The Lightning got some much-needed salary cap relief Tuesday. Tampa Bay traded Ryan Callahan to Ottawa for goaltender Mike Condon.
The teams also swapped draft picks. The Lightning gives up a fifth-round pick in 2020 and gets a sixth-round pick.
This move is about cap space without using long-term injured reserve. Putting Callahan, who can no longer play hockey due to a back disease, on long-term injury reserve would have allowed the Lighting to exceed the salary cap but still had consequences.
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Long-term injury reserve carries use-it-or-lose-it relief.