John Buccigross berates NHL contract buyout ahead of teams using clause to aid free agency signings

The NHL contract buyout clause permits a team to buyout a player's contract to reduce their salary cap hit. This was agreed upon by the NHL and the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) on July 10, 2020 as part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which will expire after the 2025-26 season.

ESPN analyst and broadcaster John Buccigross slammed the clause after multiple players had their contracts bought out before the start of free agency on July 1. In a fiery tweet on X/Twitter, he called out the NHLPA—headed by executive director Martin Walsh—to take action against these buyouts.

"The whole "contract buyout" thing is unAmerican. A contract negotiated in good faith should be honored 100%. Why does NHLPA let this continue?," Buccigross said.

The buyout cost varies depending on the player's age. If he is younger than 26, the amount is 1/3 of the remaining contract; but if he is 26 or older, the amount increases to 2/3—both over twice the remaining term.

The NHL players whose contracts were bought out before free agency started were the following:

• Jack Campell (Edmonton Oilers)
• Nate Schmidt (Winnipeg Jets)
• Adam Boqvist (Columbus Blue Jackets)
• Jeff Skinner (Buffalo Sabres)
• Cam Atkinson (Philadelphia Flyers)
• Ryan Suter (Dallas Stars)

---

Experts, fans debate Buccigross' hot take on NHL contract buyout

NHL experts, fans shared on X/Twitter their reaction to John Buccigross' hot take. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli weighed in favor of the contract buyout and opined it is for players who do not live up to their predicted potential.

"The contract is predicated on performing at a high level, and if you don't hold up your end of that bargain, you get 66% of the stated value and you're free to pursue employment elsewhere," Seravalli said.

The Athletic's James Mirtle stated that the players themselves can negotiate the buyout in the CBA through the NHLPA.

Meanwhile, a fan targetted Buccigross' "unAmerican" statement and said that the buyouts are fair because the player gets paid the remaining amount despite not performing at their projected level.

The fan also noted how the situation is a common occurence in American businesses, to which the ESPN analyst replied: "Not with contracts."

Fans disagreed to Buccigross' reply, and some even referred to it as a bad take.

"The contract has said clause. Bad argument and a worse take" wrote @cbrucebressler

"I don’t know what contracts you get but there is almost always an opt out clause for both sides." replied @BarsanNick.