Detroit Red Wings buy out center Frans Nielsen

The Detroit Red Wings gained access to a second buyout window after settling their arbitration case with Adam Erne, and they’re going to use it. CapFriendly reports that the team will buy out the final year of Frans Nielsen’s contract. Nielsen was owed $5.25M this season. The team will have the following cap penalties:

• 2021-22: $4.25M
• 2022-23: $500K

The move will only save the Red Wings $1M in cap space this season, but more importantly, will only cost them $500K in actual salary over each of the next two years. Nielsen’s six-year, $31.5M contract had just $3M left owed to him in the final year after being heavily front-loaded. It also will open another roster spot for a young forward looking to establish himself on the rebuilding club. The 37-year-old Nielsen is a shadow of his former self and has just five goals and 15 points over the last two seasons, despite playing in 89 games.

Even landing another NHL contract seems unlikely for the veteran forward, who is just 75 games away from 1,000 for his career. His play has declined significantly and the Red Wings weren’t even comfortable with him playing center this season. Once an annual Selke candidate as one of the most consistent two-way centers in the league, Nielsen’s best days are long behind him.

Again, this move isn’t really about the cap space for the Red Wings, who were already more than $18M under the upper limit. While they continue to rebuild the roster and develop young players, GM Steve Yzerman isn’t committing any long-term money to the current group.