The NHL buyout window is always one of the stranger parts of the offseason.

It is not quite a trade. It is not quite free agency. It is basically the league’s version of admitting, “Yeah, this contract did not go the way we hoped.”

Some buyouts are obvious. Some are painful. Some are not about the player being bad at all, but about the contract no longer fitting where the team is going. With the salary cap rising to $104 million for 2026-27, teams have more breathing room than they did a few years ago, but that does not mean every contract suddenly looks clean.

So let’s go team-by-team and pick one player from every NHL club who would make at least some sense as a buyout candidate after the 2025-26 season.

This is not saying every one of these players will be bought out. In a lot of cases, a trade, retained salary deal, demotion, LTIR situation, or simply riding out the contract may make more sense. But if every team had to circle one name, these are the players who stand out.

Anaheim Ducks: Alex Killorn

Alex Killorn has been a useful veteran, but Anaheim is no longer in the stage where it should be paying premium money for leadership alone. The Ducks have young forwards pushing for bigger roles, and if Killorn’s production is not matching his cap hit, this is the kind of contract that starts to feel heavy.

The Ducks do not need to panic. They have been patient. But when a rebuilding team starts to turn the corner, that is usually when expensive veteran deals get squeezed first.

Boston Bruins: Nikita Zadorov

Nikita Zadorov brings size, nastiness, and playoff-style hockey, so this would not be about him being useless. It would be about Boston looking at the money and asking whether that cap space could be better used elsewhere.

The Bruins are always trying to stay competitive, but they are also in a tricky transition period. If they need room to reshape the blue line or add scoring, Zadorov’s contract could become a conversation.

Buffalo Sabres: Connor Clifton

Connor Clifton is exactly the type of player who can become a buyout discussion without being a disaster. He is a competitive depth defenseman, but Buffalo has been searching for the right defensive mix for years.

If the Sabres finally decide they need a cleaner, faster, more reliable look on the back end, Clifton could be the veteran squeezed out. The cap hit is not gigantic, but sometimes the point of a buyout is simply opening a roster spot.

Calgary Flames: Blake Coleman

Blake Coleman has had a very respectable NHL career, and teams value the way he plays. But Calgary is in a situation where every older contract needs to be looked at carefully.

If the Flames are leaning into a younger group, Coleman becomes a logical candidate. He still has utility, which means a trade could happen first. But if the market is soft, a buyout would not be shocking.

Carolina Hurricanes: Jesperi Kotkaniemi

This one might be the cleanest buyout case in the league.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi is still young enough that another team would probably convince itself there is something left there. But in Carolina, the fit has become harder and harder to defend. He has not developed into the impact center the Hurricanes hoped they were getting.

The reason this name keeps coming up is simple: the buyout is very friendly compared to the remaining term. For a contender like Carolina, that matters. The Hurricanes are too good and too deep to keep waiting forever.

Chicago Blackhawks: Tyler Bertuzzi

Tyler Bertuzzi can still play, and he has the kind of edge that teams like. But Chicago’s rebuild is about Connor Bedard and the next wave now.

If Bertuzzi is not producing enough to justify his number, the Blackhawks could decide they would rather use that money and lineup spot differently. Chicago does not have to rush into anything, but veteran middle-six money can become awkward fast on a young team.

Colorado Avalanche: Miles Wood

Miles Wood’s speed and physicality made sense when Colorado added him, but the Avalanche are a team where every dollar matters. They are built around elite stars, and that means depth contracts have to age well.

If Wood is not giving them consistent bottom-six impact, he becomes the kind of player a contender considers cutting loose. Colorado cannot afford passengers.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Elvis Merzlikins

Elvis Merzlikins has had flashes, but this has felt like a complicated fit for a while. Goaltending is emotional, expensive, and hard to move when the numbers do not match the contract.

Columbus has been trying to build something more stable. If the organization believes it needs a fresh start in net, Merzlikins is the obvious name. A trade would be preferred, but a buyout could enter the picture if there is no clean market.

Dallas Stars: Ilya Lyubushkin

Dallas is a contender, and contenders usually do not buy out useful depth unless they absolutely need the space. But Ilya Lyubushkin is the type of contract that can get squeezed on a team with bigger ambitions.

If the Stars want to upgrade their defense or keep more important pieces, a physical depth defender making real money becomes vulnerable.

Detroit Red Wings: J.T. Compher

J.T. Compher is one of the more realistic names on the board.

Detroit signed him hoping he would stabilize the middle of the lineup. Instead, the contract has become a tough one to love. The Red Wings need more difference-makers, not more middle-class cap commitments that do not move the needle.

If Detroit wants to be aggressive, clearing Compher’s money could help. It would not be personal. It would be business.

Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse

Darnell Nurse is the big one.

A buyout would be massive, messy, and painful because of the term and cap hit. But if Edmonton cannot find a trade and Nurse truly wants a fresh start, the Oilers at least have to look at every option.

This is not the neatest buyout. In fact, it might be one of the hardest. But when a contract is that large and the fit becomes that complicated, it has to be mentioned.

Florida Panthers: Evan Rodrigues

The Panthers have been one of the NHL’s best examples of roster efficiency, but eventually those middle-tier contracts become decisions.

Evan Rodrigues has been useful, versatile, and competitive. That is why this is not obvious. But Florida always seems to be hunting for the next edge, and if they need cap space for bigger pieces, Rodrigues could become a candidate.

Los Angeles Kings: Phillip Danault

Phillip Danault has been one of the better defensive centers of his generation, but the Kings have to be honest about where they are headed.

If his offense has slipped and the role is shrinking, the contract becomes harder to carry. Los Angeles has younger players who need responsibility, and paying premium money for a defense-first center only works if he is still driving winning hockey.

Minnesota Wild: Frederick Gaudreau

Frederick Gaudreau is a classic buyout-style candidate because the move would not be dramatic, but it could be practical.

Minnesota needs flexibility. With Kirill Kaprizov’s huge money kicking in, the Wild cannot afford to keep too many replaceable contracts around the edges. Gaudreau is respected, but this is the kind of deal that could be cleared to create room.

Montreal Canadiens: Brendan Gallagher

This one is emotional.

Brendan Gallagher means a lot to the Canadiens. He gave his body to that organization for years. He played the exact way Montreal fans love: angry, fearless, stubborn, and usually in someone’s crease.

But the NHL is cruel. The contract has not aged well, and Montreal is reaching the point where it wants to stop being a rebuilding team and start acting like a serious threat. If the Canadiens need cap space for a major upgrade, Gallagher’s deal is one of the first places people will look.

It would hurt. It would also make sense.

Nashville Predators: Luke Schenn

Luke Schenn brings leadership, toughness, and experience. But Nashville has already gone through enough roster weirdness to know it cannot keep paying for yesterday.

If the Predators are trying to get younger and faster, Schenn’s contract could be vulnerable. He still has value in the right role, but if the pace catches up, a buyout is not impossible.

New Jersey Devils: Ondrej Palat

Ondrej Palat helped Tampa Bay win Stanley Cups and brought credibility to New Jersey. That mattered. But this is where the Devils have to separate résumé from current value.

New Jersey has high-end talent, but the supporting cast has to be efficient. If Palat is no longer giving top-six or strong middle-six value, his cap hit becomes a real problem.

New York Islanders: Pierre Engvall

Pierre Engvall’s contract has looked strange for a while.

He has tools. He can skate. He has size. But the production and impact have not always matched the commitment. For an Islanders team that badly needs more high-end skill and flexibility, Engvall is an obvious buyout-style name.

The Islanders cannot keep living in the middle. Contracts like this are how teams get stuck there.

New York Rangers: Vincent Trocheck

Vincent Trocheck is still a good player, so this would be more of a bold-reset move than an obvious dump.

The Rangers are at a point where they need to decide what the next version of the team looks like. If they want to get younger, faster, and less expensive down the middle, Trocheck’s contract could at least be discussed.

A trade would make more sense. But if the market is not there, the buyout conversation exists.

Ottawa Senators: Nick Jensen

Nick Jensen is a useful veteran defenseman, but Ottawa has reached the stage where “useful” is not always enough.

The Senators need the right pieces around their core. If Jensen is not the best fit, or if the team wants to clear money for a more impactful move, he becomes a reasonable candidate. This would not be a shocking name if Ottawa wants a cleaner cap sheet.

Philadelphia Flyers: Sean Couturier

This would be a brutal one.

Sean Couturier has meant a lot to the Flyers. He has been a Selke-level player, a captain, and a warrior. But long-term contracts for aging, hard-mileage centers can get scary quickly.

Philadelphia is building something, and at some point the organization has to decide whether Couturier’s deal fits the timeline. The cap penalty would be ugly, but the conversation makes sense if the Flyers feel the player and the plan are moving in different directions.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Ryan Graves

Ryan Graves is one of the most obvious buyout candidates in the league.

