The Blackhawks have added some depth up front, acquiring Tyler Johnson along with a 2023 second-round pick from the Lightning in exchange for defenseman Brent Seabrook. Both teams have announced the swap. Chicago GM Stan Bowman had the following statement about his newest acquisition:
"Tyler Johnson adds a large amount of skill and depth to our offense. His versatility across the lineup, two-way play and championship experience throughout his career make our lineup stronger. We look forward to watching the immediate impact he will have on our team."
Johnson has been a regular in Tampa Bay’s lineup for the last eight seasons, posting at least 45 points in five of those years. That offensive production helped earn him a seven-year, $35M contract back in 2017, a deal that has three years remaining on it. With the Lightning already being over the Upper Limit for next season, they needed to clear out some salary to the point where Johnson has been readily available for more than a year now despite still being a useful contributor. Last season, he notched 22 points in 55 games while chipping in with seven more in 25 playoff contests as the Lightning won their second straight Stanley Cup.
Of course, Seabrook isn’t being acquired as an asset to help the Lightning. He announced back in March that his playing career had come to an end but his contract still has three years left with a $6.875M AAV (and $15.5M in cash between salary and signing bonuses) on it so he’s not going to retire. While Seabrook’s contract is actually higher than Johnson’s, he’ll be eligible for LTIR, allowing the Lightning to surpass the cap by up to his cap hit. It’s a move reminiscent of one made just before last season that saw Tampa Bay take on a pair of injured players in Marian Gaborik and Anders Nilsson for that same purpose.
Between this move and Yanni Gourde going to Seattle, GM Julien BriseBois has managed to alleviate some of their cap trouble and may be able to get away with not moving anyone else assuming they’re content with filling the rest of their roster out with low-cost players. Meanwhile, Chicago adds a serviceable, albeit overpaid, veteran in Johnson as well as a draft pick for their trouble.
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