Speculation: Questions About Releasing A Player

[Perennial]

How does it work if a team wants to release a player?

Just for example, let's say Stralman intends to finish his career in Europe after this season, and would like his final year in the NHL to be with a playoff team, but no contenders are interested in him at his current 5.5 million cap hit...

Assuming there isn't a mutual contract termination, what's the process for releasing Stralman so he can join a contender?

The team puts him on waivers, he clears waivers, and is that it? They can release him at that point?

And let's just say Stralman was traded to Buffalo, who immediately put him on waivers and released him once he cleared, would Stralman be eligible to re-sign in Arizona right away?


Also, when a player is released, does the team pay the remainder of his salary at the time of his release, or do they continue making biweekly payments?

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[GuerinUp]

How does it work if a team wants to release a player?

Just for example, let's say Stralman intends to finish his career in Europe after this season, and would like his final year in the NHL to be with a playoff team, but no contenders are interested in him at his current 5.5 million cap hit...

Assuming there isn't a mutual contract termination, what's the process for releasing Stralman so he can join a contender?

The team puts him on waivers, he clears waivers, and is that it? They can release him at that point?

And let's just say Stralman was traded to Buffalo, who immediately put him on waivers and released him once he cleared, would Stralman be eligible to re-sign in Arizona right away?


Also, when a player is released, does the team pay the remainder of his salary at the time of his release, or do they continue making biweekly payments?

you cant release players. its buyout or mutual termination

 

[ShelbyZ]

How does it work if a team wants to release a player?

Just for example, let's say Stralman intends to finish his career in Europe after this season, and would like his final year in the NHL to be with a playoff team, but no contenders are interested in him at his current 5.5 million cap hit...

Assuming there isn't a mutual contract termination, what's the process for releasing Stralman so he can join a contender?

The team puts him on waivers, he clears waivers, and is that it? They can release him at that point?

This one's kind of confusing. A "mutual contract termination" would really be the only option here if a buyout isn't possible.

He would have to go on "unconditional waivers", which is what's used before a mutual contract termination.

The scenario that you spelled out is pretty much what happened with Zach Bogosian and the Sabres. He wanted out of Buffalo, they found no takers for his $6M cap hit, so they agreed to terminate his contract which made him a UFA free to sign with a contender.

And let's just say Stralman was traded to Buffalo, who immediately put him on waivers and released him once he cleared, would Stralman be eligible to re-sign in Arizona right away?

I'm not sure on this one. It's happened with buyouts (see Brooks Orpik - Washington trades him to Colorado with a sweetener, Colorado immediately buys him out, then Washington signs him for cheap as a UFA). Not sure on a mutual termination though.

Also, when a player is released, does the team pay the remainder of his salary at the time of his release, or do they continue making biweekly payments?

If a players contract is "terminated", then they don't owe the player anything after termination. If it's a buyout, they pay the 1/3 or 2/3 of what's left over double the amount of years remaining.

you cant release players. its buyout or mutual termination

In a way, "mutual termination" from a "breach of contract" can pretty much be a release. Anything considered a breach (IE not reporting to the minors, Dotchin being out of shape, criminal stuff, etc. etc.) can be considered the player checking the box for "mutual" termination without outright agreeing to it.

 

[Perennial]

The scenario that you spelled out is pretty much what happened with Zach Bogosian and the Sabres. He wanted out of Buffalo, they found no takers for his $6M cap hit, so they agreed to terminate his contract which made him a UFA free to sign with a contender.

But in that scenario, Bogosian was willing to walk away from 6 million, right? It was a mutual termination?

 

[OrangePMD]

But in that scenario, Bogosian was willing to walk away from 6 million, right? It was a mutual termination?

I think it cost his "only" about 1 million in salary, because it happened at the trade deadline. But yes, it was a termination, and he was willing to walk away from quite a bit of money.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Brooks Orpik wasn't worth his cap hit so he was packed with Grubauer and traded to Colorado after they won their cup.
He was then bought out by Colorado and immediately re-signed by Washington for league minimum.

 

[uncleben]

In a way, "mutual termination" from a "breach of contract" can pretty much be a release. Anything considered a breach (IE not reporting to the minors, Dotchin being out of shape, criminal stuff, etc. etc.) can be considered the player checking the box for "mutual" termination without outright agreeing to it.

At this point, it doesn't even need to be mutual. Breach of contract is terms for termination, straight up.

 

[BurgoShark]

Contracts are guaranteed in the NHL. The situation described in the OP would be a mutual termination (the player asks to be released and the team agrees).

In that specific situation the team could also do a handshake deal with the player to suspend him for failure to report. i.e. Stralman goes to Europe with the team’s blessing, they suspend him without pay, and his cap hit doesn’t count. In this case he would be effectively “off the books” until his contract expired from a cap hit and dollars PoV, but he would still count against the team’s maximum contract limit. Sometimes it can also come down to protecting the asset. I don’t think anyone would be worried about losing the rights to a 37yo Stralman, but when a young guy heads back to Europe in that situation the team sometimes chooses to suspend them instead of releasing them. E.g. Ottawa with Wikstrand.

As others have said, if the player breaches his contract by “hypothetically” doing something silly like trying to cross the Canadian border with a whole lot of meds he doesn’t have a prescription for - the team would then possibly have cause to terminate the contract without his consent.. but they’d need to make sure they don’t stuff up and end up paying the guy for the next 15 years.

 

[Toronto makebeleifs]

Couple options available. If a player is waived to be designated for assignment and 'fails to report' there is grounds for termination of contract. That would make the player a UFA immediately. The player could also 'retire' from the NHL ala Kovalchuk which, in turn results in the voiding of a contract. That player could play in europe after that and make a return to the nhl at a later date... however, there is some buried fine print in the cba about returning from retirement in regards to time spent away, what the circumstances were in regards to retirement, and some other pieces of 'legaleeze' that I dont have readily avail. Furthermore, a player cant be designated for assignment if they have anything like a nmc in place. Lastly, there arent alot of players that would turn down several million dollars to be a vet on an ahl team with 0 expectations (1-way contract, obvs) just to be a winner. At the end of the day, most mid-tier guys winding down their careers cash is king.

 

[Djp]

But in that scenario, Bogosian was willing to walk away from 6 million, right? It was a mutual termination?

it was mutual. Sabres owed him nothing.