Assessing This Summer’s Buyout Candidates
Every summer, several NHL teams issue buyouts to veteran players who have significantly underperformed on their often high-priced contracts. It is usually difficult for a team to admit this mistake and make such a move, as it often reflects poorly on management’s initial decision to acquire the player. As Kyle Dubas once said, “buyouts are a last resort.”
There will undoubtedly be some this year, though, and it’s probably not who you would expect to see be bought out. Most fans might expect Darnell Nurse, Jonathan Huberdeau, Tristan Jarry, Elias Pettersson, or even Ryan Graves among the buyout candidates. However, those five players all have contracts with large signing bonuses, making their buyout prospects slim. Still, several underperforming players on big contracts could find themselves in the buyout discussion.
The first player has become a lightning rod for criticism within the Toronto Maple Leafs. No, it isn’t Auston Matthews; it’s defenseman Morgan Rielly. The 32-year-old Rielly was once a top offensive defenseman, but he’s never been particularly strong defensively.
Now his offensive game has declined, exposing many of his defensive flaws even more. When Rielly led Toronto’s transition game, you could accept everything he sacrificed defensively as the cost of his offensive contributions, but without elite offense, he’s a middle-tier offensive defenseman who struggles in his own zone.
You could argue that Rielly’s defensive struggles are mainly due to being on a poor defensive team, but the truth is that he wasn’t strong defensively even when the Maple Leafs had a solid possession numbers. Still, is it worth buying him out? Probably not. Rielly currently earns $7.5MM a year and has four years left on his contract. Despite the cost, he might be worth keeping or trading.
A Rielly buyout would have Toronto paying him $3.5MM per season for the next four years, followed by $2MM annually for the subsequent four years. Sure, the cost savings over the next four years would be $4MM annually, but then the team needs to find a top four defender to replace Rielly, and the Maple Leafs likely won’t find one for less than the savings amount. A trade would be the best option for Toronto, but Rielly still has the leverage for the next two years with a full no-movement clause, which could complicate any potential trade.
Sliding east of Toronto, the Canadiens have a potential buyout candidate in veteran forward Brendan Gallagher. Including the 33-year-old on this list will upset some, but his decline since 2021 has been well-documented.
Prior to 2021, Gallagher was one of the most consistently effective 5-on-5 scorers in the NHL. However, Father Time is undefeated, and Gallagher is no longer a top-nine forward, even though he still earns like one. With just six goals and 16 assists in 76 games this season, he has been a healthy scratch for Montreal this week, which could be a sign of what’s to come. Montreal boasts a strong group of forwards, with more young prospects on the way, and it could become a numbers game that Gallagher loses.
The other side of the argument with Gallagher is that he has only one year left on his contract, with a cap hit of $6.5MM, but he is owed just $4MM in actual salary. It’s possible he could be traded to a team trying to reach the salary cap floor or swapped for another problematic contract. If Montreal considers a buyout, it would save them $2.67MM next season but add a $1.33MM cap charge in 2027-28.
Since Montreal has most of its core signed and over $12MM in cap space available this summer, it has no immediate need to part ways with Gallagher unless it plans a major move. There’s also a potential morale issue if the Canadiens decide to release a popular veteran who has given everything to the organization, the fans, and the city.
Staying in Canada shifted the focus westward. Oilers forward Trent Frederic and his contract sent shockwaves through the NHL just 12 months ago when it was signed. Many pundits were left scratching their heads when the Oilers inked Frederic to an eight-year, $30.8MM contract extension just days before free agency opened.
The $3.85MM cap hit was a bit high for many people’s tastes, but not outrageous, given that Frederic was a pending UFA. However, the length of the deal seemed excessive for a role player, especially one who wasn’t very effective last season.
This year, Frederic has four goals and three assists in 70 games. That’s poor offensive production for anyone, let alone a player earning nearly $4MM annually. Some of this can be attributed to an unusually low shooting percentage of 5.7%, about half of his typical success rate. If he regresses to the mean next season, he should score more goals, but it’s not just his offensive numbers this season that are concerning.
Aside from one season when he tallied 40 points, Frederic has never been a significant offensive contributor or a player who drives or controls the pace of play, making the eight-year contract a particularly poor decision.
There is just a lot wrong with Frederic’s game, and in an era where making mistakes on mid-tier contracts can be disastrous due to the parity in the NHL, this one is particularly bad. That said, Edmonton would have to absorb a 14-year cap hit if it bought out the 28-year-old, which means he’s probably staying beyond this season.
