The enormous long-term deals signed during free agency and the blockbuster dual contracts signed by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have to make some people nervous.

After all, the main point of contention of the 2012-13 lockout was that the player salaries were skyrocketing.

With the inevitable climb in contracts as the salary cap climbs, the ridiculous cycle of excessive spending is sure to continue. As the ink still dries on the Toews and Kane deals, Chicago must now determine how they are going to assemble a competitive product for the duration of these massive deals.

A significant part of the newest NHL collective bargaining agreement was the ability to void, or amnesty unfavorable contracts. It’s hard to imagine the same administration that negotiated a deal having the ability to claim a “mulligan”, but that was written in to the CBA to rescue ownership and management from their own poor decisions.

There were many obvious choices for players that weren’t earning the salaries that they had signed for, and management had to be licking their chops to get some bad deals off the books. Here is the buyout stipulation per Capgeek.com:

Teams have the ability to buy out contracts at a reduced cap hit from June 15 to 30 each year. They are also allowed two compliance buyouts in June 2013 and June 2014 that cost the team actual cash but have no salary cap consequences

In the two seasons that the buyout clauses have been in place 32 players have been invited to continue their careers elsewhere. Whether it was a big salary, the ungodly length of the deal or a combination of both, the freedom to get out from underneath a bad deal was liberating……so that the next bad deal could be signed.

Here are ten players that should be stunned that their own deals weren’t thrown into the wood chipper.

Marian Hossa-(seven years-$5.275 million cap hit) The 35-year old has a deal that expires when he turns 43 with an annual $5.3 million salary cap hit. With the Toews and Kane deals imminent, it’s surprising that he Hawks didn’t throw Hossa’s deal in the trash.

Rick Nash-(Four years-$7.8 million cap hit) The 30-year old power forward has seen his numbers bottom out and though you can’t fault the Rangers for buying out Brad Richards more egregious contract, Nash’s abomination of a deal is still on the books.

Brooks Orpik-(five years-$5.5 million cap hit) Sure this could not have been bought out, but this contract should never happened in the first place.

Dion Phaneuf-(seven years-$7 million cap hit) This extension kicks in for 2014-15 so I can’t say with certainty that it would even have been eligible for a buyout. Either way it’s a bad deal for a declining defenseman who is one of the most overrated players in NHL history.

Stephen Weiss-(four years-$4.9 million cap hit) Possibly the most frustrating par of not buying this deal out was that the Red Wings wasted their buyout on a player that spent last season in Grand Rapids. Instead they have Weiss with a bad contract and a no-movement clause.

Mike Richards-(six years-$5.75 million cap hit) It may have been a last minute decision not to void Richards’ deal, but Los Angeles missed a chance to get out from under the underwhelming former Philly captain.

Alexander Semin-(four years-$7 million cap hit) The injury prone sniper has registered 35 goals in 109 games with Carolina. At that price, let’s at least hope that Semin is paying it forward with some charity work in the Raleigh community.

Dustin Brown-(eight years at $5.875 million cap hit) Two Stanley Cups in three years have as much to do with Dustin Brown (15 goals and 27 points in 79 games) as they do with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. If his production is this bad now…. But, Dean Lombardi is a genius, right?

Jordan Staal-(eight years at $6 million cap hit) Carolina must have stolen someone’s checkbook, because they have a ton of players with stupid contracts and zero playoff success over the past five seasons.

Cam Ward-((only) two years at $6.3 million cap hit) Ward rounds out the hat trick of Canes that are overpaid. The good news for Carolina fans is that they have yet to use a compliance buyout (they have two), but my guess is that they’re going to give it one more season before they blow this Hurricane of money up.