Much has been made over the Tampa Bay Lightning’s usage of LTIR loopholes this season, especially after winger Nikita Kucherov returned from injury to lead the team in scoring en route to a second-straight championship. But with Tampa Bay advantageously using the expiring contracts of both Marian Gaborik and Anders Nilsson to add to their LTIR relief, they won’t have the opportunity next season to do the same.
The Lightning currently sit $3.52MM over the $81.5MM Upper Limit, and that’s with an already depleted roster. There are multiple takeaways from this.
For one, it’s unlikely that any notable pending Lightning unrestricted free agent re-signs with the team. As their priority stands to clear salary, it’s becoming more and more apparent that the 2021-22 Tampa Bay Lightning squad won’t have the experienced depth of years past. While they did well to extend certain depth pieces like Patrick Maroon on cheap, multi-year deals into next season, others like Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow won’t be able to fit under the flat salary cap.
Conversely, it’s likely that the Lightning will rely even more on young, in-house depth to fill out the roster around their core pieces. They’ll need repeat performances from players like Ross Colton and steps forward from players like Mathieu Joseph and Alex Barre-Boulet in order to generate any level of depth scoring.
But what really sticks out is that aforementioned $3.52MM number. That’s only taking 16 skaters and one goaltender into account, meaning that the Bolts will need to clear multiple contracts in order to be cap-compliant and ice a full roster on opening night. It’s likely that two out of the trio of Yanni Gourde, Tyler Johnson, and Alex Killorn will have to be moved this offseason in order to fit salary constraints. Tampa probably prefers it to be the first two names on that list, as Killorn has been an indelible piece in their top-six in recent years.
There are options for the Bolts with the expansion draft looming. While moving any of those three players can be somewhat challenging due to their no-trade clauses, the Lightning can ship an additional asset to Seattle via trade to ensure that the Kraken will take a specific player at the draft. It might be a necessary solution, no matter how tough to swallow it is so soon after a Stanley Cup win.
All contract information is via CapFriendly.
NHL general managers need to hold Tampa hostage and not bail the Bolts out. They need to pay the price they avoided last year.
every team they talk too has the leverage, Tampa will likely get ripped off in any deal because they can be taken advantage of here
Every team but St. Louis got what they deserved with Tampa winning the Cup with Kucherov on LTIR the entire season.
Doesn’t matter. We got two cups. I don’t care what teams do at this point. I’m just sad to see some of this team broken up. Go Bolts
That’s cool, what position do you play?
and Point needing an extension after next year, they’ll look like the Maple Leafs soon
Point was extended last year
today you learned that extensions aren’t all long term eh
Never mind that they’re jammed up with NMC/NTCs. And never mind that at rock bottom, they’re going to be $4.5 million in the hole MORE even if they fill out the roster with league minimum salaries. They either have to dangle Sergachev for Seattle, PAY Seattle (and pretty handsomely) to take Cirelli off of their hands … or get radical.
Radical means unloading the one hefty contract they have that’s not shackled with a no-trade/no-move clause. And that’s Brayden Point. And if they get fifty cents on the dollar for him, they’ll be lucky.
Well, they got another banner raising for their fans, right?
nah they’ll need to trade kucherov. i dont even know if anyone will take that contract without them retaining half. i think they’d have to give up pat maroon to make that happen, an actual good player.
Tampa Bay doesn’t have a 1st round pick this season. If they are going to entice Seattle to take a contract, it will take a top end prospect or young player to do that. Will the Lightning be willing to do that? That remains to be seen. If I’m Seattle, I only take one of the contracts if Tampa gives me exactly what I want. Otherwise, they will have better and cheaper options available from Tampa in the expansion draft and should just draft one of those players.
Still blown away that they were able to roster this team without Nhl intervention. It’s ridiculous that they get to be over cap while everyone else has to abide by set guidelines. Hoping they get fleeced by every team they try to work with, time to pay up
That isn’t a factual statement at all. Many teams used LTIR this year.
@ tatsumaki — As many, many, many people have said, Tampa did nothing more than follow the rules that were in place. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, when a star missed the whole regular season and came back for the playoffs.
