Getty An NHL writer predicted that former Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson would sign with the Colorado Avalanche.
The Colorado Avalanche were named as a potential landing spot for former Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks center/winger Tyler Johnson.
“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,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox on July 14.
Soon after, he predicted that the right-handed veteran would sign with the Avs.
“Expect Johnson, who will turn 34 later this month, to eye potential playoff contenders for his next stop,” Knox said. “Coming off of a seven-year, $35 million contract, he may even be willing to take a team-friendly deal to do so.”
“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,” the Bleacher Report analyst went on. “Colorado could give him the chance to chase another championship, and if Johnson is willing to play on the cheap, he’d be a valuable depth piece for a team seeking another deep playoff run.”
Tyler Johnson Produced With Blackhawks Despite Horrid Plus/Minus
Knox noted that Johnson produced 53 points during the regular season — including eight postseason goals — during his final two years with the Lightning. Arguing that the forward has “disappeared from the spotlight since.”
But in all honesty, Johnson has still produced in Chicago over the past two seasons. The 2021-22 campaign was mostly lost to injuries, but Johnson posted a consistent 30-plus points in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.
And if you combine those two campaigns, he actually registered more points (63) than the two-year stretch in Tampa Bay that Knox is drawing attention to.
The glaring issue has been Johnson’s plus/minus on the ice with the Blackhawks — although this statistic can be skewed a bit by overall team success.
With the Lightning, Johnson was a career +84 on the ice during the regular season. In Chicago, he was a -64. As stated, this probably isn’t all his fault, but it’s not an appealing trend either.
Johnson’s faceoff win-percentage has also decreased slightly with the Blackhawks, dropping from a 49.5 to a 47.6 over the past three seasons.
Tyler Johnson Could Fit With ‘Bargain Hunting’ Avalanche
If Johnson is willing to sign for less as Knox alluded, it’s not a bad thought considering the Avalanche could use cheap and experienced depth.
The Denver Post’s Corey Masisak relayed that Colorado will likely be “bargain hunting” in 2024 free agency on June 30. Since then, they’ve made several smaller signings, headlined by deals to bring back key free agents Jonathan Drouin and Joel Kiviranta.
Spotrac currently lists $3.89 million in available cap space for the Avalanche, although that doesn’t include Valeri Nichushkin’s $6.125 million cap hit which has been tabled until reinstatement.
Colorado could also use another center, potentially. Behind Nathan MacKinnon and Casey Mittelstadt, they’re projected to start Ross Colton and Chris Wagner as their bottom-six centermen.
Johnson could easily slot in for Wagner, assuming he’s comfortable with a fourth-line role on a championship contender. The 33-year-old journeyman only appeared in 13 regular season outings for the Avs last year, contributing just two points and nine penalty minutes.
Of course, the versatile Johnson could also slide over on a third or fourth-line wing if Colorado prefers Wagner on the dot taking faceoffs.