Avs will buy out Orpik if they can't find trade partner
Brooks Orpik was sent to the Colorado Avalanche along with Philipp Grubauer for a second-round pick in a draft-day trade, but the veteran blue-liner won't be in Denver for long.
The Avs intend to trade Orpik, and if they can't, the team will buy him out, general manager Joe Sakic told reporters at the draft, according to The Athletic's Apron Basu.
The Avalanche are apparently trying to help send Orpik to "a preferred landing spot," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added.
Orpik has one year left on his contract with at $5.5-million cap hit. A buyout would go as follows, according to Cap Friendly:
| Season | Cap Hit |
|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $2.5M |
| 2019-20 | $1.5M |
Orpik, 37, finished with zero goals and 10 assists in 81 games this season. The physical, stay-at-home defenseman added a goal and four assists during the Washington Capitals' run to a championship.