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clarke

Member Since
Aug. 9, 2022
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Forum: NHL SigningsAug. 9, 2022 at 1:34 a.m.
Thread: Boston Bruins signed Patrice Bergeron (1 Year / $5,000,000 AAV)
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Messier99</b></div><div> Is this done a lot? I'd much rather lose part of my cap next year for a player who performed this year - than buy-out a player and pay him for years when he doesn't play at all.</div></div>

From the <a href="https://www.capfriendly.com/faq#performance_bonus">FAQ</a>, the only contracts that can have performance bonuses are:
a) ELCs
b) 1-year 35+ contracts
c) 1-year standard contract for player returning from long-term injury (see FAQ for conditions)

Going by the <a href="https://www.capfriendly.com/browse/active">active player search</a>:
a) 326 active players on ELC contracts with performance bonuses.
b) 10 active players on 35+ contracts with performance bonuses (there's only 27 active 35+ contracts and 11 of those are multi-year [thus ineligible])
c) 1 active player on such a contract: Markus Nutivaara.

As for why more teams don't use performance bonuses instead of buyouts: because they can't. Most buyouts are for standard contracts (not 35+ contracts), thus those players were ineligible for performance bonus contracts. For the 35+ contracts, it may benefit the team but it doesn't benefit the player. E.g. if the Penguins had only offered Letang a 1-year contract with performance bonus, he'd of left for a team that offered him multi-year contract with guaranteed pay (and someone would have offered). Contracts are results of negotiations and players favor signing multi-year contracts.