NHL Salary Cap Questions > Buyout Eligibility
Buyout Eligibility
Asked Feb 18, 2023 by Ron
Can a player who just got a contract extension be bought out this summer. Like Olli Maata. Just signed for 2 years 3 mil aav. Can the penguins have a mind change and buy him out before free agency and then go after another defenseman?
Answer
Feb 22, 2023
The answer is probably not, and here's the explanation.
Check this out: https://puckpedia.com/salary-cap/buyouts.
The main buyout window ends June 30, and the new contract does not become active until July 1. Therefore, the new contract could not be bought out in the first buyout window because it's not an active contract yet. However, teams can receive a second buyout, which is in July. At that point, the extension is an active contract, and if it met the second buyout criteria, it could be bought out.
