Lightning Waive Former Stanley Cup Champion

The Tampa Bay Lightning waived a former Stanley Cup-winning forward.

Mar 24, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Conor Sheary (73) passes from Anaheim Ducks center Ben Meyers (39) during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Lightning are trying to return to the Stanley Cup Finals with a slightly tweaked lineup. After the team lost their captain over the summer when Steven Stamkos departed the team via free agency, the Lightning are still firm believers in their own championship window.

With limited salary cap flexibility, the Lightning made a difficult decision sending former Stanley Cup winning forward Conor Sheary on waivers. The decision to place the winger on waivers came as a bit of a surprise because, as NHL insider Chris Johnston points out, Sheary is signed for another season with an average annual value of $2 million.

Placed on NHL waivers today: Conor Sheary (TB).

The veteran forward carries a $2M AAV and is signed through the end of next season.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 23, 2024

This is Sheary's second season with the Lightning organization. He played in 57 games with the NHL club last year, recording four goals and 11 assists for 15 points. This year, he had no points in his first three games before being waived.

If Sheary goes unclaimed, he will report to the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. This would be the first time in nearly a decade that he would appear in the AHL, when he last played there with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the 2015-2016 season. That was the year he'd be called up and help the Pittsburgh Penguins win a Stanley Cup

Sheary is a veteran now of 591 NHL games since the 2015-2016 season. In addition to the Lightning and Penguins, he's also spent time with the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. His best season in the NHL came during the 2016-2017 campaign, when he recorded 23 goals and 30 assists to finish with a career-high 53 points. Over his career, he's amassed 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points.

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