I’m thinking it’s the idiot running Ottawa that will help out Tampa again! In both 2019 and 2020 starts it was Ottawa that helped them out and didn’t even get good returns either yr.
I think there must have been a meeting in the dark with a briefcase of cash heated to Melnyk.
Let’s see how Ottawa “helps” them this year.
Montreal should take a look at Gourde since he is from Montreal and since they were 3 wins away from the cup. Maybe that’s what they need
hes essentially a gallagher type player with finishing ability
Good news for the Bolts is that they secured two Stanley Cups while going all in to win. Some teams have found themselves in a similar situation without taking home the trophy.
They did not break the rules. they found loopholes and made it work. This is why salary caps are a joke. The minute a deal is signed. The same owners/G.M’s who cry for them immediately find the loopholes. They did get two cups. I would rather be tampa. chicago , kings and have cups. Then suck rather then be San Jose with nothing and suck.
GM Brisbois did not wake up this morning and realize that moves would have to be made. The exit plan for becoming cap compliant and filling out the roster has been mulled for quite some time. So unlikely it will be some jerky reaction that destroys the team, as much as some of you might hope for that outcome.
Would not be surprised to see some combination of deals with Detroit and Seattle, perhaps involving Stamkos, Johnson, Foote, Palat, McDonagh, and/or other assets. Would not surprise me if there is a later deal for a back up goaltender being sent back to the Bolts after the expansion draft.
Pay attention you might learn something about the complex puzzle that is the salary cap or you could just cry bitter loser tears and say ignorant things.
might want to check on stammer and Mcdonah’s contacts. cause there’s a little beaut of a thing called NTC that really messes up that complex puzzle of yours. Trading Johnson is going to probably cost them Foote or multiple picks. Palat and Killorn would be good trade assets, killorn has a modified no trade so again limits his potential return. teams are all going to be trying to get good deals for the flat cap not just tampa, look at what vegas got for Schmidt last year expect something similar to happen to tampa this year. I think theyll get under just fine but not as easy as you think its gonna be
Lol trade Stamkos? Wow you are lost there! McDonough has no trade. They would have to give up prospects or picks to dump Johnson! I could go on if you like?
Did you know that players can waive those clauses? Stammer may want to join Yzerman in Detroit as he is his mentor. Just keep an open mind and let’s see what unfolds. Not suggesting it will be easy, but the team will not be destroyed. Would think Foote may be the incentive for Seattle to choose Johnson.
Also, I think Goodrow resigns, with a reasonable increase. I expect the Bolts will be competitive in 21-22.
why would Detroit want to take on stammer though hes got a lengthy injury history and 3 years left on a decently expensive deal and Detroit is still at least another year away from competing for the playoffs. i think wings use the cap space to get younger prospects and picks not older players with more than a year or 2 left of their deals. now if its like a 2nd and 3rd for him sure. I defiantly think Tampa is gonna be a beast again this year but might not be runnaway like this year. Dont know if they’ll be able to afford Coleman but Goodrow could defiantly get resigned but only if hes willing to take a discount
@ urban — Yes, players can waive those clauses. We’re aware. Now try this on: *they don’t have to do so.* Are you seriously suggesting that the captain of the Stanley Cup champions would waive his no-movement clause to go to one of the worst teams in the league? Why, exactly, would he want to do that? While, y’know, you’re talking about saying ignorant things.
I think the Lightning will be competitive as well. But they’re going to lose someone, and likely someone big. Sure, they can ask Seattle to pick Johnson, say. But that’s going to cost them; Ron Francis will know he’s got them over a barrel, and he has no incentive to play nice. And clearing Johnson’s contract is only a start. They still have several roster holes to fill, and they’re not going to get a backup goalie or sign Goodrow or Colton or Savard on league minimum contracts.
See, I don’t think that Brisebois had some Sooper Sekrit Master Plan to win big AND be cap compliant at the end of it all. I think the guy went all in to win Cups. Which he did, and good on him. But now he’s got the same dance ahead of him that Chicago had after winning their Cups: having to toss the Byfugliens, Panarins, Ladds and Versteegs of the world under the bus to stay under the cap.