Finally, we come to the most obvious candidate: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who is somehow still just 25 years old. When the Hurricanes sent an offer sheet to Kotkaniemi back in August 2021, they were betting on his potential to become a top-six center.
After all, Kotkaniemi was a third overall pick in 2018 and had the skill set to elevate his game and move up the lineup. However, the offer sheet was very ill-advised, with the idea reportedly coming from Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon in response to the Montreal Canadiens’ offer sheeting Sebastian Aho two years prior.
Kotkaniemi never really developed an offensive side to his game, and at this stage of his career, he is what he is – a reasonably good defensive center (although his numbers there have dipped this season as well) who doesn’t score much. This year, Kotkaniemi has two goals and seven assists in 38 games. Although he put up 43 points a few years ago, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll become a consistent 40-point player. At $4.82MM a year for four more seasons, the Hurricanes have an opportunity to save some serious cash by buying him out.
Due to his age, Carolina could buy out Kotkaniemi this summer for just 33% of the remaining money on his deal, which is about $6.8MM. That would save Carolina almost $4MM next season, and $4.35MM in each of the three years after that.
Now, the Hurricanes are usually not a cap team, but they have only $14MM available this summer (as per PuckPedia) and four players to sign. If they want to add to the lineup and improve their chances in the quest for the Stanley Cup, this could be a way to create some much-needed breathing room under the salary cap.
Photo by Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Evening Notes: Mammoth, Suter, Carlson, Ellis
Even though it’ll take until the last game of the regular season to determine who they’ll face in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Utah Mammoth have a few unfortunate confirmations already. According to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports, forwards Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain are still a few weeks away from returning.
Hayton has been dealing with an upper-body injury since March 26th, whereas McBain has only been out a little over a week with a lower-body injury. Regardless, depending on how many weeks it takes, both Hayton and McBain may miss the opening round of the playoffs for the Mammoth.
Although each player is a respectable tertiary scorer for Utah, the team’s center depth, particularly on the bottom two lines, will be tested. Additionally, the Mammoth will significantly miss McBain’s physicality, especially in a postseason environment. The 6’4″, 219 lbs center leads Utah in hits this season with 271.
Additional evening notes:
- Eligible for an extension or potentially a trade this summer, St. Louis Blues forward Pius Suter is preparing early. According to PuckPedia, Suter has changed his representation to Judd Moldaver. Moldaver represents some of the sport’s top athletes, such as Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Zach Werenski.
- As mentioned in a previous article, conditional draft picks included in trades will finalize now that every potential team has qualified for a postseason spot. Now that the Anaheim Ducks have qualified for the playoffs, the Washington Capitals will acquire Anaheim’s 2026 first-round pick from the John Carlson trade, instead of Anaheim having an option for this year’s or next (via PuckPedia).
- Additionally, the San Jose Sharks will receive elevated draft compensation, too (via PuckPedia). In the Ryan Ellis contract dump earlier this year between the Sharks and the Philadelphia Flyers, the Flyers allowed the Sharks to receive the better of their 2026 sixth-round pick or Columbus’ 2026 sixth-round pick. Since the Flyers qualified for the playoffs, San Jose will receive Columbus’ sixth-round selection in the upcoming draft (via PuckPedia).
Islanders Notes: Lee, George, Pulock
If New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had his way, he wouldn’t be playing anywhere else next season or beyond. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Lee would like to sign an extension with the Isles sometime before July 1st.
In the report, Rosner quoted Lee saying, “It’s where I’ve played my entire career. It’s where I’ve put my best foot forward as much as I can. I didn’t take anything for granted. I just want to have another good night tonight with the team and this group. And let’s close this out with two points.”
Even though it surely won’t be at his current $7MM price tag, there should be plenty of mutual interest from the Islanders. Lee has been New York’s captain since the 2018-19 campaign, and has remained productive in the waning years of his career, scoring 48 goals and 96 points in 163 games over the past two seasons.
Additional notes from the Islanders:
- Despite finishing the year on the Islanders’ roster, defenseman Isaiah George expects to play for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders in the Calder Cup playoffs, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. The smooth-skating blueliner has almost exclusively played for AHL Bridgeport this season, scoring two goals and 17 points in 45 games with a +10 rating.
- One defenseman who wasn’t available for New York’s final game of the regular season is Ryan Pulock. Earlier today, the Islanders announced that Pulock has been battling multiple injuries and has been held out, as there is no real reason to play him. The 31-year-old defenseman will finish the 2025-26 season with three goals and 27 points in 76 games with a +9 rating, averaging 20:49 of ice time per game.
Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Hovorka, Laughton, Viel
The Ottawa Senators have been without their captain, Brady Tkachuk, for the last few games of their regular season. Fortunately, his absence isn’t expected to creep into the playoffs, as TSN’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Tkachuk is “good to go” for the postseason.
The injury keeping Tkachuk is one of the weirder ones this season. In Ottawa’s recent game against the New York Islanders, Tkachuk was bumped by Islanders’ defenseman Ryan Pulock, causing Tkachuk to return to the bench while wobbling. In recent updates, Tkachuk clarified that his dizziness was unrelated to Pulock and resulted from a prior hit in the game. As of now, he has been cleared of all concussion symptoms.
Regardless, it’s big news for the Senators who are looking to pull off an upset in their opening-round matchup. The heart and soul of the team, Tkachuk has been irreplaceable for Ottawa, scoring 22 goals and 59 points in 60 games, while leveling 162 hits. Despite missing a decent chunk of the season due to injury, Tkachuk remains third on the team in scoring and is likely to finish there.
Additional notes from the Atlantic Division:
- According to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, the Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Mikulas Hovorka for their final game of the regular season tomorrow night. The 24-year-old blueliner has seen his name on the transaction report a few times this past month, allowing him to skate in three games for the Panthers. Still, the Praha, Czechia native remains looking for his first NHL point, and he’ll seek to change that tomorrow evening against the Detroit Red Wings.
- With the postseason pool finalized, the impact of conditional draft picks traded this season is now clear. According to PuckPedia, now that the Los Angeles Kings have qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs will receive Buffalo’s 2026 second-round pick in the Scott Laughton trade.
- The Maple Leafs aren’t the only team in the Atlantic Division to reap the benefits of another team making the postseason. Since the Philadelphia Flyers made the playoffs, the Boston Bruins will receive the Red Wings’ 2026 fourth-round pick from the Anaheim Ducks in the trade that sent Jeffrey Viel to Orange County a few months ago (via PuckPedia).
Hurricanes Recall Pyotr Kochetkov, Felix Unger Sorum
April 14th: Although the Hurricanes activated Kochetkov, the team announced that he cannot play tonight due to a “roster technicality”. Still, while he won’t play tonight, Kochetkov will be available to Carolina for the postseason. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, the Hurricanes will dress Thomas Sullivan as tonight’s emergency backup goaltender.
April 13th: The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that netminder Pyotr Kochetkov and winger Felix Unger Sorum were recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
While Unger Sorum did not play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, this recall does position him to make his NHL debut tomorrow on Long Island against the New York Islanders. The 20-year-old is a 2023 second-round pick who has spent the last two campaigns in the AHL with Chicago.
Unger Sorum has long been viewed as a prospect with real potential to outplay his second-round draft slot, but he struggled to produce consistently as an AHL rookie. He scored just five goals and 20 points in 61 games for the Wolves, and didn’t make any serious push for a call-up. With that said, he was a 19-year-old rookie playing in a very difficult league, so few scouts saw his 2024-25 season as a reason to seriously downgrade his projection. Entering the season, he ranked No. 7 in Carolina’s system according to the team at Elite Prospects, while Corey Pronman at The Athletic ranked him No. 5.
This season, Unger Sorum has been one of the AHL’s fastest risers. He’s upped his production considerably, scoring 63 points in 69 games this season. At just 20 years old, he led all AHL players aged 23 or younger in scoring this season. Now, he’s set to be rewarded for his rapid rise with the chance to make his NHL debut, and perhaps show he could be counted on to fill a role in head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s playoff lineup in the event the Hurricanes suffer several injuries during their postseason run.
Kochetkov is today’s other recall, but he’s in a very different situation than Unger Sorum. Kochetkov was in Chicago on a conditioning stint as part of his recovery from an early-season hip injury. That injury has limited the 26-year-old Russian netminder to just nine games played this season. In those nine games, he went 6-2-0 with an .899 save percentage and 2.33 goals against average.
With Kochetkov sidelined, the Hurricanes were forced to rely on Brandon Bussi, a 27-year-old goalie who had been one of the top goalies in the AHL, but had yet to make his NHL debut. Bussi was a revelation in Carolina, and has gone 30-6-1 with a 2.50 goals against average and .892 save percentage. While he’s not been a Vezina caliber goaltender for the Hurricanes by any means, he’s shown a valuable ability to steer the Hurricanes to victory, even in contests where he plays below his standards. Carolina rewarded him with a three-year, $1.9MM AAV contract extension in February.
