With the Stanley Cup Final over after the Los Angles Kings clinched it in an overtime thriller on home ice, the 2013-14 season has finally reached its end.
With that in mind, attention now turns towards the NHL entry draft and free agency that's soon to follow.
There's one thing before that, though: buyouts.
The NHL's compliance buyout period opens up just after midnight on Sunday (early Monday morning) and the Devils have a couple of in-house candidates for the buyout.
While Bryce Salvador's name has been continuously thrown around by Devils fans, it makes more sense to use the team's 2nd and final compliance buyout on Anton Volchenkov.
Volchenkov has two years remaining on his contract at $4.25 million per season, where as the captain has one season remaining on his deal at a hair over $3 million.
Even if you believe Volchenkov is the better player of the two (like myself), the difference isn't huge which leads me to believe buying out Volchenkov makes more sense. More term, more money, and he doesn't wear a letter on his jersey.
Buyouts can begin Monday, as I mentioned, but Lou Lamoriello has used the phrase "when time is on your side, use it," more times than I can count so it wouldn't be surprising if he drags this out closer to the June 30th buyout deadline.
One way or another, the Devils have a big decision to make in relatively short order.
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Email: NHLToddCordell@Gmail.com