Montreal, QC – The Montreal Canadiens used their second and final compliance buyout on defenseman Tomas Kaberle Friday.
The 35-year-old spent two seasons with the Habs, collecting three goals and 22 assists with a minus-2 rating in 53 games.
Kaberle was set to enter the final year of a three-year, $12.75 million deal he signed prior to the 2011-12 campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes. He only played 29 games with the Hurricanes, tallying nine assists and a minus-12 rating before a trade sent him to Montreal in December 2011.
Rules of the compliance buyout dictate the Canadiens owe Kaberle two-thirds of the remaining value on his contract spread out over twice the remaining length. Kaberle was set to make $4.5 million next season, so he will be paid $3 million over the next two years.
The buyout saves Montreal $4.25 million against the salary cap.
The 14-year veteran spent his first 11-plus seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs before going to Boston at the 2011 trade deadline. Kaberle has 563 points -- including 87 goals -- in 984 career games with a plus-17 rating.
Montreal made a notable splash back in January when it used its first of two CBA-mandated buyouts on disappointing center Scott Gomez, who later signed with the San Jose Sharks.
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