The Dallas Stars on Tuesday used one of their two compliance buyouts on defenseman Aaron Rome after he cleared waivers.
Rome, 30, had one year remaining on a three-year, $4.5 million contract. He had one assist and a minus-6 rating in 25 regular-season games for the Stars this season and was scoreless with a minus-1 in one Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Stars general manager Jim Nill told the Dallas Morning News on Monday the move was being made with the thought of giving the team's defense prospects a better opportunity to make the roster next season.
"We have a lot of young defensemen who are making a good push and we need to create room for them," Nill told the newspaper.
In eight NHL seasons, Rome has six goals and 28 points in 226 games with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks and Stars. He went to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final with the Canucks and has one goal and one assist in 19 playoff games.
The window for NHL teams to offer a compliance buyout to players opened Monday. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams were given two special buyout provisions to be used after the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons that allow them to buy out a player's contract while not having it count toward the salary cap. This is the first compliance buyout used by the Stars.
It will be the only one; Nill said there are no other buyout candidates on the roster.
Teams have until 5 p.m. ET on June 30 to decide to use a compliance buyout.