Saturday: Johnson has cleared waivers, Friedman reports.
Friday: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Tyler Johnson on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The window for buying a contract out has passed, meaning this is not for that purpose. Instead, this is likely the Lightning trying to find a team that will take on Johnson’s entire deal, even for free.
Johnson, 30, has four years remaining on his contract and carries a $5MM cap hit, but notably also has a full no-trade clause. Though he extended a list to the Lightning that he would accept a deal to, this is one way for the Lightning to get around that. A team that wants Johnson could simply claim him off waivers, which he has no control over.
Still, it’s a lot of money for any team to take on even without giving up an asset in return. Johnson scored 31 points this season, but was underwhelming in the Stanley Cup run with just seven postseason points.
This is a very loud warning shot to players with NTC’s.
Remember the good ol’ days when you added a NTC you got paid a lot less?
Agents getting their money’s worth these days
There’s a second window when all RFAs sign right? They could resign Serg and Cirelli, going up to 10% over cap, then buy out Johnson if this fails, I’m pretty sure.
The time for buyouts has expired
Only if one of them choose arbitration.
Guess they could not trade to a team he choose. Wonder if anyone picks him up. He can be a good second center.
Could his former GM give him a shot in Motown… Losing no players that’s a bonus..
Cooper screwed him, did not put him in a position to succeed. He is a center, not a wing. Johnson helped him get the job. They should have traded Stamkos 5 years ago. The guy is never healthy, how many playoff goals has he scored. If I was Johnson I would take my time, he owes TB nothing. If he does sign with another team and gets to play C with decent guys around him he will flourish. Tyler was very active in the TB community as well, he is a good kid. Hope everything works out for him.
Smh
You do understand this doesn’t make him a free agent right?
I feel like there are valid points in the original message that are lost because of the mistakes later, I do feel for this guy he earned the contract and deserves to be on an nhl team, now to be properly paid he’s goin to have to play in the ahl because NHL gms don’t understand the salary cap
I honestly don’t know if I’m correct so im asking honestly … since he cleared waivers Tampa can bury him in the minors right to rid themselves of the cap hit? If im wrong what is the rule please? Thank you
There is a set amount (last time I needed to know it, I think it was $975,000…it might be higher now) that can be taken off the cap. It’s basically enough to call up another player from the minors to take his place, but the rest of the cap hit counts against Tampa’s cap.
So, Johnson is $5 million AAV minus $975,000 = $4.025 million against their cap even if they bury him, if that is still the correct amount you can deduct).
The number that can be buried this year is $1,075,000. An “easy” way to remember is that it is $375,000 more than the league minimum in any given year. In 2021-22 for instance, when the minimum increases to $750,000, the number that will come off a cap hit when a player in the minor leagues will be $1,125,000.
Is there any savings with him inthe minors, beside a roster spot
I’m curious of this as well. If it still counts they might have to bite the bullet and give up a first rounder to move him (or one of their other middle six forwards)
They save 1.075mil I believe it is. That is the amount that can be buried. Rest of it counts against the cap still.
1.25 million according to capfriendly but he still counts as a 5m hit on the cap
It’s a little surprising he cleared but those four years are a bit scary considering he’s already 30 and has shown signs of decline.
well he kinda got a raw deal here
I can see a team taking him on if the Lightning pay $1.5mil to $2mil of his salary.
NTC/NM clauses are there so that a player does not get traded to a team on a whim.
The team agreed to that clause also so why the whole blame game on the player?
Johnson is a victim of a strategy that was able to pay players less because of tax considerations and the no trade provision. When trying to move forward the Bolts are having to make some moves to open space to pay Cirilli and Sergachev and Cernak.The comment that criticized Cooper for not playing him at center is short sighted. They played all year with different combinations at center. Point, Gourde,Pilat, stamkos,Pachette,Gooderow,Cirilli, stephans and Johnson all play center but were used as wings much of the time. Johnson was ok during the playoffs as a grinding line with Kallone and Cirilli but does not score like earlier in his career.
Its always going to be on the Player, lets be honest Lightning asked Johnson, Gourde and Kilhorn to open up their no trade clause. So far non of them had. So if Johnson refuses to go to the minors the Player and Team can cancel the contract if it was written into it which most contracts do. Lighting will incure dead money that will count but would allow Johnson to persue a contact with another team. As for Stamkos, Stevey Y wanted to trade him, and he was met with a lot of resistance, two big reasons he left the position he wanted to be back and detroit and he thought Pointe could take over. I mean Stamkos really needs to cut the aggressive play out unfortunatly he is great player but when he gets hurt he really gets hurt. I mean he just had another surgery today and will probably be out till march