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Prominent forwards Blake Wheeler and Matt Duchene are among the NHL players who have been put on unconditional waivers on Friday for the purpose of buying out the remainder of their contracts.
Wheeler, 36, had been with the Jets since 2011 when the then-Atlanta Thrashers acquired him in a trade from the Boston Bruins and is the franchise’s leader in games, points and assists. He had been the team’s captain for six seasons before Jets coach Rick Bowness went without a captain last season.
Duchene, 32, like Wheeler a two-time All-Star, has been with the Predators for four seasons and is two seasons removed from a 43-goal season.
Duchene had 22 goals last season and Wheeler had 16.
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The deadline for this buyout window is 5 p.m. ET. Players will become unrestricted free agents after being bought out.
The Jets announced the Wheeler move while the Duchene buyout was confirmed by The (Nashville) Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Wheeler is the second key player the Jets have moved out. They traded Pierre Luc-Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings earlier in the week.
How does a buyout work?
An NHL team can buy out a player’s contract for two-thirds of the remaining amount if the player is 26 or older or for one-third if younger than 26. That figure is spread out over twice the number of years remaining on the contract. Signing bonuses are excluded from buyouts. The buyout amount for each year counts toward the team’s cap hit.
What are the numbers for the players who are being bought out?
(Figures from capfriendly.com)
Blake Wheeler: One year left on contract at $8.25 million. Buyout amount: $5.5 million spread over two seasons.
Matt Duchene: Three years left at $20 million with a $8 million cap hit, with $6 million of that in signing bonuses. Buyout amount: $9,333,333 spread over six seasons. Note: There will be a cap hit of more than $5.5 million in 2024-25 and more than $6.5 million in 2025-26.
Defenseman Mike Reilly, 29, Bruins: One year left at $4 million with a $3 million cap hit. Buyout amount: $1,333,333 over two years.
Forward Kailer Yamamoto, 24, Detroit Red Wings: One year left at $3.2 million with a $3.1 million cap hit. Buyout amount: $1,066,667 over two years.
Who was bought out before Friday’s four players?
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vancouver Canucks; Zack Kassian and Patrik Nemeth, Arizona Coyotes; Josh Bailey, Chicago Blackhawks.
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