We know there were some of you out there that were intrigued by the thought of another Tampa Bay Lightning reunion with a former Stanley Cup winner. Unfortunately, it’s not in the cards (at least not yet) as old friend Tyler Johnson has signed a PTO with the Boston Bruins.
It’s been just over three years since Johnson was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks and a second-round pick (which Chicago traded to Philadelphia who drafted Carson Bjarnason) for Brent Seabrook’s contract and cap relief. It was an up-and-down tenure in The Windy City for the 34-year-old as he battled injuries and appeared in just 149 games over the three seasons. He finished with 70 points (32 goals, 38 assists) for Chicago as he finished the 7-year, $35 million contract he signed back in 2017.
He did appear in 67 games last season, the most he’s played since 2018-19, and scored 17 goals for a rebuilding Blackhawks squad, but he struggled defensively. The lack of defense and health issues over the last few years are the most likely reasons he had to settle for a try-out instead of a guaranteed contract this summer.
Back before shorter players (looking at you, Connor Bedard) were first overall picks, there was a belief among general managers that forwards who lacked in size might struggle at the NHL level. In 2011, the Lightning took advantage of that mindset and signed Johnson as an undrafted free agent as he was in the midst of a 115-point season with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL.
After being a massive part of Norfolk’s run to the Calder Cup in 2011-12, he joined the Lightning as part of the TampaCuse invasion and quickly became a fan favorite as part of The Triplets Line with Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. In nine seasons with the Bolts, he scored 161 goals and added 200 assists in 589 games. After a wrist injury limited his effectiveness in the magical 2015 Stanley Cup run, he was finally able to lift the Cup in 2020 and 2021. His nine game-winning goals in the playoffs still rank second in franchise history behind Palat.
In the summer following the 2021 Cup, the Lightning were pressed for cap space and Johnson’s $5,000,000 hit needed to be cleared. The team had tried to clear his salary prior to the season through a trade, but with a full no-trade clause in his contract, the Lightning weren’t able to work out a deal after Johnson had given them a list of teams he’d be willing to be traded to. Following that effort, Julien BriseBois put him on waivers in October of 2020, but no one claimed him. Johnson stayed with the team one more season, recording 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists) in 55 regular season games. In July of 2021, Mr. BriseBois was finally able to work out the deal with Chicago and Johnson’s days in Tampa were over.
While Boston is set regarding their top two lines, there are some question marks with their depth in the bottom six. Johnson can play center or wing and would give them another veteran on the ice as they try to fill the holes left by Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinan, and James Van Riemsdyk leaving the organization this summer.
Johnson will have to climb a tough mountain to make the team, and he’ll probably be competing against another former Bolt, Cole Koepke, for a roster spot. Good luck to Johnson in his quest to stay in the league.
