Tampa Joins the Buy-Out Bunch

The potential number for the salary cap and lack of top-end free agents could understandibly be the reason why there have been so many buy-outs already. So, Tampa joined the bandwagon and let go of goaltender Marc Denis from the fold on Wednesday, after placing him on waivers Tuesday to begin the process. Denis, 30, had a potential cap hit of $2.866 million coming for the Lightning and it was high time that the Lightning were free of a third of that burden.

At the trade deadline, the team acquired goaltender Mike Smith from the Stars in the Brad Richards deal, who took a portion of the ice time upon his arrival. Denis had already spent a bulk of the year in the minors after clearing waivers and then again clearing re-entry waivers in a late season return to the team. His eventual departure shouldn't come as a big surprise.