Compliance Buyouts

Teams can start making Compliance Buyouts (CBO) tomorrow.  Let's look at how the teams stand versus the projected cap and who might get bought out.  All salary information is from CapGeek.com  Each team has their previous compliance buyouts listed, the current number of players under contract, and the current cumulative cap hit for those players.  Each player has his current cap hit and number of years left on his current deal.

First my two favorite teams.

The Blues are in good shape.  18 players signed, $48m committed.  They need to sign Berglund, Sobotka, and Schwartz, and replace Roy, Ott, Morrow, and Cola.  I project that puts them at about $60m for a complete roster.
You can complain about the trades Army makes, but it's hard to complain about the way he manages the cap.

The Canes are in hot water.  The Canes have 14 players under contract and $51m committed.  Just 4 NHL defensemen under contract.  At that, I have to stretch the definition of "NHL defenseman" to cover John-Michael Liles and Jay Harrision.  Lots of big-money contracts
Eric Staal $8.2m for 2 more years.
Alexander Semin $7m for 4 years.  Not CBO eligible.
Jordan Staal $6m forever.
Jeff Skinner $5.7m for 5 years.
John-Michael Liles $3.8m 2 years
Cam Ward $6.3m for 2 years

The Canes are up there with Pittsburgh and Boston in terms of cap trouble.  At least they aren't the Rangers or Blackhawks.  If I ran the Canes, Ward and Liles would get bought out.  I don't see any other way to have enough money to field a competitive roster.

Now on to the other 28 teams.

More worried about the floor

BUF
16 players $39m
Ville Leino makes $4.5m for 3 years.
Christian Ehrhoff makes $4m forever.
There is talk that Leino might get a CBO.  Honestly, a conventional buyout might be better as it would help get them to the floor.  In 2013, Nathan Gerbe was a conventional buyout for that very reason.  Ehrhoff is supposedly being shopped around.

CGY
14 players $39m

EDM
16 players $55m

FLA
14 players $41m
Brian Campbell makes $7m for 2 more years.  They need it to get to the floor.

NYI
2013 RICK DIPIETRO
18 players $43m

In good shape

ANA
19 players $49m

COL
17 players $45m
Colorado's payroll is low enough at this point they can spend $5.9m on a goalie without screwing themselves.

CBJ
15 players $48m

DAL
16 players $50m
Erik Cole $4.5m 1 year.
Sergei Gonchar $5m 1 year.  Not CBO eligible.
If you can't find better ways to spend $4.5m than Erik Cole,  you shouldn't be a NHL GM.
A conventional buyout for Gonchar saves $3.3m

DET
2013 CARLO COLAIACOVO
18 players $50m
Stephen Weiss makes $4.9m for 4 years.  Not CBO eligible.  A conventional buyout saves $2.5m

MIN
2013 TOM GILBERT
17 players  $48m

MON
2013 SCOTT GOMEZ
2013 TOMAS KABERLE
16 players $45m

NSH
19 players $50m
Pekka Rinne makes $7m for 5 more years.

OTT
19 players $50m
Even better if they move Spezza for assets.

PHX
19 players  $55m

TBL
2013 VINCENT LECAVALIER
17 players $55m

The most likely candidate is Ryan Malone (1 year $4.5m) although he is currently in the league's Behavioral health Program and it's not clear if he can be bought out.  Eric Brewer has 1 year left at $3.9m and has been the subject of some CBO rumors.

WSH
2013 JEFF SCHULTZ
20 players $56m

WPG
16 players $50m
Ondrej Pavelec $3.9m 3 years
As I said over on Arctic Ice Hockey, there is no compelling statistical reason to dump Pavelec and it appears there is no huge need for cap space.  At the same time, it's a move I would make.  I think it has PR value.

Could be better

LAK
18 players $58m
Mike Richards $5.8m for 6 more years
Richards may get the heave-ho to make salary room for Gaborik.