So your imagining that Stammer will waive to help Tampa, he will relocate his family from a place he’s said he loves living because you said it’s possible?????? Are you gonna use the force to convince these players to waive and uproot there families from tax friendly beautiful Tampa to go to tax haven not so beautiful Detroit?
Well do you also realize that these players got the NTC and NMC in their contracts for thanking less (actually more take home cash) to sign in Tampa.
But IF they waive their NTC / NMC”’s then they will be making less money each year! And substantially less in some cities.
Stamkos could care less about rejoining Yserman!
@bigdaddyt if im a GM im taking stammer all day at that cap hit. the injuries have slowed him down a bit but he’s still very good, he always comes back very strong from injury. i just don’t think stammer would waive his NMC if I’m being honest
two cups makes it worth it
Tell that to the Yinzers whining about how Jimmy “left the cupboard bare”.
And the rafters full, Yinzgrates.
Hopefully, Tampa’s bandwagon fans are savvier than that.
I’m not worried. Tampa Bay will find another way to cheat with the salary cap, just as they did this year, even if they can’t use Gaborik and Nilsson any more. They are already at an advantage over most other teams because they can sign their players to lower salaries because of no state income tax in Florida, whereas other teams, through no fault of their own, have tp pay much more in order to stay competitive. When will the NHL ever look at that? I think never.
And it’s not hard to do…count the AAV’s after state and local taxes are deducted. Done. Playing field mostly level at that point.
Texas, Nevada, & Washington don’t pay state income tax either.
And TN, as Preds enjoy
(Sigh), Tampa did not “cheat” the salary cap. Everything they did was approved by the league. The league did not make a special exemption for them.
They can win again without Stamkos. They already have.
I see no way they win again without a third line as good as the Gourde, Goodrow, Coleman line. That combination is what finally put TB over the top and moved them from a talented team to a champion.
Gourde should be kept over Killorn. He’s underrated and two years younger. Very similar stats but Gourde is better defensively and he’s a feisty little dude.
Cup run is over
Here’s an idea. Tampa can protect 8/1 for the expansion draft. The 4 D men, Stamkos, Point, Kucherov, Cirelli. Leave Killorn, Palat, Gourde, Johnson exposed. They’d have to waive NMC/NTC which is going to happen anyhow. Tell Seattle ‘pick one’. Tampa can then trade 1 if the others. If that’s Johnson a sweetener will need to be added but likely not as much as Seattle is going to want to take Johnson (Foote, Cernak ?). That knocks off about 10 mil/year of salary. Tampa is then under the cap and might be able to resign Goodrow and/or Coleman depending on their willingness to take the Tampa discount. They possibly don’t lose Foote in that scenario. The point, as was mentioned, keep an open mind. Tampa is in a bad a Cap situation and will lose some level of talent but they do have cards to play. It’ll be interesting to see it play out.
They cannot expose anyone that has a no trade! So take Johnson off, take off Gourde, not sure if Palat has no trade but I believe Killorn is unrestricted?
Hello, just chiming in to correct a few things. It is only a no-movement clause that forces a team to protect a player, not a no-trade clause. On Tampa, only Kucherov, Stamkos and Hedman hold those NMCs. Everyone else can be exposed to Seattle.
Here’s a link to our TBL Expansion Primer: link to prohockeyrumors.com
Well nobody took Johnson either time last year on waivers, so your saying it won’t cost much to get rid of him?
You can’t leave any player unprotected in expansion unless he agrees, if that player doesn’t wNt to leave, it’s his right to stay.
What? The only players you have to protect are players with NMC, as Gavin said above. Everyone else that meets the criteria can be exposed.
@ BoltforLife….Very well said and closest to what i believe is going to happen.
Didn’t say it wouldn’t cost much. I said it wouldn’t cost as much as making a deal with Seattle would. Any player without a No Move can be exposed. The player has no “right to stay.
A lot of Bolts fans might hate this but I would move Stamkos. They could get a pretty good haul of young talent for him and in the meantime, she’d his salary.