The day after the NHL Draft means there’s plenty of moves to that are being made. Sunday has seen a trio of NHL buyouts coming during the afternoon. Jack Campbell, Nate Schmidt and Adam Boqvist have each received news that their respective deals will get bought out.
The #Oilers have placed goaltender Jack Campbell on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout. pic.twitter.com/lXb1UmGTi3
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 30, 2024
NHL Buyouts Coming Fast on Sunday
Campbell has played for the Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers over his nine-year NHL career. This season was a struggle for the Port Huron, Mich, native. Campbell went 1-4-0 with a 4.50 goals-against-average and an .873 save percentage.
Schmidt has played for the Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets over his 11-year NHL career. The soon-to-be 33-year-old had two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 63 games this season. He had a Corsi for of 54.0 and a relative Corsi of 4.3
Boqvist has played for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets over his five-year NHL career. The Falun, Sweden native totaled a goal and nine assists for 10 points in 35 games this season for the Blue Jackets. His Corsi for was 53.8 and he had a relative Corsi of 6.4.
What It Means
Hockey can be a hard business and getting a buyout does stink sometimes. However, there’s lots of pressure on teams to win games is immense and there’s no margin for error.
Campbell seemingly fell out of favour in Edmonton and spent most of his season buried AHL Bakersfield. He was given a big deal, but things never worked out. His fate with the team was pretty much sealed when Calvin Pickard was given a two-year deal.
Schmidt and Boqvist each barely got into double-figures in points, so that made their deals expendable. Columbus making a buyout is rare, but Don Waddell is in charge and that philosophy may change.
Each player will now be an unrestricted free agent as of July 1. These players will be free to sign with any team once the buyout process is finished.
Main photo by: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports