On Oct. 23, the Tampa Bay Lightning placed 32-year-old winger Conor Sheary on waivers per Elliotte Friedman. In three games with mostly depth usage this season, he has zero points with a minus-2 rating. He has a cap hit of $2 million through 2025-26.
Conor Sheary (TB) on waivers
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 23, 2024
In 2023-24, Sheary potted four goals and put up 11 assists for 15 points in 57 games in Tampa Bay. He certainly had a role carved out, but he will be headed to the American Hockey League (AHL) unless another team claims his rights. The other 31 clubs in the NHL have 24 hours to make that decision, otherwise, the veteran will be playing with the Syracuse Crunch.
Since joining the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16, Sheary has played in 591 contests and put up 267 points. The two-time Stanley Cup champion scored 53 points in 61 games with Pittsburgh in 2016-17, working his way up from the AHL as a small, undrafted forward. He’s a rare underdog story, but it seems as though he’s headed back to the AHL for the first time since Jan. 30, 2016.
Related: Conor Sheary a Testament to Today’s NHL
With how cap-strapped most clubs in the NHL are, Sheary will probably stay within the Lightning organization. However, there may be a depth-needy team out there that could be willing to take a chance (a reunion with the Penguins, perhaps?). Even if a claim isn’t made, don’t be surprised to see him back with the Bolts at some point in 2024-25. Injuries constantly fluctuate lineups, necessitating call-ups.
