30-year-old defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo’s stint with the Detroit Red Wings might be over. The team is leaning towards using a compliance buyout on him, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Colaiacovo only played in six games in 2013, in part due to a shoulder injury. He also appeared in nine playoff games, but averaged just 15:14 minutes per contest.
With the rise of 23-year-old blueliner Danny Dekeyser, it wasn’t clear if there was still a top-six defensive spot available for Colaiacovo going into the 2013-14 campaign.
Buying out Colaiacovo would save the Red Wings $2.5 million in cap space next season. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2014.
If Colaiacovo is bought out, he’ll be joining a thin market for defenseman that will potentially be headlined by the likes of Marek Zidlicky, Joe Corvo, Ron Hainsey, Grant Clitsome, and Rob Scuderi.