The NHL's all-time All-Buyout Team
With eight buyouts this summer, we have a new member of the NHL's ignominious, but awesome, All-Buyout Team
When the San Jose Sharks bought out the final three years of goalie Martin Jones’ contract, they committed $10 million – in real money, not cap space – over the next six years to get Jones to not play hockey for them. Man, that’s a lot of cabbage. But somewhere, Rick DiPietro and Ilya Bryzgalov looked at the Jones transaction and said, “Hold my $15,000 bottle of vintage wine.”
When the NHL’s buyout window closed today and all the money went flying out, Jones and two other players were bought out of their contracts – James Neal by the Edmonton Oilers to the tune of $7.7 million and Braden Holtby ($3.8 million) by the Vancouver Canucks.
That brought this year’s total up to eight players for a combined $42.5 million.
And as a result, we have a new addition to the NHL’s all-time all-buyout teams. These 12 players (and two coaches) have made more money not playing hockey than the majority of NHL players make playing throughout their careers. Not sure if making these teams is an achievement or a failure, but these guys are probably too busy counting their money to care. All but three of the players were bought out with compliance buyouts after the 2012-13 or 2013-14 seasons when teams were allowed two buyouts without suffering salary cap penalties.
Man, those were the days.
FIRST ALL-BUYOUT TEAM
FORWARDS
Vincent Lecavalier: The true king in that he represents the most expensive buyout in NHL history. Four years into an 11-year, $85 million deal when the Tampa Bay Lightning bought him out in 2013, Lecavalier made $4.8 million each of the first two years of his buyout and $3.8 million in Year 3. That amount went down to $1.8 million starting in 2017 and Lecavalier will be cashing checks for that amount until 2027. Total cost: $32.7 million.
Brad Richards: Lecavalier’s former running mate in Tampa was three years into a nine-year deal worth $60 million with the New York Rangers when the plug was pulled. Richards made big money for three years and will receive $1.1 million every year until 2026. Total cost: $20.7 million.
Alexei Yashin: In many ways, Yashin is the patron saint of all buyout players. With four years remaining on a 10-year deal worth $64 million with the New York Islanders, Yashin received a tidy $2.2 million each year for eight years. To add insult to injury, the Islanders were hit heavy with cap penalties, including one season when their cap hit for Yashin was $4.8 million. Total cost: $17.6 million.
DEFENSEMEN
Christian Ehrhoff: Just three years into his 10-year deal worth $40 million with the Buffalo Sabres, Ehrhoff was bought out in 2014 and will receive $857,000 every year until 2028. Total cost: $12 million.
Ryan Suter: A minute muncher who still seems to have some game, Suter was a surprise among this summer’s buyouts. He had four years to go on his 13-year, $98 million deal with the Minnesota Wild. In addition to what he makes wherever he signs, Suter will take home $833,000 each of the next eight years. Total cost: $6.7 million.
GOALIE
Rick DiPietro: When DiPietro signed a lifetime contract with the Islanders in 2006, it actually became a lifetime contract when the team bought out his 15-year deal seven years in. He’s getting $1.5 million a year until 2029. Total cost: $24 million.
COACH
Mike Babcock: He barely made it halfway through an eight-year, $50 million deal when he wore out his welcome with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Total cost: $23.3 million (assuming he doesn’t take an NHL head coaching job before the end of the 2022-23 season).
SECOND ALL-BUYOUT TEAM
FORWARDS
Mikhail Grabovski: After fulfilling just one year of a five-year, $27.5 million deal with the Maple Leafs, Grabovski received quite the parachute in 2013. He cashed his last $1.8 million check in 2021. Total cost: $14.3 million.
Mike Ribeiro: Yeah, like Arizona could afford this. One year into a four-year, $22 million deal with the Coyotes, Ribeiro was shown the gold-plated door in 2014, receiving $1.9 million a year for six straight years. Total cost: $11.7 million.
Ville Leino: A six-year deal worth $27 million didn’t seem like a good idea when the Buffalo Sabres signed Leino to it in 2011. It was a worse idea when they bought him out three years later. Total cost: $7.3 million.
DEFENSEMEN
Anton Volchenkov: Defensemen have historically lagged behind forwards and goalies in terms of buyout amounts, but Volchenkov did OK when the New Jersey Devils dismissed him in 2014. With two years remaining on a six-year deal worth $25.5 million, Volchenkov received a little more than $1.4 million in each of four summers. Total cost: $5.7 million.
Keith Ballard: Four years into a deal he originally signed with the Florida Panthers, Ballard was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks in 2013 and received $1.4 million every summer for four summers. Total cost: $5.6 million.
GOALIE
Ilya Bryzgalov: The Philadelphia Flyers thought it would be a good idea to give Bryzgalov a nine-year deal worth $51 million, conveniently forgetting the city is a goalie graveyard. Two years in, they bought him out. Two years. He’s collecting $1.6 million each year until 2027. Total cost: $23 million.
COACH
Mike Keenan: In his 2 ½ years in St. Louis, Keenan feuded with players and won one playoff round. But he did get Chris Pronger in exchange for Brendan Shanahan, so there’s that. Total cost: $5 million.