NJD
2013 JOHAN HEDBERG
17 players $57m
I thought NJ had plenty of cap space.
Ryan Clowe $4.8m for 4 more years
Adam Henrique $4m for 5 more years

SJS
18 players $60m
Martin Halat $5m 1 year
If the Sharks move Thornton and/or Marleau, they're in pretty good shape.
Otherwise Havlat could get a CBO.

VAN
18 players $59m
Moving Kesler ($5m 2 years) will help.

In hot water

BOS
the Bruins have 17 players under contract and $62m committed.  Subtract $4m for Marc Savard who has 3 years left but is on LTIR.  They need to sign or replace Johnson, Krug, Bartkowski, Meszaros, Iginla, and Thornton.
Brad Marchand makes $4.5m for 3 years. 
Marc Savard makes $4m for 3 years.
Zdeno Chara is $6.9m for 3 years then $4m
Dennis Seidenberg $4m for 4 years.

CapGeek says Savard is eligible for a CBO.  Not sure about that as he is on LTIR.  Savard actually has a $3.1m x 3 year cap recapture penalty if he retires this year.  Boston is said to be looking for takers for Marchand.

PIT
14 players $55m  Need to resign or replace Sutter, Jokinen, Stempniak, Goc, Pyatt, Glass, Vitale, Gibbons, Depres, Orpik, Niskanen, and Engelland.  No problem!
James Neal $5m for 4 years
Chris Kunitz $3.8m for 3 years
Pascal Dupuis $3.8m 3 years
Kris Letang $7.2m for 6 years  Not CBO eligible.
Rob Scuderi $3.9 for 3 years  Not CBO eligible.
MAF $5m 1 year.

If I ran the Penguins I would CBO Fleury, conventional buyout Scuderi, and dump Letang somewhere.
JR is not me.  I really look forward to seeing what happens.

TOR
2013 MIKE KOMISAREK
2013 MIKHAIL GRABOVSKI

12 players $49m  Need to sign or replace Bolland, Kulemin, McClement, Raymond, Brodie, Franson, Gardiner, Ranger, and Reimer.  They want to trade Kadri, Gardiner, and a prospect for Eric Staal.  That's not going to help here.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire

CHI
2013 STEVE MONTADOR
2013 ROSTISLAV OLESZ

The Hawks have 19 players under contract and $66m committed.  They need to sign or replace Smith, Handzus, Regin, Brookbank, and Raanta.
Patrick Sharp makes $5.9m for 3 more years.
Marian Hossa makes $5.3m forever.
Brian Bickell makes $4m for 3 years.  Not CBO eligible.
Brent Seabrook makes $5.8m for 2 years.

I assume Stan Bowman belongs to a religious cult that thinks civilization ends Sept 30, 2014.  Hossa has a big cap recapture penalty, too.  The Hawks are rumored to be shopping Sharp, Seabrook, and Hossa.

PHI
2013 DANNY BRIERE
2013 ILYA BRYZGALOV

18 players $66m  Take $4.9m off for Pronger, who has 3 more years on his deal but will remain on LTIR.  They need to resign or replace Brayden Schenn, Akeson, Downie, Gill, and Emery.
Vincent Lecavalier makes $4.5m for 4 more years.  Not CBO eligible.
Matt Read makes $4m for 5 years.  Not CBO eligible.
Luke Schenn and Niklas Grossman both make $3.5m
Steve Mason makes $4.1m for 3 years.  Not CBO eligible.

Lecavalier could get a conventional buyout.  That would have him getting paid by 3 different teams for the rest of his career.  At least the Flyers moved Paul Holmgren out of the GM role.

NYR
2013 WADE REDDEN

13 players $54m  They only need to sign or replace  Brassard, Kerieder, Zuccarello, Boyle, Pouliot, Dominic Moore, John Moore, Falk, Stralman, and Diaz.  No biggie!
Brad Richards $6.7m forever
Rick Nash $7.8m 3 years

I assume that Glen Sather is the founder of Bowman's cult.  Wasn't the cap supposed to stop the Rangers from doing stupid stuff?  Brad Richards has ugly cap recapture penalties, so I expect him to be the one to get bought out and Nash to be the one dumped somewhere.