The Penguins signed him to stabilize their defense, but it has not worked the way they hoped. Pittsburgh is trying to squeeze what it can out of the final years of the Crosby-Malkin-Letang era while also preparing for what comes next.

That is a hard balance. A Graves buyout would be about admitting the fit did not work and moving on.

San Jose Sharks: Barclay Goodrow

Barclay Goodrow is a respected player, and San Jose knows him well. But on a rebuilding team, a veteran bottom-six contract only makes sense if it serves a clear purpose.

The Sharks need to give young players NHL reps. If Goodrow is blocking a spot or not providing enough value, a buyout could be a simple way to clear the deck.

Seattle Kraken: Philipp Grubauer

Philipp Grubauer has been the obvious Kraken buyout conversation for a while.

Goalie contracts are unforgiving. When they hit, they look brilliant. When they miss, they sit on the cap sheet like a rock. Seattle needs more scoring, more consistency, and probably a clearer direction in net.

If the Kraken are ready to fully turn the page, Grubauer is the name.

St. Louis Blues: Justin Faulk

Justin Faulk has been a quality NHL defenseman, but the Blues are in a weird place. They are not fully rebuilding, but they are not exactly sitting comfortably as a contender either.

That is usually when older, expensive defense contracts get evaluated. Faulk may still have trade value, which would be the preferred path. But if St. Louis wants to rework the blue line, he is a logical buyout discussion.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Conor Sheary

This one is simple.

Tampa Bay has lived on the edge of the salary cap for years. The Lightning know better than almost anyone that depth money matters. Conor Sheary has skill and experience, but if he is not producing, his contract becomes a luxury Tampa cannot afford.

For the Lightning, this is exactly the type of smaller buyout that can help keep the machine running.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Morgan Rielly

Morgan Rielly would be the headline buyout.

He has been a major part of the Maple Leafs for years. He has carried huge minutes, played through chaos, and produced big moments. But Toronto is entering a new era, and Rielly’s contract is no longer easy to ignore.

The problem is not that he cannot play. The problem is the number, the term, and the role. If the Leafs feel they need a different type of defenseman making that money, this becomes one of the biggest decisions of their offseason.

It would be controversial. It would also be understandable.

Utah Mammoth: Olli Maatta

Utah is a young team trying to take a step, and that means veterans have to fit very specific roles.

Olli Maatta is steady, experienced, and useful in the right situation. But if Utah wants more speed or wants to open a spot for a younger defenseman, he could become the odd man out.

This would not be a dramatic buyout. It would be a practical one.

Vancouver Canucks: Tyler Myers

Tyler Myers has had stretches where he has been better than the jokes around him, but his contract is still the type that can become a discussion.

Vancouver is trying to win now, and every dollar matters around its core. If the Canucks feel they can replace Myers internally or with a cheaper signing, a buyout would make some sense.

He is not the problem by himself. But he could be part of the cleanup.

Vegas Golden Knights: William Karlsson

This would feel very Vegas.

William Karlsson has been a massive part of the franchise’s identity, but the Golden Knights are ruthless when it comes to roster management. They do not usually sit around and wait for things to become comfortable.

If Karlsson’s production dips or injuries become a concern, Vegas could at least consider something bold. A trade would be more likely than a buyout, but if the Golden Knights need room for their next big swing, nobody should assume sentiment wins.

Washington Capitals: Pierre-Luc Dubois

Pierre-Luc Dubois is a fascinating one because the talent is obvious, but the contract always follows him around.

Washington took a swing because upside matters. If it works, great. If it does not, that deal becomes a serious problem fast.

A buyout would be extreme because of the size and term, but if the Capitals decide the fit is not right, Dubois would immediately become the contract everyone talks about.

Winnipeg Jets: Neal Pionk

Neal Pionk has played important minutes in Winnipeg, but the Jets are always walking the line between keeping the window open and refreshing the roster.

If they feel the blue line needs a different look, Pionk could be the contract they study. He can still help an NHL team, so a trade may be more realistic. But if Winnipeg needs cap flexibility, he makes sense as the buyout name.

Final Thought

The thing about buyouts is that they are rarely just about one player.

They are about timing. They are about the cap. They are about younger players needing jobs. They are about a GM admitting a contract no longer fits the team’s future.

Some of these names would be shocking. Some would be expected. Some teams probably avoid the buyout route entirely.

But after the 2025-26 season, with the cap rising and teams preparing for another aggressive summer, there are going to be uncomfortable conversations across the league.

That is the NHL now. Yesterday’s good contract can become tomorrow’s problem fast.