The Buffalo Sabres have placed forward Nathan Gerbe on unconditional waivers with the intention of administering a compliance buyout, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN on Wednesday afternoon.

Gerbe was scheduled to enter the final year of a three-year, $4.35 million contract that carried an annual average value of $1.45 million against the salary cap. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams are permitted two compliance buyouts that remove a player's salary from their salary cap allotment without penalty. This option was created due to the declining nature of the salary cap for the 2013-14 season, as well as a way to adjust to new contractual rules in the collective bargaining agreement that eliminated front- or back-loaded contracts.

Buffalo presently has $13.7 million in cap space with Gerbe on the roster, according to CapGeek.com. By administering a compliance buyout, the club will add $1.45 million to that total.

Gerbe was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next season. He will now become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

More in the NHL:

Follow @SBNationNHL

• Full 2013 Draft coverage

• The complete draft order

• Photos: Chicago’s Stanley Cup parade

• The best of our hockey network