[browna]

In reference to the 'buy the draft pick':
Probably not, but I wonder in less extreme circumstances, that teams who need cap help or want to get cap flexibility, while keeping their player, do that.
Ie trade Tanguay to Team X, Team X buys him out, and Flames resign for a 1 year, 1m deal. Tanguay makes a million dollars more and still get his real money buyout and is free at the end of the year. The Flames save 2.5m in cap space and get something of value or no value from the other team. Or even two teams in the same boat make the trade and buyout and resign their player, since you can't resign a player you've bought out, for a year. Tanguay to team X, PlayerB to the Flames. Each guy gets bought out by the new team (could even net out to very minimal net dollar effect between the teams), and signs back to their old team. Each team keeps their player for less of a cap hit.