Buyout-mania

One of the things that was brought into the NHL after the lockout of 2012 was the compliance buyout option.  Every team had two of those options they could use to clear a major contract (i.e. Rick DiPietro's 15 year deal), but those were the only two they had for last off-season and this off-season.

This week was the beginning of round two of those buyouts, as the Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres, and Vancouver Canucks used them, with the San Jose Sharks considering that option.  For the Stars, they used one on Aaron Rome, which means the Stars are clear of the one-year, $4.5 million they were on the hook for Rome.  The Canucks cleared David Booth's contract from the books, effectively meaning that the Canucks have used both of their options (they used one on Keith Ballard last off-season) while the Buffalo Sabres will be clearing three years left on Ville Leino's contract, according to reports.  The Sharks are considering this option for Martin Havlat.

The Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Toronto Maple Leafs used both their options last off-season, and therefore, cannot use this option this off-season.