Breaking: Veteran defenseman bought out of his $3.5 million deal

This just in, the Calgary Flames have reportedly bought out veteran defenseman Michael Stone according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Check it out:

The 29 year old Stone had one year left on a three year, $10.5 million deal that paid him $3.5 million annually. He’ll now hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

Stone had been a massive disappointment in Calgary and never really found his footing with the team. He’ll now be given a chance to resurrect his career with a fresh start someplace else.

The move frees up about $2.5 million in cap space for the Flames this season, as they’ll only have to pay Stone $1.1 million each of the next two years, rather than the $3.5 million he was owed for this season. 

You hear that, Matthew Tkachuk? I think GM Brad Treliving might be giving you a call this week…