from Jared Clinton of The Hockey News,
Brooks Orpik was traded by the Capitals, bought out by the Avalance and re-signed in Washington all within the span of little more than one month....
Orpik should thank his agent and accountant for the way this whole situation has shaken out, too, while also taking solace in the fact he might not lose so much as a cent in overall salary despite his new deal carrying a substantially lower cap hit. The buyout from Colorado will pay Orpik $1.5 million this coming campaign and another $1.5 million next summer. Add in the potential to earn $1.5 million in Washington if he meets both bonuses and some grade-school math gives us a total of $4.5 million in earnings for Orpik. Sure, the money is spread over two campaigns instead of one, but this is about the best possible outcome for which the veteran blueliner could have asked.
Orpik’s signing has raised more than a few eyebrows, though, with some calling it a cap-circumventing deal that has essentially allowed the Capitals to retain the defenseman’s services from one season to the next while saving at $4.5 million against the cap for the upcoming season. And while there are rules against a team buying out and subsequently re-signing that player within a one-year period, Orpik’s deal technically doesn’t fall into that category as it was the Avalanche who exercised the buyout option.
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