from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

The NHL’s buyout period begins one month from today, the later of June 15 or 48 hours after the Stanley Cup is awarded. It concludes on June 30 at 5 p.m. ET....

Corey Perry, two years at a $8.625 million cap hit

Among the top 15 most expensive players in today’s NHL, none have delivered less bang for the buck than Perry the past few seasons. The winger turns 34 this week and has watched his production drop in each of his past three seasons.

Granted, health issues were a contributing factor to Perry’s career-worst output in 2018-19 — six goals, four assists and a minus-16 rating in 31 games played — but he hasn’t been a 20-goal threat since 2015-16.

Perry holds a full no-movement clause, and Bob Murray’s cap-tight Ducks need to get younger and cheaper.

Justin Abdelkader, four years at a $4.25 million cap hit

It’s easy to look at Abdelkader’s 2018-19 numbers — six goals, 19 points, minus-14 rating — and start dreading another four declining years of overpaying a depth veteran winger whose no-trade clause won’t be modified until 2020-21. Especially if you’re new GM Steve Yzerman, who inherits a couple of troubling long-term loyalty deals handed out by the departing Ken Holland.

Yzerman bought out Matt Carle and Vincent Lecavalier when he served as Tampa’s GM. Because Abdelkader still has four years left on his deal, a buyout would put him on the books for eight years (at a reduced annual hit of between $1.145 million and $2.395 million).

The question here is twofold: How aggressive will Yzerman be in this rebuild? And much cultural worth does he see in keeping an alternate captain like Abdelkader — a leader in the room and in the community — around a core that is getting younger by the autumn.

more on each of the above plus other players...