I'm always curious when I see Ottawa buyouts (ie. Zaitsev or Murray). You've got lots of cap space, why not just eat the contracts for a couple of years? They'll expire when you're starting to pay a lot of the younger guys. Don't handcuff yourself down the road, when you *should* have room to pay them for a couple of years...or, retain 50% and you might be able to move one or the other. Worst case, fire them in the pressbox or down to the AHL, and live with it.

White? That's a little trickier...

- a White buyout is worth it because it would be cheap, like minimum league salary cheap. With Stutzle-Norris-Pinto-Kastelic (and prospects), there's no more spot at center for White. On RW, there's a spot right now if one of Brown/Joseph play left wing but competition is going to be very heavy. There's value in keeping White as he's a good 3rd liner and can slot about anywhere in the forward group (injuries happen) but that's money that could be saved easily

- a Murray buyout might not even be necessary, there's a good chance he just ends up on LTIR, like many other players before. When you deal with injuries (particularly concussions), there's a chance you're not going to be cleared for NHL contact again.

- a Zaitsev buyout could be avoided too. Just keep him in the AHL as an injury policy, or as the 6th/7th/8th guy. If you don't overplay him in a role he can't handle, he's not that bad of a player.