We hinted at it yesterday when the NHL buyout period began, but the Montreal Canadiens made it official this evening that they’ll be parting ways with enforcer Georges Laraque, financially.
Laraque had one year remaining on a US$4.5 million three-year contract.
The buyout is worth $1 million and will be spread out over the next two years, meaning the Canadiens will receive an extra $500,000 cap hit through the 2011-12 season.
Will someone else be interested in Laraque? I’d say that the market for an enforcer who doesn’t quite enforce anymore (28 PIM in a shortened 09-10 season, 61 PIM in 08-09) and is an injury liability (still missed a month of play in 09-10, 33 games in 08-09) that comes with the sort of price tag Laraque was getting from Montreal will be really close to being non-existent.
Then again, with an annual period where you get to buyout players it’s become a sort of annual event, one that should be named. My suggestion: Yashin Festivus, named after Alexei Yashin who the Islanders will be paying off until the end of the 2013-2014 season. We’ll call it “festivus” because much like the Seinfeld holiday, there will be many airings of grievances... Just don’t count on any feats of strength.