Auston Matthews buyout
Toronto Maple Leafs · C · cap hit $13,250,000 · through 2027-28 · NMC
Bought out in the June 2027 window, Auston Matthews would be 29: his team would pay him two thirds of his remaining base salary, $600,000, in 2 annual payments of $300,000.
- Buyout cost
- $0.60M
- 2/3 of remaining base salary
- Annual payment
- $0.30M
- over 2 seasons
- Cap savings
- $0.30M
- over the whole term
- Cash savings
- $0.30M
- for the owner
| Season | Cap hit before | Cap hit after | Savings | Salary owed | Paid with buyout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027-28 | $13,250,000 | $12,650,000 | $600,000 | $10,020,000 | $9,420,000 |
| 2028-29added | — | $300,000 | −$300,000 | — | $300,000 |
The calculation
Remaining base salary $900,000 (1 season) × 2/3 (26 or older) = $600,000 ÷ 2 seasons (twice the term) = $300,000 per season Cap hit, contract season = cap hit − (base salary − payment) Cap hit, added season = payment
The remaining signing bonuses — $9,120,000 — are untouched by a buyout: already promised, they are still owed and still count against the cap. That is why a bonus-heavy contract is nearly buyout-proof.
Auston Matthews's profile →Toronto Maple Leafs finances →Another player →
How buyouts work
- Buyouts happen in the summer window, June 15–30 (or from 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final).
- The team pays one third of the remaining base salary if the player is under 26, two thirds if he is 26 or older.
- That amount is paid in equal parts over twice the years left on the contract.
- Each contract season keeps its cap hit minus that year's savings; each added season carries the payment.
- Signing bonuses are still owed and still count against the cap. Performance bonuses and 35+ contracts follow special rules this calculator doesn't cover.
NHL–NHLPA CBA, article 50.9. Contracts: PickALeague records.