Most teams will want to send some salary back. See my post here: https://www.capfriendly.com/forums/thread/384117

Our 2021 1st for cirelli and johnson take it or leave it

The hardest part is going to be getting Johnson to waive his NTC.

No team sniffed at him for free. The three minor leaguers don't help. A late 2nd isn't enticing enough.

TB paid for a championship and got one. Now comes the painful part. Their best? hope is Stamkos misses most of the season so they can LTIR him. Gives temporary relief. Still have to move Killorn and/or one of the rfas...

So TB has offered TJ to whole league already for free and no one took him - you have TJ and another 5 million to move before you can even sign the RFAs - this will cost a significant portion of organization depth and draft capital - here's the good news - you won it all but now your F'd

I say deal cirelli and killorn should make it reasonable to sign sergachev

While the 2nd might need to a be first, these 3 aren’t minor leaguers. Joseph could probably get top 6 minutes in Buffalo. They are buried Beneath our depth.

Johnson's got to go out with the 2021 1st (which will be # 30, 31, 32 so it's low to begin with. A 2nd from Tampa is 60+ so not enough to take on 5 million. A nice prospect (like you have here) and next years 1st is to take on the whole salary is being nice. The contract is 4 years long. In hockey that's an eternity.

TB: Sergachev, Johnson, 2022 3rd
NJD: Will Butcher, 2021 1st

(...or something like that)

There’s a good chance he goes to Seattle after this season. Obviously no guarantee, but contrary to popular belief, his NTC would not stop him from being exposed to Seattle. So then it wouldn’t be four years and you retain other assets. It’s risky though.

Well said. Retaining salary would be a nightmare for us if it’s more than like 500k. I don’t want to be pay a random ass 1.5 million in 2024

Also I have a big problem with trading that first. We don’t have a 2nd so our first pick would be like at best 88 overall. I still can’t believe no one claimed him.

But this is the problem, for lack of a better word, that top teams have. The Lightning are excellent at drafting so giving up a 1st here and there while the team is still in the middle of it's prime (should be really good for 5 plus years) should not dissuade them. They need to move that GD salary!

Listen.. if a #2 Doesn't get it done .. bury him in Syracuse .. try to trade throughout the year .. offer to Seattle and if THAT doesn't work.. buy him out.. 15M .. cost us 10M and saves us in 2021/2022 .. our capnlossens after that with Palat Killorn Paquette Mc Donough and Stamkos are gone ..