The Lightning could look to move this forward during the offseason.
After bringing back defenseman Ryan McDonagh from the Nashville Predators, the Tampa Bay Lightning have just over $5 million of cap space. With captain Steven Stamkos still needing his deal, the Lightning will likely make at least another move before we get to July.
With the Lightning desperately needing cap space, one clear trade candidate this offseason is winger Conor Sheary. The Massachusetts native had a tough season and lost his spot in the Lightning's lineup down the stretch. He also did not make a single postseason appearance.
Sheary, 31, carries a $2 million cap hit until the end of the 2025-26 season. Freeing up that cap space would be beneficial for the Lightning. With that, Sheary could benefit from a change of scenery, given how this year ended for him. However, while his no-trade clause is set to expire, he still has a 16-team trade list starting in 2024-25. As a result, there are some obstacles to a potential move.
Sheary appeared in 57 games with the Lightning in 2023-24, recording four goals, 11 assists, and a minus-3 rating. It was a down year for him offensively, but when noting that he had a 37-point campaign in 2022-23 and 43 points in 2021-22, he is a bounce-back candidate. This could lead to another club taking a shot on him.
We will need to wait and see what the Lightning do with Sheary this offseason from here.
Recent Lightning News
Lightning Tough Guy Connected to Sabres
Lightning Defender Likely Finished in Tampa
Lightning Sign Surging Prospect to ELC
3 Lightning Trade Candidates After Adding Ryan McDonagh