Why would they specifically avoid long-term deals? If they only pick players with short-term then they will have a lot of players hitting UFA soon after the ED which isn't a good way to maximise value.

Vegas didn’t took a players with a contract longer then 2 years. You don’t want to commit to a players long term on a new team like Seattle. If the players fit in well then you extend him just like Vegas have done and if you don’t compete well the first couple years you have some players to move on the market to acquire draft capital en prospect. Trading a guys with one or 2 years deal is a lot easier then try to move a 4-6 years deal.

Good point. 3 years wouldn't really be long-term deals though. It really depends on the player though I guess. For example I don't think they'd pass on Tyler Johnson just because he has over 2 years term remaining.

No But there not much team that will exposed a consitent 20+ goal with that much term left. If Tampa left him open i am pretty sure Seattle will select him but he is more likely to be dealt by Tampa and maximize is return. He make a decent salary a 5,5 and have been consistent for most of is career averging around 50 point a year. Some team that desperately need secondary scoring will be chasing him for sure

TJ has a full NTC so Tampa can't just deal him. And if they want to move his cap hit then exposing him to Seattle would be prudent.

NTC isn’t a NMC there players each year that accept to waive it Johnson would be different then any other players. He would probably summit a short list to Tampa Bay and they would work with that.

The dude literally took a paycut so that he could play on a contender and so that his family could stay in Tampa's sunshine. You really think he's going to waive that NTC to go somewhere else? Fat chance.

Yes he would probably waive is close to the short list he would gave Tampa Bay. At least he could choose is destination. If Tampa would really be in trouble they can summit him to the waivers and like that he would have the choice or where he would land. Unless a players get a NMC, they are fully aware that they can be ask for a trade. So yes Johnson would probably waive is trade. And Johnson have seen is ice time and responsibility drop in a major way in the past 3 season, he could probably be use in a more effective way elsewhere, get more Powerplay time. Players like Johnson have pride, they want to win but they also want to be a big part of it and he isn’t a go to guy anymore in Tampa. Is ice time have drop from 18 minutes to 14 in a 4 years spend that huge for a players who need powerplay time to produced offensively.

Players like Johnson, or should I say people like Johnson, have a family, so hockey will come after family. And I doubt he and his wife are going to want to uproot their lives in the middle of a messed up year just to appease GM Brisbois.

You don’t quite realize that if Tamapa would absolutely need to move out salary they can put him on the waivers and Johnson would have absolutely nothing to do against it. I doubt that is wife will choose syracuse over any other Nhl city. If Julien Brisebois come to Johnson and told him he must make room on the cao and he need to be move Johnson will summit a mist of team. At least if he accept to be moved he will have the luxury to choose is destination. A Ntc have not much impact but limit the trade destination.