The Edmonton Oilers and new general manager Craig MacTavish will not use one of their two compliance buyouts on captain Shawn Horcoff, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector.
Horcoff, who turns 35 on Sept. 17, has two years remaining on his six-year contract but has a cap hit of $5.5 million.
In 31 games with the Oilers last season, the Trail, B.C., native scored seven goals, five assists and had a plus-eight rating. Horcoff has just 20 goals in his last 112 regular-season games.
With Horcoff removed from MacTavish’s chopping block, another possible buyout candidate for the Oilers could be winger Ales Hemsky.
In 38 games in 2013, the 29-year-old recorded just nine goals and 11 assists with a minus-six rating. Hemsky is entering the final year of a two-year contract he signed in Feb. 2012 and has a cap hit of $5 million.
The buyout period starts June 26 at 11 p.m. ET and comes to an end on July 4 at 5 p.m. ET.