They might still be NHL-calibre players, but not at that price.
Due to hefty salary cap hits and underwhelming performances, the following five players have found themselves clearing waivers and forced to ply their trade on their employers’ American Hockey League farm team.
The maximum cap exemption for a player in the AHL is $950,000, so everything above that figure hinders the NHL team’s cap.
Below is a list of the NHL’s five priciest buried cap hits, all but one of whom plays for a Canadian team. Edmonton leads all teams in buried cap money ($4.9 million), while Thursday’s Karri Ramo demotion ranks Calgary third.
Andrew MacDonald, $4.05 million
Waived before NHL rosters needed to be set for puck drop, MacDonald is now the most handsomely paid member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He has one assist and is a plus-3 in the AHL. MacDonald’s $30-million contract does not expire until 2020.
Nikita Nikitin, $3.55 million
After failing to find a trade partner for the overpaid Nikitin, Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli demoted him to the American League. Despite false rumours that he may bolt to his native Russia, Nikitin is on the Bakersfield Condors roster. He has yet to play a game, however. The 29-year-old has one year remaining on his two-year, $9-million contract.
Karri Ramo, $2.85 million
Re-signed as a free agent on July 1 for a generous $3.8 million, Ramo featured in seven playoff games for the Flames,going 2-3 with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. But the 29-year-old Finnish goaltender found himself the odd man out in Calgary’s three-goalie game of musical chairs this fall. Ramo’s early .879 save percentage and 0-3 record resulted in a demotion to AHL Stockton.
Colin Greening, $1.7 million
The 29-year-old winger’s play at the NHL level has declined. After being unsuccessfully shopped, Greening began 2015-16 with AHL Binghampton, where he’s been a point-a-game player through four contests.
Ben Scrivens, $1.35 million
Since both new goaltenders, Cam Talbot and rookie Anders Nilsson, out-performed him in camp, Scrivens found himself on the outs. The Oilers reportedly discussed trading Scrivens to Chicago, but the 2014-15 No. 1 ended up on waivers. Scrivens was handed his first start for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors on Friday and will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
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