In those frantic minutes after the Ryan McDonagh trade last week there was rampant speculation that newly acquired defenseman Philippe Myers would be bought out. Since then, Lightning management has indicated that they plan to keep the big fella and work him into the rotation. If their minds have changed again, we’ll know by this afternoon.
The buyout window closes Tuesday at 5:00 PM EST and any player that is being bought out, has to clear waivers first. Since players are on the waiver wire for 24 hours, well, you can do the math. If the Lightning do keep Myers there really aren’t any other candidates on the roster that free up enough cap to be worth it. Julien BriseBois has enough cap room to make some plays on the free agent market.
Still, some other teams are still battling their own cap or roster issues so there may be some intriguing names on the waiver wire today. Also, since they’re still getting a paycheck from their old team, a lot of players that have been bought out are willing to take a deal on a new contract (i.e. Zach Bogosian in his first go-round with the Lightning).
Some players, like Petr Mrazek and Zach Kassian have already been moved to teams with cap room so they may be off the market. Still, Marc-Edouard Vlasic or Marco Scandella may find themselves looking for a new home. Could that new home be on Davis Island? Probably not, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Lightning / NHL News
What’s next for the Lightning [Tampa Bay Times]
They’ve freed up some cap space, made some draft picks, and re-signed one of their pending free agents. So what’s next? Well, free agency looms large. That will be the next big hurdle.
Julien BriseBois checked one more box on the list as he re-signed Max Lagace to a 1-year, 2-way deal. The Syracuse Crunch will go with Lagace and Hugo Alnefelt as a tandem next season.
Maxime Lagacé – G
Tampa Bay Lightning
1 year / 2 way extension2022-23: $750k / $250k ($350k guaranteed)https://t.co/khukhTIF3g
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) July 10, 2022
Avalanche sign Alexander Georgiev to 3-year deal [Mile High Hockey]
If you’re going to trade for a RFA, it’s always nice to sign them early. The Colorado Avalanche locked up their young goalie to a 3-year deal with an AAV of $3.4 million. If he lives up to his potential, that will be a heck of a deal.
Dominik Kubalik reportedly not receiving a contract offer from Chicago [Mark Lazerus Twitter]
The teardown continues in Chicago as it’s being reported that pending restricted free agents Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome won’t be receiving qualifying offers from the team. That will allow them to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday. You are definitely going to need a program to know your ‘Hawks next year.
Ottawa and Toronto working on a Matt Murray deal? [Pension Plan Puppets]
The Leafs aren’t likely to re-sign Jack Campbell so they are looking for a replacement. As of right now, Matt Murray may be a possibility, if they can work out the financials on a trade. I mean, it’s a move.
Apropos of nothing, just had a look at #Yotes schedule for 2022-23. It’s incredible.
20 out of first 24 games are on the road. They play just 2 home games in each of Oct and Nov.
There is no Saturday night home game during NCAA season. (One in Dec during Christmas break.) Wow.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 11, 2022
