Sharks using buyout on struggling winger Havlat

The San Jose Sharks will use a compliance buyout on forward Martin Havlat. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

The San Jose Sharks will use a compliance buyout on forward Martin Havlat, according to Sharks beat reporter Kevin Kurz of CSNBayarea.com.

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson announced in May that Havlat would not be back next season even though the two-time Czech Republic Olympian has one year remaining on his contract — his deal has a cap hit of $5 million, but he was owed $6 million in salary for the 2014-15 season.

Havlat scored just 27 goals in three seasons with the Sharks after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild in a trade for Dany Heatley in 2011.

In 748 career regular season games, Havlat has 236 goals and 579 points, but never managed to get things going in San Jose. The 33-year-old had just 22 points in 48 games this past season and was a healthy scratch in six of San Jose’s seven playoff games.

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