Tyler Johnson, a former center/winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Chicago Blackhawks, was mentioned as a possible fit for the Colorado Avalanche.
On July 14, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report said, “A few years ago, Tyler Johnson—who won back-to-back championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021—would have been one of the hottest names in the early free-agent market.”
He said shortly after that the veteran right-hander would sign with the Avs.
Johnson, who turns 34 later this month, is expected to consider playoff contenders for his next stop, according to Knox. “After signing a $35 million contract that lasted seven years, he might even accept a deal that benefits the team.”
The Bleacher Report expert continued, “The Colorado Avalance, who won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and haven’t missed the postseason since the 2016–17 season, would be an ideal landing spot for Johnson.” “Johnson would be a valuable depth piece for a team looking to make another deep playoff run, and Colorado could give him the opportunity to chase another championship.”
Tyler Johnson Made Using Blackhawks In spite of Horrible Plus/Minus
Knox pointed out that in his final two years with the Lightning, Johnson had 53 points in the regular season, including eight goals in the postseason. claiming that the forward hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
In all honesty, though, during the previous two seasons, Johnson has continued to perform in Chicago. Injury plagued the 2021–22 season mostly, but Johnson scored thirty or more points every time in 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Additionally, if you combine those two campaigns, he ended up scoring 63 points more than Knox is bringing up his two-year stint in Tampa Bay.
The most obvious problem has been Johnson’s plus/minus on the ice with the Blackhawks, however the success of the team as a whole might somewhat distort this figure.
Johnson had a career +84 on the ice for the Lightning in the regular season. He was a -64 in the Windy City. As mentioned, he is probably not solely to blame for this, but the tendency is unappealing nonetheless.
Over the previous three seasons, Johnson’s faceoff win % has also somewhat declined with the Blackhawks, falling from 49.5 to 47.6.
Tyler Johnson Could Be a Good Fit for the “Bargain Hunting” Wave
Knox hinted that Johnson would be willing to sign for less, and given the Avalanche could use inexpensive and veteran depth, it’s not a bad idea.
On June 30, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post said that Colorado will probably be “bargain hunting” in 2024 free agency. They have since signed a number of minor players, the most notable of which were deals to re-sign important free agents Joel Kiviranta and Jonathan Drouin.
Although Valeri Nichushkin’s $6.125 million cap cost has been postponed until reinstatement, Spotrac currently reports $3.89 million in available cap space for the Avalanche.
Colorado might benefit from another center as well. They are expected to start Ross Colton and Chris Wagner as their bottom-six centermen, behind Nathan MacKinnon and Casey Mittelstadt.
If Johnson feels at ease in a fourth-line role on a team that is vying for a championship, he could easily take Wagner’s spot. The 33-year-old journeyman scored two points and racked up nine penalty minutes in just 13 games during the regular season with the Avs in 2017.
Of course, if Colorado likes Wagner on the dot taking faceoffs, the adaptable Johnson could easily go across to play on a third or fourth line wing.
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