[Sylvanfan]

It's one thing to retain salary on an expiring contract that has 6 weeks of money owed on it to get a mid round pick. But if you're looking for a second team to pick up salary for 3 years and close to 5 million in spent money after whatever is owed this year is settled. That's not going to be a single 3rd round pick here.

At an absolute Minimum, I would want a 2nd round pick in those three years and a 3rd this year to step in and broker that deal.

So then it's a matter of who's paying the broker to get the cap hit down to 1.75 for the acquiring team.

Whereas if the Sharks bite the bullet, and buy him out, it's 14 million after this year with 9 of the cap hit absorbed in the first 3 years in penalty's and 5 in the next three years. So on average it's less of a hit earlier and a bit of pain in the 4th to 6th years...but you also don't lose any picks to be out of the contract.