Doesn't make much sense from the Lightning's point of view. They won't have any trouble moving Cernak if they choose that way, the problem is keeping him. Moving Johnson but taking on a bad contract with even longer term doesn't help them do that and taking less than value of Cernak back in return just doesn't add up.

I don’t think cernak will be signing for 3.5. I think 2 mil max on a short term deal.

Can't see teams lining up to help Tampa without them taking back a bad contract. They tried moving Johnson and there were no takers. Tampa was forced to send him to the AHL.

Tampa won't have to take a bad contract, they'll just have to pay to move a guy like Johnson. If they had to take a bad contract in return, they would have been better off just buying him out. Doesn't make any sense.

If they could find a taker wouldnt they have already? They chose to put him on waivers and nobody picked him up. If they buy him out they save <$2m in cap space this year. Maybe they'd be better of getting two 32-50 range picks.

<$2m is still more than you are saving them above without the Cernak move. And for Cernak they could do much better than 2 2nds on the market. Guys a 23 year old playing top 4 minutes on the best team in the league.

Basically, if this was the path Tampa was going to take it would have been done already with a Johnson buyout. The plan right now is probably to LTIR Stamkos to start the year and wait for injuries to take a toll on teams to move a player like Johnson for cheaper.

Johnson isnt in the AHL wtf? This trade is awful

A; Uhh no, it isn't. Your cap dump more than cancels out theirs. Or are we just pretending it isn't there?

not sure about the cernak contract but i think the trade value is pretty spot on

OTT is in a rebuild so why move those picks? Makes more sense to ask for TJ and Cernak for future considerations then pay to move a bad contract. Not like you’re hurting for cap space. Then sign cernak to 4M X 5YR so he is locked in at a decent price for when OTT is good again. Also, TB hasn’t been calling around desperately trying to move guys. They have certainly talked, and ya they tried to waive him to move him at no cost but even if a team wanted him for free they know they can get paid in the process so everyone is waiting it out. I wish NYR was in a position to do this deal but we sunk 13m+ into buyouts...

This makes no sense for the Sens and little to no sense for the Lightning. Johnson has no value, and teams won't bend over backwards to help out a cup winning team. Ottawa is in no rush to be good and as "bad" as Zaitsev is, he's still a serviceable defenseman. As "serviceable" as Johnson is, there is no room for him with the amount of kids coming up. You have White, L. Brown, Norris, Tierney, Paul, Chlapik... no need for another "Two-way" centre.

Cernak would be awesome on the right side with Chabot. But, he can be easily acquired by just one 2nd round pick or an offer sheet which would amount to being the same value...

Balcers' time is now to make an impact in the top 9. With Duclair gone and the likelihood of Galchenyuk being on the move, that RW/LW position is wide open...

No because Julien BriseBois has already said that none of the RFAs are getting moved. And it's already been mentioned in Tampa that Tyler Johnson wont waive for the Senators. They're not one of 7 to 8 teams he's willing to waive for.

This doesn't help Ottawa.

Tyler Johnson is 4 years of $5MM cap when you will have several players looking for new contracts, and possible raises, and I would take every one of these guys over Johnson at $5MM

Tkachuk
Batherson
Norris
LBrown
Brannstrom
Formenton
Balcers
Wolanin
Zub
Paul
Tierney
CBrown

Even Lassi Thomson could need a new contract before Tyler Johnson's contract is complete

Cernak is a decent D, but he was being hyped big time. Yes he has top4 potential. Fans says Zaitsev sucks, but NHL coaches play him 22 minutes a game. He falls somewhere in between, but he eats a lot of tough minutes, for 2nd pair money. Melnyk doesn't want to pay Zaitsev's signing bonus money coming up, but if he wants to compete, he's going to have to.


Edit: Let me clarify, I'd take Nick Paul at $1.35MM over Johnson at $5MM