Today is the worst day for all of the NHL players who disappointed their teams this past season with poor performances. Similar to Larry Murphy with the Toronto Maple Leafs 13 years ago, players both performing poorly and are over the hill, can be bought out by their current clubs.

The buyout policy is one enforced as a last resort for clubs strapped for cash. Sometimes the players being bought out have not necessarily been bad, they just do not get played often and the salary they are making appears undeserved. For fans betting on which players will be moved, one can look no further then to these five NHL clubs who will surely be making some fans betting on them quite rich as a result of the buyout policy.

1. Chicago Blackhawks - Although winning the Stanley Cup, through the designs of former architect Dale Tallon, the club is severely strapped for cash. As a result, look for players such as backup goalie Cristobal Huet, defenseman Brent Sopel and perhaps a forward such as Kris Versteeg to be bought out of their contracts if the Hawks cannot trade them. By buying all three out, the Hawks could use the money for fixing holes.

2. Montreal Canadiens - The one team that will almost certainly provide a safe bet for using the buyout policy. Three players, who appear to be headed out the door after being bought out, are former enforcer George Laraque and the Kostitsyn brothers. Laraque has not played a game of hockey since early January, as then Hab's general manager Bob Gainey felt it was a waste of money to pay a guy to play 30 seconds a game.

3. Edmonton Oilers- After finishing 30^th and gaining the number one overall pick in the 2010 draft, this is another safe bet for using the buyout option, after such a disappointing finish. Although drafting overall is a great honour, it is one many teams would much rather avoid. Look for the Oilers to buy out Captain Ethan Moreau, a fourth liner who is being paid a whopping $2.5 million. Also look for forwards Fernando Pisani and Shaun Horcoff to be bought out as well after disappointing seasons.

4. Ottawa Senators- Although the Sens made the playoffs this year, the team was still a disappointment. Running into financial trouble, the team will probably look to unload a few bad contracts. Two that stick out like a cold sore are one time 50 goal man Jonathan Cheechoo, who wishes it was still 2005 and he was playing with Joe Thornton, and goalie Pascal Leclaire. Leclaire was supposed to be the first goalie the team had since Dominik Hasek a few years ago, that was competent enough to guide the team back to the Stanley Cup. Instead Leclaire appeared average at best, and many Senators fans will be happy to see him go.

5. Philadelphia Flyers - This year's Stanley Cup runner up is in a similar boat as the Blackhawks, as they too are right up against the cap. After giving out no trade clauses to various players, the team will look to buy out players such as Scott Hartnell, Riley Cote, and perhaps Daniel Briere. By doing so the team can invest the money they saved into the one position that has been their Achilles heel for years, goaltending.

Most online World Cup betting favorites will have a solid defender, and the opposition will try to go at him like Lesnar in the upcoming UFC 116 betting Match. In the NHL, Philadelphia has Chris Pronger, who is playing in his third Stanley Cup final with a different team in the last five years, and Chicago is trying to throw the big man off in this year's championship series.

Pronger leads the playoffs in ice time with 28:56, playing in every situation imaginable. Usually he's up against the Chicago line of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien, and his main goal is to move the 260-pound Byfuglien from in front of the Flyers' net. But he has been getting attention from the rest of the Blackhawks, particularly Ben Eager, who earned an offsetting misconduct at the end of Game 2's 2-1 win for Chicago. Eager and Pronger were jawing at each other as Pronger picked up the game puck, which Eager told him he could have, and Pronger responded by shooting a towel thrown on the ice by a fan at Eager. Also, a number of Blackhawks were seen slashing at Pronger throughout the first two games.

Pronger has been the focus of other teams before, so he should be able to keep his cool, but he has been known to do stupid things as he has a number of suspensions under his belt. The Blackhawks are hoping that the slashes will add up and slow Pronger down, and if they can get under his skin, that's a boost for their online sports betting odds.

World Cup betting players will see club rivals put their differences aside for the big tournament in South Africa, but in the NHL, there are a couple of players looking to heap pressure on their former teams.

Michael Leighton was drafted by Chicago in 1999 with the 165^th pick, and he had a debut to remember, earning a shutout. Then he was shuttled off to Buffalo, Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina, bouncing between the minors and the NHL. He ended up back in Philadelphia, and the rest is history: Leighton has stepped up every time the Flyers have needed him to this season in the face of injuries, especially in the postseason with Brian Boucher going down. He has faced the Blackhawks once, stopping 39 of 41 shots in a 3-2 win at home in March.

Patrick Sharp was drafted 95^th by Philadelphia in 2001, but failed to stick with the big team after four teams before he was moved to Chicago. The move has paid off for Sharp, as he has increased his point total in his five years in the Windy City, except for last year when he was injured. Sharp has a goal in four career games against the Flyers, but he's currently third on the Blackhawks in playoff points with 16, anchoring a strong second line with Marian Hossa and Troy Brouwer. You could even argue that if Jonathan Toews wasn't in town, Sharp would be the Chicago captain, that's how much respect he has in the locker room, and he will be out to end the Flyers' betting chances.

World Cup betting players don't have to worry about players getting traded, especially captains, but it's a reality in today's professional club sports. There is a real possibility that Calgary could be looking to move their longtime captain.

Jarome Iginla has played with Calgary for all 13 of his NHL seasons, and he has been the captain of the team since the 2003-04 season. But the Flames missed the playoffs last year, and Iginla's 32 goals was his lowest output since he scored 31 in the 2000-2001 season. Iginla notched 69 points, and for the second straight year, he ended up on the wrong side of the plus/minus ledger with a rating of -2.

In Iginla's defense, Flames coach Brent Sutter juggled Iginla's centers all season, from Olli Jokinen (who was then traded to New York) to Matt Stajan (who came over in the Dion Phaneuf trade with Toronto) to Craig Conroy (who just isn't a good player anymore). Iginla's 69 points was still 11 points better than Rene Bourque, then you have Daymond Langkow at 37 points. That isn't a lot of production from their other lines, which allows teams to focus more on Iginla and his linemates.

The better solution here would be for the Flames to get some help for their captain, as there would be an outrage in Calgary if they traded "Iggy" (who ironically was born in Edmonton, Calgary's provincial rivals), and after looking at the Phaneuf trade, do you trust general manager Darryl Sutter to get anything back that is worthwhile? If we had to place a bet online, we'd wager on Jaroma Iginla remaining in Calgary next season.