannot find a suitable trade partner to take their contracts off their hands.

Some players, such as Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers or Jonathan Huberdeau of the Calgary Flames, might seem like obvious buyout candidates. However, the way their contracts are structured, a buyout isn't worth it because the cap savings for their respective teams would be minimal.

Here's our take on five NHL players we believe could become contract buyout candidates this summer.

J.T. Compher, Detroit Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings own the NHL's longest active postseason drought at 10 seasons. General manager Steve Yzerman could be feeling the heat to make some changes to get his club over the hump and into the playoffs next season.

With $29.1 million in projected salary-cap space, the Red Wings aren't facing pressure to create more cap room. Nevertheless, Yzerman could consider doing so to free up a roster spot or to make more salary-cap room to make a significant addition or two to his roster this summer.

On Apr. 27, Max Bultman of The Athletic suggested Compher could become a trade candidate. Signed to a five-year contract in July 2023 worth an average annual value of $5.1 million, the 31-year-old center's production has declined from 48 points in 2023-24 to 28 points last season.

Compher's declining production could make him difficult to trade, especially with his 10-team no-trade list. A contract buyout would result in a $1.97 million annual cap hit for the next two seasons, freeing up over $3.1 million annually in cap space. The cap hit would drop to $1.57 million for the buyout's final two seasons.

Brendan Gallagher, Montréal Canadiens

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Since joining the Montréal Canadiens in 2012-13, Brendan Gallagher has been their heart-and-soul player. For 14 seasons, the 5'9", 185-pound winger has been a pesky, physical scoring winger, amassing 246 goals and 241 assists for 487 points in 911 regular-season games, and 34 points in 79 playoff contests.

However, Gallagher's style of play has taken its toll on his body. Since 2020-21, his effectiveness as a top-six winger has declined, resulting in a steady drop in playing time as he slipped down the Canadiens' depth chart. He's been a healthy scratch for most of the Habs' playoff run this spring.

Gallagher, 34, has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $6.5 million. His no-movement clause prevents him from being demoted to the minors. He has a six-team no-trade list, which would still give the Canadiens plenty of teams to trade him to, but at this stage of his career, they might not find any takers.

The Canadiens have over $10.9 million in cap space for next season. Buying out Gallagher's final season would free up an additional $2.7 million to put toward bolstering their roster. It won't be a popular move among Habs fans, but it might be better for him and the team if he no longer fits in their plans.

Ryan Graves, Pittsburgh Penguins

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During Kyle Dubas' first summer as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, he added veteran players to his roster, hoping to improve their playoff chances. Ryan Graves was among his additions, signing the free-agent defenseman to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $4.5 million.

At the time, the 6'5", 225-pound Graves had established himself as a big shutdown defenseman during five seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils. Dubas brought him in to improve the Penguins' depth among their top-four blueliners.

Things haven't gone as expected for Graves. He struggled with the Penguins over the past three seasons and has been supplanted by other blueliners such as Parker Wotherspoon, Ryan Shea, and Samuel Girard. He cleared waivers earlier this season, spending 15 games with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Penguins have $37.9 million in salary-cap space for next season. Buying out Graves would only save them $1.2 million annually for the next two seasons, dropping to $944,444 in the third year. However, they could do it if they cannot find a club willing to take him off their hands.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Carolina Hurricanes

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On Aug. 28, 2021, the Carolina Hurricanes signed Jesperi Kotkaniemi away from the Montréal Canadiens with a one-year offer sheet worth $6.1 million. They followed up on March 21, 2022, by signing the young center to an eight-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.8 million.

The Hurricanes signed Kotkaniemi with the expectation that he'd blossom into a reliable top-six forward. They also denied that it was revenge against then-Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin for signing Sebastian Aho to an offer sheet two years prior, which the Hurricanes matched.

Kotkaniemi showed promise with a career-high 43 points in 82 games in 2022-23. Since then, he's tumbled down the Hurricanes' depth chart as his performance declined due to injuries and inconsistency. He was rumored to be available before the March trade deadline, but no deal emerged.

Buying out the 25-year-old Kotkaniemi would save the Hurricanes over $3.9 million in 2026-27, followed by $4.3 million over the next three seasons. The final four seasons of the buyout would cost them an annual salary cap hit of only $850,833.

Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Big changes are afoot for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the front office and behind the bench after missing the postseason for the first time since 2016. John Chayka has taken over as general manager, and Craig Berube was fired as head coach amid rumors about which players could be traded.

Morgan Rielly's future with the Maple Leafs has come under scrutiny. The 32-year-old defenseman is signed through 2029-30 with an average annual value of $7.5 million. He also carries a full no-movement clause through 2027-28.

The decline in Rielly's performance over the past two years made him the subject of trade conjecture. There's also been talk about buying him out. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos doubted the Leafs might go that route, but Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun didn't dismiss that possibility.

Buying out Rielly would cost the Leafs an annual cap hit of $3.5 million for the first four years, freeing up $4 million in cap space in each season. After that, the cap hit would drop to $2 million annually for the remaining four years of the buyout.

Salary cap and buyout info via PuckPedia. Line combinations via Daily Faceoff.