three options...
1. 2014...compliance buy out. Wipe off the salary cap
2. 2014...traditional buy out....$11M over 3 years $7.33M over 6 years $1.22M + recapture of $2.5M over 3 years ($0.833M each).
3. 2015....traditional buyout...$7M over 2 yrs....$4.66M over 4 years $1.16M + $2M recapture over 2 years ($1m each).
Do you want to take a $2+M cap hit the next 2-3 yrs to make sure you stay above the floor?
If they trade Ott, Moulson, Miller, stafford, and buy out Leino
using cap geek and projecting where they woud be by resigning RFA Ennis, foligno, McNabb, Hackett, Tropp and promoting Armia.....
they will be around $41.5M with 2 forward spots to fill...one forward spot likely to go to their #1 pick (top 5) so he would count $3M in salary + bonus, then the other forward would likely come back as part of those trades at the deadline.
How much does the floor get raised next year from $44M???
If they were to resign Moulson or Ott then buying out Leino is more realistic. But Im concerned about being below the cap floor and having to over pay for a marginal free agent.
In the summer with Leino having 3 yrs left I would be more inclined to trade him and retain salary this off season then keeping a cap hit over just 3 years to keep Buffalo above the floor.
He doesnt have to return anything in a trade..maybe a 7th?