Lawton expects Yzerman to be among 30 GMs to contact BriseBois about unrestricted free agents like forwards Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat with the Lightning squeezed up against the $81.5-million salary cap and still having to sign defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak and forward Anthony Cirelli.
“Right now, they have 10 forwards signed for next year and that doesn’t include Cirelli who they’ll sign,” Lawton said. “They can’t move forward without reducing some salary. Now the battle is on. That’s the price of winning in the salary-cap world.”
Yeah blah blah on the title.