When the NHL resumes this fall, Blues fans can count on seeing Doug Weight and Keith Tkachuk wearing the note on their chest. The Blues announced on Monday that they will not buy out the contracts of the two players, meaning both will remain in St. Louis.
Beginning Saturday, NHL teams will have a week-long period to buy out a player’s current contract for two-thirds of its value. The money teams use to buy out an existing contract will not go against the new $39 million salary cap agreed upon in the new collective bargaining agreement ratified last week.
Weight is expected to make $5.7 next season and Tkachuk will make $7.8 million.
The Blues have not made definitive statements yet about defenseman Chris Pronger, who is a free agent. If they don’t sign him by Sunday, the Blues will have to give him a qualifying offer which Pronger could accept or he could shop the market. The Blues would then have the right to match any other offer by that Pronger gets from another team or receive compensation if they decide not to match it.