Lightning lose some spark on first day of free agency

The effects of a flat salary cap took a toll on the Tampa Bay Lightning less than two weeks after they won their second Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay bid farewell to defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who signed with Anaheim, and the team was forced to place center Tyler Johnson on waivers as the NHL’s free agency period opened Friday.

The league’s higher profile free agents such as defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and wing Taylor Hall, remained on the market with a $ 81.5 million cap — unchanged from last year — adding a layer of uncertainty to a pandemicaltered economy.

The St. Louis Blues effectively ended the Pietrangelo era by signing defenseman Torey Krug to a $ 45.5 million, sevenyear deal. Krug will count $ 6.5 million against the salary cap through the 202627 season.

That was money potentially earmarked for Pietrangelo, a homegrown Blues product, who was captain when they won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

It was a very active market for goaltenders in the first hours of free agency.

Jacob Markstrom left Vancouver to sign a sixyear, $ 36 million contract with the Calgary Flames. The Canucks replaced Markstrom by signing Braden Holtby to a twoyear, $ 8.6 million contract. The 2016 Vezina Trophy winner spent his first 10 seasons inWashington, where he helped the Capitals win the Cup in 2018.

Henrik Lundqvist signed a oneyear contract withWashington, two weeks after his contract was bought out by the New York Rangers.

TheWild addressed their goaltending needs after trading Devan Dubnyk to the Sharks this week by signing Cam Talbot to a threeyear, $ 11 million deal. Anton Khudobin, who backstopped the Dallas Stars run to the Stanley Cup Finals, is staying put in Dallas after signing a threeyear, $ 10 million contract.