Tampa Bay Lightning & Ryan McDonagh Working to Find Trade

Elliotte Friedman dropped a bomb today, and suggests that the Tampa Bay Lightning will need to make difficult decisions to make their team salary cap-compliant & that Ryan McDonagh might be one of them. The veteran defenseman does possess a full no-trade clause in his contract through the 2024-25 season, at which point it changes to a 12-team NTC. The notion of McDonagh voluntarily waiving his contractually mandated no-trade clause is interesting, but Friedman writes that there could be a fit elsewhere & that the two sides are working to find it.

Per CapFriendly, the Tampa Bay Lightning have -$1.9 million in salary cap space & can hardly afford to continue on in limbo as they have for the past few years. At least, not without clearing cap space. McDonagh's $6.75 million for four more years is becoming a burden on the cash-strapped Lightning. Additionally, speculation has it that Alex Killorn could join McDonagh on the trade block. Killorn managed just four points & zero goals in this year's playoffs & makes $4.45 million per season, so the decision to move him would likely cause far less disruption.

With free agents Jan Rutta, Ondrej Palat, & Nick Paul requiring contracts, Killorn & McDonagh's dismissals would leave TB with ~$10 million to spare. The three aforementioned skaters each excelled this postseason, and Killorn's lack of production paired with McDonagh's age make them the odd men out. Friedman does not mention any possible landing spots for McDonagh, but several fanbases have chimed in over his services. His blend of stark defensive acumen combined with his IQ & puck-moving capabilities make McDonagh a valuable asset on any blue-line, but his cap-hit eliminate several potential suitors, and it is unlikely TB is willing to retain any salary on a possible trade.

If I had to speculate, I would say the Detroit Red Wings make the most sense given their cap room plus McDonagh's connection with Steve Yzerman. Other teams who make sense are the New Jersey Devils and maybe the Los Angeles Kings, who many believe are looking to make another big splash after trading for Kevin Fiala. Would it be absolutely outrageous to suggest the Colorado Avalanche in play here? They've got the cap space & clearly they want to win now, so would McDonagh authorize a trade there? Difficult to say. But again, this is purely speculation & not insider information.

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