NHL Rumors: The Top Buyout and Offer Sheet Candidates

A look at the top buyout candidates

Thomas Drance of The Athletic: Top buyout candidates.

Mikko Koskinen – Edmonton Oilers – one-year, $4.5 million.

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $1.5 million
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $1.5 million

James Neal – Edmonton Oilers – two-years, $5.75 million

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $1,916,667
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $1,916,667
2023-24: Buyout cap hit – $1,916,667
2024-25: Buyout cap hit – $1,916,667

Loui Eriksson – Arizona Coyotes – one-year, $6 million

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $4 million
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $1 million

Tyler Johnson – Tampa Bay Lighting – three years, $5 million

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $1,055,556
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $2,805,556
2023-24: Buyout cap hit – $1,805,556
2024-25: Buyout cap hit – $1,555,556
2025-26: Buyout cap hit – $1,555,556
2026-27: Buyout cap hit – $1,555,556

Jake Virtanen – Vancouver Canucks – one-year, $2.55 mill

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $50,000
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $500,000
* put on unconditional waivers today

Braden Holtby – Vancouver Canucks – one-year, $4.3 million

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $500,000
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $1.9 million

Martin Jones – San Jose Sharks – three-years, $5.75 million

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $1,916,667
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $2,215,667
2023-24: Buyout cap hit – $2,916,667
2024-25: Buyout cap hit – $1,666,667
2025-26: Buyout cap hit – $1,666,667
2026-27: Buyout cap hit – $1,666,667

Olli Maatta – Los Angeles Kings – one-year, $3,333,225

2021-22: Buyout cap hit – $1,110,984
2022-23: Buyout cap hit – $1,111,121

Top offer sheet candidates

James Mirtle and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic: Offer sheet compensation for this year, from Cap Friendly.

ANNUAL AVERAGE (AAV) VALUE	COMPENSATION
$1 – $1,356,540	No Compensation
$1,356,541 – $2,055,364	Third Round Pick
$2,055,365 – $4,110,732	Second Round Pick
$4,110,733 – $6,166,096	First Round Pick Third Round Pick
$6,166,097 – $8,221,463	First Round Pick Second Round Pick Third Round Pick
$8,221,464 – $10,276,829	2 First Round Picks  Second Round Pick Third Round Pick
$10,276,830 – ∞	4 First Round Picks

As usual offer sheets aren’t likely to happen, but for fun here are the top eight players that should be offer sheeted and possible contracts.

1. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks – $10M x 5 years
2. Adam Pelech, New York Islanders – $6.15M x 5 years
3. Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes – $8M x 6 years
4. Alex Barre-Boulet, Tampa Bay Lightning – $1.35M x 2 years
5. Kevin Fiala, Minnesota Wild – $6.15M x 5 years
6. Ilya Sorokin, N.Y. Islanders – $4.1M x three years
7. Igor Shesterkin, N.Y. Rangers – $6.1M x three years
8. Conor Garland, Vancouver Canucks – $5.5M x 4 years

• Jonathan Willis: “I can’t see it happening – offer sheets usually don’t, Ron Francis was a conservative GM in Carolina – but the Kraken going after Pettersson with their cap space would be a great kickoff to a Seattle/Vancouver rivalry. Could even follow it with a Garland OS after VAN matches.”
• Jonathan Willis: “Best case: you get Pettersson at $10MM Consolation prize: you get Garland at $6MM Worst case: Vancouver spends $16MM on RFAs before even getting to Quinn Hughes.”