What will the Lightning do about Conor Sheary?

The Tampa Bay Lightning will have a lot of holes to fill this offseason. The number of roster spots to fill will be quite a challenge as the Lightning will be going into the summer with a little over $5 million in salary cap space. Conor Sheary has been the topic of conversation as he is coming off a not so stellar inaugural season in Tampa Bay. With the Bolts looking to shake things up this summer and so little money to spend. Will Conor Sheary be the odd man out and be shipped out of the Sunshine State?

The Lightning signed Conor Sheary to a three-year deal worth $6 million following the 2022-2023 season, and at the time it looked as if Tampa struck gold with their depth addition. Sheary was coming off three seasons in which he amassed 48 goals and 102 points with the Washington Capitals. At the time, Sheary would've added a veteran presence, coupled with a shot of offense to the third line. This would not be the case as he would go on to only play in 57 games while amassing a measly 15 points.

The biggest concern among Lightning fans has not only been the very unproductive season that was had, but also how exposed and one-sided his game was this season. If you watched all 57 of the appearances from Sheary, you would not be able to recollect a memorable performance. What the Lightning needed more out of Sheary at times was not his ability to put up points, but more physical play.

So now that we have fully examined the sample set put forth by the veteran forward this season, we have to wonder what could the Lightning posssible get in return for him in a trade. Having just celebrated his 32nd birthday and carrying a $2 million AAV for the next two seasons, that doesn't make Sheary a hot commodity. As for much of a return on a potential deal for Sheary, I would not expect anything higher than a 7th-round pick for Sheary, given that he would be nothing more than a salary dump for Tampa Bay. As for when we can expect to see a deal be done, remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the Lightning will need to move on from Conor Sheary to move back into Stanley Cup contention