Back in March, it was reported that Montreal Canadiens center Scott Gomez was telling friends that he expected the team would buy out the remaining four years of his albatross, er, contract.
His precognitive abilities are better than his offense, apparently. Well, we imagine his ability to fly is also better than his offense. Really, the list of what's better than his offense would humble a NASA supercomputer.
After the Canadiens formally announced that Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Marc Bergevin will take over their vacant general manager's job, Louis Jean of Sportsnet reported on AM 590 in Toronto that Gomez's contract will in fact be bought out by Montreal.
"It's been something that's been talked about so much, the fact that Scott Gomez has not produced," said Jean on "Brady and Lang". "This looks like something that will happen even before Bergevin comes in. It's Geoff Molson saying, 'OK, let's get this done.'
"Buying out Scott Gomez … this is a Geoff Molson thing. I think it really shows that this is Geoff Molson's team."
Gomez is scheduled to make $5.5 million in 2012-13 and $4.5 million in 2013-14. According to Cap Geek:
Scott Gomez is 32 years old on the buyout date of June 15, 2012, setting the buyout ratio at 2/3 and the total buyout cost at $6,666,667 spread over 4 years. His contract was originally valued at $51,500,000 beginning in 2007 and ending in 2014, with $10,000,000 remaining from the buyout year forward.
His cap hit breakdown for Montreal, if it bought out the rest of his deal:
2012-13: $3,523,810
2013-14: $4,523,810
2014-15: $1,666,667
2015-16: $1,666,667
Thus, the great cleansing begins! Well, actually it begins "the later of June 15 or 48 hours after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals and ending at 5 p.m. New York time on June 30." But it begins nonetheless! (Even if it makes much more sense to go the Wade Redden AHL burial route with Gomer.)