Despite one having a less-than-ideal contract and another with a no-trade clause soon to kick in, don’t expect either of these guys to move
When you think of players on this team with contracts that could become an albatross, Alex Killorn is usually the first that comes to mind. However, he has a full no-trade clause for another two years before it becomes a modified NTC in the summer of 2020. Even though his pact lasts another five years with an AAV of $4.45 million, he’s probably not going anywhere despite seemingly reaching his ceiling as a 15-19 goal and 40-50 point player. The only way he gets dealt is if he’s asked to waive his NTC. If you’re making that kind of money as a third line forward, would you waive your no-trade clause? Probably not.
Tyler Johnson’s name got brought up a year ago in trade rumors, but it was Jonathan Drouin who got dealt while Johnson was given a seven-year deal. However, his no-trade clause doesn’t kick in until July 1. With six years left at a rather discounted rate (for a center) of $5 million AAV, he’s settled into a nice role as a second line forward that can chip in between 50-55 points when healthy. I just can’t picture Yzerman trading a guy right before his NTC kicks in and less than a year after signing him to an extension. It would send the wrong message to guys on the roster who either are RFA’s right now or will be in the future. I brought Johnson’s name up since some fans have tweeted me about moving him before July 1, but that’s probably not happening.
One area that bears watching will be the blue line.
In the summer of 2019, four Lightning defensemen (Braydon Coburn, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, and Anton Stralman) will become unrestricted free agents. Coburn could become trade bait this summer, although he probably won’t fetch much in terms of a return. However, he could bring some valuable cap space and would command more value than a guy like Dan Girardi, who is a year older than Coburn. Girardi has one more season left on his deal, and although he played well for the most part, he’s no more than a third pairing guy adept at blocking shots and killing penalties at this point of his career.
At some point, it will be intriguing to see how the Lightning go about transitioning from this group of veterans to the next wave of youngsters in the system. Could we possibly see Koekkoek given more of a role this season? Can Jake Dotchin get out of the doghouse before becoming an RFA next summer? Perhaps Stralman or McDonagh might be re-signed after next season to possibly help guide prospects such as Cal Foote, Erik Cernak, Dominik Masin, and Ben Thomas?
One thing that would not be surprising would be a change among the assistant coaches. Rick Bowness has been in charge of the defense, and although the blue line played better through the first two rounds of the playoffs, they had plenty of issues in the regular season and the Eastern Conference Final. Perhaps a shakeup and a new voice for the guys on the back end could help things out?
