Retention question

[Ford Prefect]

I've been conditioned to come here whenever I have questions no mere mortal hockey fan can answer. Please prove me right.

Assume Team A trades a player with three years left on his contract, retaining on that player. Team B decides that they'd rather buy him out after a year than play out the contract. I know that Team A would be on the hook for their part of the buyout (cap recaptures and whatnot). What I'm not sure of - does Team A lose that retention slot for the 4 year duration of the buyout? The original 2 years remaining of the contract? Or does it just count as dead cap and they get that retention slot back immediately (or in the next NHL season if it's an August buyout after an arbitration, for example)?

Thanks in advance!

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[mouser]

The CBA doesn't answer this question.

Have not confirmed, but I believe the NHL releases the retention slot following a buyout. Generally the NHL treats a buyout as if the contract has been terminated and no longer exists**, thus the retention slot is no longer in use.

**Technically the player is still receiving salary pursuant to the contract buyout terms, but it's still treated as the contract having been terminated.


Edit: Checking CapFriendly, their understanding is the salary retention slot remains locked up over the term of the buyout.

 

[GKJ]

Buyouts on retained salary remains in the retention slot for the duration of the penalty. This is currently the case with the Coyotes and Ekmam-Larsson

 

[Noldo]

Are the retention slots irreversible or would the retention slot be released if the team that has retained salary re-acquires the player?

 

[GKJ]

Are the retention slots irreversible or would the retention slot be released if the team that has retained salary re-acquires the player?

You can’t re-acquire a player you’re retaining salary on. Jim Rutherford once tried it with Carl Hagelin.

 

[mouser]

Are the retention slots irreversible or would the retention slot be released if the team that has retained salary re-acquires the player?

You can’t re-acquire a player you’re retaining salary on. Jim Rutherford once tried it with Carl Hagelin.

Teams can reacquire a player they’re retaining salary on—so long as a year has passed since the original salary retention trade. But the salary retention remains in effect for the duration of the contract. Reacquiring the player doesn’t free up the retention slot.

For example: if the reacquiring team then traded the player again, the original salary retention would still remain in effect.