The NHL buyout period is coming soon and with it so will the decision on Ville Leino’s future with the Buffalo Sabres.
Leino has three years left on a contract with Buffalo that comes with a $4.5 million cap hit. Sabres GM Tim Murray told WGR radio in Buffalo they’re still deciding what the proper course is in how to handle Leino’s situation.
Murray said there’s a strong possibility that they’ll use the compliance buyout on Ville Leino. Murray says they must still cross the t’s and dot the i’s and have one more conversation with the owner about it.
As for Leino, his agent told John Vogl of The Buffalo News they haven’t had much talk with the Sabres.
“I have had few very short discussions about Leino with Tim Murray,” Leino’s agent, Markus Lehto, told The News by email.
The buyout period begins 48 hours after the end of the Stanley Cup Final or June 15, whichever comes first, and ends June 30. The Sabres owe Leino $11 million and a buyout would cost them $7.3 million (two-thirds of the amount owed). The Sabres signed Leino to a six-year, $27 million deal in the summer of 2011.
One possible issue for Buffalo should they use a compliance buyout on Leino: Hitting the salary floor.
It’s projected to be around $50 million next season and as of right now, according to CapGeek.com, the Sabres have nearly $39 million committed to the cap. Lopping off $4.5 million means Buffalo will have to spend $15 million against the cap to compete. They have five restricted free agents to get signed, two of whom are due for a raise in Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. Cory Conacher, Jamie McBain, and Chad Ruhwedel are also RFAs.