Where Kochetkov stands in the Hurricanes’ goalie rotation at this stage of the season is unclear. Despite the fact that Kochetkov has been with the Hurricanes since 2021-22, and the team has gone on numerous deep playoff runs since that point, he’s been limited to no more than four games played in any single one of the team’s postseason trips. His playoff save percentage is also just .860. That, combined with the fact that he has just nine games played this season, makes him, on paper, a somewhat unlikely candidate to play in the Hurricanes’ upcoming run.
With that said, the team’s primary playoff starter, Frederik Andersen, has an .874 save percentage this season, one of the lower marks of any full-time starter in the NHL. His experience may get him the nod in net at some point, but his form in 2025-26 can’t inspire confidence. And while Bussi has certainly had an impressive campaign, he lacks experience in the postseason. As a result, while Kochetkov has factors working against him, it certainly wouldn’t be too big a surprise to see him in the crease for Carolina at some point in the playoffs.
Kraken Recall Jani Nyman; Reassign Two
The Seattle Kraken are making a slight change to their forward corps with two games remaining in the regular season. The Kraken announced that they’ve recalled forward Jani Nyman from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds and reassigned Jacob Melanson and Oscar Fisker Molgaard in a corresponding roster move.
Nyman has already spent a decent chunk of the season in Seattle. The 21-year-old was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Kraken and has spent the last two years playing in the organization.
He’s been fairly engaged during his appearances this season. Nyman has registered four goals and six points in 26 games with 22 hits, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. Additionally, his possession and defensive metrics rank well on the team. However, it’s important to note that Seattle is currently one of the league’s poorest teams in controlling shot attempts at even strength this season.
Still, despite his less-than-ideal scoring output in the NHL so far, there is plenty of hope that Nyman will become a consistent contributor in the near future. He’s been one of the Firebirds’ best forwards the past two years, scoring 49 goals and 77 points in 96 games with a +22 rating.
Meanwhile, unlike Nyman, Melanson has played more games with the Kraken this year than the Firebirds. Still, he has almost exclusively been a fourth-line player with Seattle, scoring two goals and five points in 36 games, averaging 9:22 of ice time. He’s understandably performed better in the AHL, albeit in fewer games, registering seven goals and 16 points in 26 games this season.
Lastly, Fisker Molgaard has spent most of the year in the AHL, where he has performed quite well. In 46 games, the 21-year-old has scored 10 goals and 32 points, good for seventh on the team in scoring in his first professional season.
Nashville Predators Sign Daniel Nieminen
4:45 p.m.: A short while after Nashville’s announcement, the team over at PuckPedia released the financial details of Nieminen’s entry-level deal:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $75K | NA | $70K |
| 2027-28 | $900K | $75K | NA | $70K |
| 2028-29 | $950K | $75K | NA | $70K |
3:21 p.m.: The Nashville Predators have put pen to paper on one of their draft selections from last summer. The Predators have announced the signing of defenseman Daniel Nieminen to a three-year, entry-level contract that will begin next season.
Nieminen, 20, was selected with the 163rd overall (sixth round) pick of the 2025 NHL Draft by Nashville. He was coming off a season almost exclusively with the Finnish Liiga’s Pelicans, registering four goals and 11 points in 39 games with a -1 rating. Additionally, he played for Team Finland in the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships, scoring two assists in seven games with a +2 rating.
This season with the Pelicans went much better for Nieminen on both sides of the puck. The Lahti, Finland native finished the year with five goals and 17 points in 47 games with a +3 rating. Unfortunately, his production at the World Junior Championships slipped, as he went scoreless throughout the tournament.
Odds are, Nieminen will begin the 2026-27 campaign with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Although he’s unlikely to challenge for any rookie-scoring leads, Nieminen already has the skating ability for professional hockey in North America. He’s managed terrific gap coverage in Finland and has the straight-line foot speed to close gaps on the rare occasion he finds himself out of position.
Still, unless the Predators trade multiple defensemen this summer, or have an unexpected number of injuries during preseason play, Nieminen doesn’t have a clear path to the NHL, at least for the time being. Nashville already has four left-handed defensemen signed through next season, and that’s without including top prospect Tanner Molendyk, who will undoubtedly challenge for an opening night roster spot.
Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Dennis Hildeby
The revolving door of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ backup goaltender continues, with Anthony Stolarz done for the season with a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs announced that they’ve reassigned netminder Artur Akhtyamov to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and recalled Dennis Hildeby in his place.
Because of the numerous injuries to Stolarz this season, Hildeby, 24, has spent quite a bit of time with the Maple Leafs. Throughout his three years playing in the organization, the 2025-26 season has provided Hildeby with the most opportunities at the NHL level.
