Bruins Eye Buyout Moves as Deadline Looms
The NHL's buyout window opened late Tuesday night and will close on June 30 at 5:00 PM ET, giving the Boston Bruins a narrow window to decide the fate of two contracts that have become burdensome under the salary cap.
Forward Elias Lindholm, signed for five more years at a $7.75 million cap hit, carries a no‑movement clause, meaning a buyout would bypass the waiver process but would leave a lingering cap penalty that stretches into 2036.
The financial calculus behind a Lindholm buyout promises a short‑term savings of roughly $3.9 million in the first two seasons, yet the team would absorb a $5.33 million cap charge in the final two years and a $1.58 million annual charge from 2031 through 2036.
Goalie Joonas Korpisalo, whose $3 million cap hit extends over two more seasons and is partially subsidized by the Ottawa Senators, presents a different set of options; a buyout would free about $1.81 million of space for the 2026‑27 campaign but would lock the Bruins into $812,500 charges in the 2028‑29 and 2029‑30 seasons.
Sending Korpisalo to the AHL affiliate in Providence could save the club $1.23 million, but many insiders argue that a trade remains the most pragmatic route to resolve his contract.
General manager Don Sweeney, who has previously employed buyouts to manage cap pressure, is reportedly weighing whether the financial relief justifies the long‑term penalties attached to either move, especially as the team evaluates its competitive window.
The broader roster implications extend beyond these two players; reporter Fluto Shinzawa has documented the debate, while other roster members such as Michael DiPietro and defenseman Mike Reilly could see increased ice time as the club reshapes its depth.
As the deadline approaches, the Bruins must balance immediate cap flexibility with future financial obligations, a decision that will shape the team’s flexibility in the upcoming free‑agency period and the NHL draft.