The Florida Panthers have won the 2025 Stanley Cup, and with that, the NHL’s buyout window will open on June 20, just 48 hours after the conclusion of the playoffs.
The window will remain open until June 30 at 5:00 PM EST.
The New York Islanders are not expected to buy out any players during this period, but it remains a valuable time to monitor other teams’ moves, especially given the recent success of several buyout recipients.
If the Islanders were to participate, forward Pierre Engvall and defenseman Scott Mayfield would have been likely recipients. However, the reason GM Mathieu Darche won’t be going that route is due to the years left on these deals and the fact that these two players aren’t negative assets.
Engvall’s buyout would carry a $1 million cap hit for the next 10 years, while Mayfield’s would come in at $1.116 million annually over the same span.
The Toronto Maple Leafs inquired about Mayfield prior to the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes if Engvall is to be on the move.
In 2024, Jeff Skinner and Nate Schmidt were bought out by their respective teams.
Schmidt then went on to win the Stanley Cup with the Panthers, while Skinner reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers.
In 2023, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks before signing with Florida and winning the 2024 Stanley Cup.
Several members of the 2024-25 Islanders were recent buyout recipients, including Adam Boqvist, Tony DeAngelo, and Mike Reilly; however, none of the three were signed immediately after their buyouts.
The Islanders have signed a recently bought-out player before, when former GM Lou Lamoriello brought in Zach Parise in 2021 following his buyout from the Minnesota Wild.
Stefen Rosner contributed to this report.
Photo Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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