For the most part, he’s played particularly well in those appearances. Hildeby has managed a 5-6-4 record in 19 games this season with a .910 SV%, 2.90 GAA, and 7.3 Goals Saved Above Average (according to HockeyReference).
For one reason or another, that stability with the Maple Leafs hasn’t translated to his time with the Marlies. In 22 AHL games this year, Hildeby has a 9-8-8 record with a .896 SV% and 2.70 GAA.
Still, his performance this season makes Hildeby an obvious trade candidate this offseason. Yes, this year has proven that Toronto needs an experienced third-string option given Stolarz’s injury troubles. However, given that they signed Akhtyamov to a three-year extension last month, that leaves Hildeby in a difficult spot.
Meanwhile, Akhtyamov, 24, returns to the Marlies, where he has almost exclusively played this year. The Kazan, Russia native, has had a respectable 2025-26 campaign, managing a 20-12-6 record in 36 games with a .903 SV% and 2.90 GAA. Unfortunately, his start last night against the Dallas Stars didn’t go well, as Akhtyamov gave up six goals on 32 shots (.813 SV%).
Penguins Recall Rafael Harvey-Pinard
The Penguins have recalled winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, per a team announcement. He’s in line to make his Pittsburgh debut tonight in their regular season finale against the Blues, while the Pens will sit virtually their entire top six to get them some extra rest ahead of their first round playoff matchup with the Flyers.
Harvey-Pinard landed a two-way deal with the Penguins at the beginning of free agency last summer. He cleared waivers during training camp and, aside from a brief recall in January that didn’t result in any playing time, has spent the entire season on assignment to the Baby Pens. The 5’9″ energy winger has produced 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points in 64 games, along with a strong +18 rating.
That’s not the peak production Harvey-Pinard has flashed in the past. A seventh-round pick by the Canadiens in 2019, he managed 21 goals and 56 points in 69 AHL outings back in 2021-22. That preceded Harvey-Pinard getting an extended NHL look the following season – mostly in a top-line role, too, in the wake of a Cole Caufield shoulder injury – in which he had 14 goals and 20 points in only 34 games.
Now 27, that seems to be where Harvey-Pinard peaked. He’s dealt with various injuries since then and only managed a 2-8–10 scoring line in 45 games the following year before falling out of the NHL rotation entirely in 2024-25. After finishing out the back half of a two-year, $2.2MM contract in Laval, it was no surprise to see Montreal let him walk with a non-tender to unrestricted free agency.
Harvey-Pinard likely needed more than what he’s produced this season to climb back into NHL consideration at Pittsburgh’s or someone else’s training camp in the fall. He’s done well enough to earn a two-way deal somewhere else, though. If he’s not interested in another one, there should be some interest from European clubs this summer as well.
Flames Recall Rory Kerins
The Flames announced Tuesday that they’ve recalled forward Rory Kerins from AHL Calgary. In doing so, they’ve used up the last of the five standard recalls available after the trade deadline, so they won’t be able to make any non-emergency moves before Thursday’s season finale against the Kings. Kerins will be an option to dress tonight against the Avalanche, though.
Kerins has seven NHL games to his name, all coming over the last two seasons. He got a brief recall back in November, during which he suited up in back-to-back games, so he won’t be making his season debut if he plays. The 2020 sixth-rounder got off to a hot start last year, rattling off four assists and a +3 rating through his first five NHL games before being returned to the minors. He didn’t get on the scoresheet in either appearance earlier this season.
The 24-year-old has worked his way up the organization’s depth chart on the heels of some spectacular minor-league offensive performances. As a first-year pro in 2022-23, he was one point shy of a point per game for ECHL Rapid City. He’s now held a full-time AHL role for the past three years and has a lifetime 72-77–149 scoring line in 182 games. That includes a 33-goal, 61-point showing in 63 games last year and another 22 goals and 54 points in 55 games this season.
The 5’11’, 190-lb center has some defensive flaws, though, that have kept him from progressing further into more NHL roles. That, plus the fact he projects as more of a winger at the NHL level, where the Flames are deeper, creates a numbers game that doesn’t fall in his favor when put up against younger, higher draft pedigree names like Matvei Gridin, Samuel Honzek, and Brennan Othmann.
Kerins did pass through waivers unclaimed at the beginning of this season, so that also likely won’t be much of a concern for Calgary moving forward. A pending restricted free agent, they face a choice of whether to qualify him in June, extend him before then, or let him walk to open up a contract slot. His qualifying offer is only a two-way deal with a cap hit of $813,750, so they certainly won’t balk financially at sending that his way.