Five NHL buyout candidates to watch when 2026 window opens
The 2025-26 Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights is well on its way to establishing itself as an all-timer, and it’ll be sad to bid the series farewell on Sunday or Wednesday, especially knowing it marks the close of the hockey calendar until autumn. But a giddy excitement follows the end of the NHL season; that’s when the trade activity swirls leading up to the Draft, and it’s also the demarcation point for specific roster movement.
Which brings us to buyouts. The first NHL buyout window officially opens on the later of June 15 or 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final ends, meaning the latter in the case of the 2025-26 calendar. Our partners at PuckPedia have a full breakdown of the NHL buyout rules here if you want to brush up.
When that window opens, which players are most likely to hear their names called? Here’s a short list of candidates to watch, with buyout calculations courtesy of PuckPedia.
J.T. Compher, C, Detroit Red Wings
Cap hit: $5,100,000 for 2 more seasons
Buyout: $1,966,667 / $1,966,667 / $1,566,667 / $1,566,667
Compher’s production and ice time have declined in each season of his ill-fated five-year pact, which he signed when the Wings bought high after his career year playing on a stacked second line in Colorado. Straight up: he was one of the NHL’s worst regulars this season, a 23rd percentile offensive play driver and a sixth percentile defensive play driver. Detroit was outscored 55-41 with Compher on the ice at 5-on-5. The Wings have close to $30 million in cap space but have several top-nine wingers to re-sign and must make a decision on a backup goaltender, if they decide it still isn’t Sebastian Cossa’s (or Michal Postava’s) time, so the $3,133,333 in cap savings for the first two seasons of the buyout would be useful.
Brendan Gallagher, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Cap hit: $6,500,000 for 1 more season
Buyout: $3,833,333 / $1,333,333
In the Habs’ season-end availability following their Eastern Conference final ouster, an emotional Gallagher, who dressed for three playoff games this spring, stated, “It’s pretty clear that I’ll be moving on here.” He’s probably right, but moving the $6.5-million cap hit will be easier said than done given he’s a marginal NHL contributor at this stage of his career. The Habs absolutely do need to shed cap space as they chase a higher-end upgrade, likely at center, but moving Gallagher likely means (a) retaining up to 50 percent of his AAV or (b) attaching an asset in exchange for the acquiring team eating his whole cap hit. In the latter scenario, the acquiring team could shrink the cap hit via buyout; he’d cost $3.83 million, but he’d still be on the books an extra year for $1.33 million in that case.
Ryan Graves, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
Cap hit: $4,500,000 for 3 more seasons
Buyout: $3,305,556 / $3,305,556 / $3,555,556 / $555,556 /$555,556 / $555,556
I’m a bit skeptical on this one. I’m including Graves because I’ve seen his name out there as a candidate, but the annual savings are pretty modest if the Pens buy him out at just above, then just below $1 million over those first few years. Will you adequately replace him with a $1-million player? The Pens also have truckloads of cap space already this summer, sitting on $37.86 million at the moment, so a Graves buyout doesn’t seem all that necessary. He’s the least likely of the five names on this list.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina Hurricanes
Cap hit: $4,820,000 for 4 more seasons
Buy out: $850,833 / $470,833 / $470,833 / $470,833 / $850,833 / $850,833 / $850,833 / $850,833
What’s more surprising: that Kotkaniemi is still just 25 or that he has four years left on his deal? He was buried in bottom-six work all year and hasn’t dressed for a playoff game, so he’s a tough sell, but he’s young enough to have some perceived upside left in him. The Canes are also a rare elite team that is also asset rich in picks and prospects, so they could attach a sweetener in a trade. But they may not even have to go that way given his deal is so unbelievably buyout friendly; the cap hit for every season of it would be south of $1 million. Carolina could explore that path or send a pick to a team willing to pay the buyout post-trade.
Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Cap hit: $7,500,000 for 4 more seasons
Buy out: $3,500,000 / $3,500,000 / $3,500,000 / $3,500,000 / $2,000,000 / $2,000,000 / $2,000,000 / $2,000,000
The Leafs and new GM John Chayka find themselves in quite the quagmire with Rielly. He’s no longer the puck-moving defenseman they need him to be. He’s not a $7.5-million player despite his scoring contributions and leadership. The team would likely be better off moving on from him – but he controls whether he goes at all via his no-movement clause, and his trade value isn’t particularly high given the performance doesn’t match the price tag. The savings would be significant on a buyout at $4 million in each of the first four years, but eight years paying him would be tough to stomach.
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