With Ryan McDonagh extension, Lightning likely out on John Tavares

The Tampa Bay Lightning take themselves out of the John Tavares race by re-signing Ryan McDonagh to long-term deal.

John Tavares hasn’t made an official decision. But we can start reading the tea leaves when it comes to his though process. The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed defenseman Ryan McDonagh to a seven-year deal worth an annual-average-value of $6.75 million per season.

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McDonagh’s extension won’t kick in until next season, but the deal almost guarantees they are out of the Tavares sweepstakes. It’s possible Tavares commits to a one-year contract with Tampa Bay, but highly unlikely. The Lightning still have to take care of Brayden Point (restricted), Anton Stralman, and Nikita Kucherov (both unrestricted) next offseason. By the time they do all that, there is no long-term money left for Tavares, who will command up to $10 million per season.

The former New York Rangers captain was dealt to the Lightning at this past seasons trade deadline. He posted 29 points in 63 games between the two teams. He had five points in 17 playoff games for Tampa Bay.

The Lightning obviously liked what they saw out of McDonagh, giving him a $2 million raise starting next season. He proved to be a strong second pairing defender next to Stralman. McDonagh had been the number-one guy during his time in New York, but eased into a secondary role in Tampa Bay. Reigning Norris trophy winner Victor Hedman takes a lot of pressure off McDonagh, allowing him to play a freer game.

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Until he makes his decision, we still don’t know exactly where Tavares will call home next season. But as more signings begin to be announced on Sunday afternoon, we’ll have a pretty good idea of who is out of the running. Tampa Bay was always considered a long shot due to their lack of cap space, but now we know Tavares is down to five.