Pittsburgh Penguins Buyout Scenarios
The NHL buyout window will open just 48 hours after the finale of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Many Penguins fans have been clamoring for the contract termination of players such as Ryan Graves and Tristan Jarry, but the question is, how will it affect the salary cap for the team, if at all? Let’s take a look at what Kyle Dubas and the team may be staring at if the buyouts come to fruition.
Thanks to PuckPedia and their buyout calculator, we can see the cap hit and savings for any player across the league.
Ryan Graves: The now 30-year-old defenseman was brought to the Penguins to bring stability to a blueline that desperately needed it. Safe to say, two seasons into his six-year deal, things have not gone according to plan. There were times on multiple occasions when Graves found himself sitting in the press box or playing sheltered minutes. With a defensive-minded coach seemingly about to be hired any day now, Mitch Love, do they give Graves one last chance to live up to his contract, or cut bait now? If they do, this is how his buyout would look. Graves currently holds a cap hit of 4,500,000 over the next 4 seasons.
Tristan Jarry: At the time of Jarry’s extension, he was the best available option for the Penguins. Also, remember Jarry was coming off an all-star season at the time, so a five-year 5.38M per contract did not seem too far-fetched. Fast forward, Jarry has had his flashes over the last two seasons, but his lows have seen him as one of the worst goaltenders in the league. Jarry spent a few weeks in AHL Wilkes-Barre this season before returning to the big league club. The question of whether to buyout the 30-year-old looms largely over the future of Joel Blomqvist, who had a taste of the NHL level this season. Jarry has 3 years left on his deal with a cap hit of 5.38M here’s how his buyout would look.
The Penguins can save over 5M in two buyouts but deal with the costs down the line, should they do it? Tweet at me your thoughts on X @CadeynM37 or on Facebook under the OldeCitySports page.
-Cadeyn McCrory/ Olde City Sports Network
Ryan Graves photo via Associated Press
Tristan Jarry photo via Jeanine Leech, Icon Sportswire
Buyout charts courtesy of PuckPedia
