Calculate the cap hit and financial implications of buying out an NHL player's contract. Select a player to see how a buyout would affect your team's salary cap over time.
Understanding the buyout process and cap implications
In the NHL, teams can buy out a player's contract to terminate it before its expiration. This allows teams to remove a player from their roster while still fulfilling a portion of their financial obligations.
The amount paid to the player depends on their age:
The buyout amount is paid over twice the remaining years on the contract.
The team still carries a cap hit for the player, but it's reduced and spread over the buyout period.
Signing bonuses must be paid in full and cannot be bought out.
The first buyout period begins the later of June 15 or 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final ends, and it continues until June 30 at 5 p.m. ET. A second buyout period is available to teams that had at least one salary arbitration filing.
Teams must carefully consider the long-term implications of a buyout. While it provides immediate cap relief, it extends the cap impact over a longer period. This can be beneficial for creating space in the short term, but may limit flexibility in future seasons.