Back to the Pittsburgh Penguins Newsfeed

Primer: Understanding NHL’s buyout period

The NHL's first buyout period of the season officially opened on Saturday, and will remain open until June 30 at 5 p.m.

What is a buyout? How does the process work? Let's break it down.

WHAT IS A BUYOUT?

When a team buys out the remainder of a player's contract, it doesn't just come off of the books. There are consequences.

A buyout allows the team to greatly reduce the salary cap hit of a player, but period of time in which a player's contract remains on the books after a buyout is increased.