The Montreal Canadiens extended a friendly hand to the Winnipeg Jets in taking on Steve Maso, but perhaps a buyout is a more likely option.
When the first window for player buyouts opened, many expected (or hoped) for the Montreal Canadiens to use it for a Jordie Benn or a David Schlemko. Karl Alzner was another option, but the penalty for it, which would extend over eight years, would be a major double-edged sword. However, word was that the Habs weren’t planning on buying out anyone.
That was until Saturday morning. Montreal acquired Steve Mason, Joel Armia, and a pair of draft picks in exchange for prospect Simon Bourque. It was a great move from Marc Bergevin to use the team’s cap space as an asset. The question now is what the next step is for Mason?
On the surface, you can assume that the battle for the backup spot behind Carey Price got more intense. The Montreal Canadiens signed Charlie Lindgren to a three-year deal during the season and extended Antti Niemi for a year last month. With Mason in the fold, the one-on-one fight is now a triple threat match.
But odds are Mason isn’t sticking around. There’s no reason to. Both Lindgren and Niemi proved that they can be more than serviceable backups. Flipping Mason to another team makes the most sense.
Teams like the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes may be looking to strengthen their net presence. The darker side of it all is that Mason didn’t have that too good of a season. The 30-year-old played 13 games for the Jets posting a 5-6-1 record, and .906 save percentage. He’s proven over the course of his career that he’s not a number one, but can be a decent backup and possibly serviceable 1B.
The Habs could easily get a draft pick for him based on the demand for goaltenders. However, free agency has some names that aren’t too far off from Mason’s level. Jonathan Bernier, Cam Ward, and Robin Lehner are quick examples.
With a trade an unlikely option, Montreal has placed the goaltender on waivers to buyout his contract.
Steve Mason will be put on unconditional waivers at noon to buy out his contract. @CanadiensMTL #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 30, 2018
Assuming Mason clears, the process will finish up tomorrow, just in time for the end of the buyout window.
Mason is over the 26 age limit so the penalty will be 2/3 of his salary and stretch across two years. According to Capfriendly’s Buyout Calculator, The Montreal Canadiens will have $1,366,667 on their cap for both of those years saving $2,733,333 for the 2017-18 season.
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There’s nothing to hate about this process for Bergevin. He used the team’s salary situation to add value, which is something the Habs should continue to do. It’ll be interesting to see whether a similar move like this happens in the future.