Buyouts Now Are Better Than This Summer

One of the main concerns of teams prior to the lockout ending was the salary cap dropping. With that happening, teams would have to take off cap prior to the 13-14 season in order to meet the lowered maximum cap. Therefore, the NHL is allowing teams two compliance buyouts this summer, in order to allow teams to get rid of players and cap that are unwanted. The only problem with this is, if the players is injured during the course of this season and into the summer, the buyout can't happen; teams with injured players have to take care of them. Then comes the case of Wade Redden and Scott Gomez, two high salary, unwanted players on their organizations rosters and cap.

When training camps opened, both Redden and Gomez expected an invite, ready and wanting to play like most NHL'ers when the lockout ended just about two weeks ago. However, they were both turned away and told they were not going to play at all this season, preparing their respective clubs to buy them out once the summer hit. The only other options the Rangers and Canadians had on this matter were to allow them to play in the NHL/AHL and risk the players getting injured or trade them. At this point, neither team wanted to risk an injury and no other team was going to make a trade for players getting over $6 million per season. Therefore, they were sent home and told to sit and wait until summer. Although I do agree with the teams wanting to buy them out without a problem this summer, I do also agree with Gomez and Redden not wanting to sit around.

After a few days of negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA, an agreement was announced to allow the players to be bought out now, but keep the cap for the rest of the season. In my mind, this is the best solution. Nothing changes in terms of cap as their salaries will stay for this season. Come next season, just as a summer buyout would do, their salaries will come off the cap for good. The only thing that changes is that instead of sitting at home all season, which is unfair to Gomez and Redden's careers, they will be unrestricted free agents after they clear waivers and are bought out. 

This is the best option for both sides. The rules aren't broken, the clubs don't have to worry about the players they want to buy out this summer, and the players can sign elsewhere. Already, it is rumored that the Detroit Red Wings have interest in bringing Redden to Hockeytown. Remember Tom Renney signed on as an assistant coach with Detroit recently. The NHL and NHLPA seem to finally be gaining some ground within the CBA as it has been signed, the NHL is back, and they are cooperating over issues that have come arise in the past two weeks. Redden and Gomez will be unrestricted free agents this week and they will be able to continue their careers without any penalty to their original teams.