As expected, forward Scott Gomez and defenseman Wade Redden have cleared waivers. It’s now expected they’ll be bought out by the Canadiens and Rangers, respectively, and become unrestricted free agents.
Should the accelerated buyouts go ahead, Montreal and New York will still be charged the players’ full cap hits this season.
How much interest Gomez and Redden draw in free agency remains to be seen. The former had just two goals in 2011-12; the latter hasn’t played an NHL game since 2010.
However, it seems unlikely they’d drive a hard bargain in negotiations as they’ll still get paid their full salaries (pro-rated to account for the shortened season) by the Canadiens and Rangers.