The Tampa Bay Lightning placed forward Tyler Johnson on waivers Friday at the start of free agency.
Johnson has three years remaining on the seven-year, $35-million contract he signed in 2017.
With the Stanley Cup champions facing a cap crunch this off-season thanks to several key restricted free agents needing new deals, the team had reportedly been working to find a suitable trade partner for Johnson, a 30-year-old with a no-trade clause.
The centre has spent his entire NHL career with the Lightning. Johnson had 31 points in 65 regular-season games in 2019-20 and averaged 15:44 of ice time in 25 playoff games en route to a Cup win.
Johnson’s annual salary cap hit is $5 million, however he is owed $5.5 million, $3.75 million and $4.75 million in actual dollars over the final three years of his deal.
