R.J. Umberger admitted he expected to be bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers after a difficult 2015-16 season, and general manager Ron Hextall confirmed Thursday that the team will buy out the final year of the forward's contract.
The 34-year-old was owed $4.6 million next season, and his buyout will help the Flyers gain an extra $3 million in cap space.
The #flyers cap hit for the R.J. Umberger buyout will be $1.6M this season and $1.5M next, per @generalfanager.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 16, 2016
Umberger broke into the NHL with the Flyers in 2005. After a six-year stint in Columbus, he returned to Philadelphia in a June 2014 trade that sent Scott Hartnell to the Blue Jackets - a deal that now looks incredibly lopsided.
Production since trade
| Player | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Hartnell | 156 | 51 | 58 | 109 |
| R.J. Umberger | 106 | 11 | 15 | 26 |
Despite Umberger's struggles, Hextall said he's "fine" with how the trade worked out, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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