Here’s the thing: Don’t.
The Los Angeles Kings made one of their primary moves to transition into rebuild mode this afternoon by finally opting to buyout the contract of Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf had two years remaining on the seven-year, $49 million deal he signed as a Toronto Maple Leaf in 2013, at an average annual value of $7 million.
This now makes Phaneuf a free agent. On the open market, the veteran will likely command only a fraction of what he made on his previous deal, perhaps even choosing to join a contender on a close-to-league-minimum waiver.