When the Lightning placed Cam Atkinson on waivers three days before the March 7 trade deadline, it set into motion a plan to use their accumulated salary cap space to improve the team without losing a known asset in the veteran forward.
Tampa Bay was in the final stages of a deal with Seattle to bring back forward Yanni Gourde and acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Kraken had agreed to retain 50% of Gourde’s salary, with Detroit taking on an additional 25%.
The Lightning had spent most of two months playing with just 18 skaters in order to accrue day-to-day cap space, so general manager Julien BriseBois was prepared for the moment. But he needed still more space to complete the deal. Atkinson, who carried a nominal $900,000 annual cap hit on a one-year deal, needed to come off the roster to make it work.
There was a risk that another team might claim Atkinson, but at a time when teams were looking to make every dollar matter, it seemed unlikely he’d be claimed.
Atkinson cleared waivers and was officially reassigned to AHL Syracuse at 2 p.m. the following day. Shortly afterward, the Lightning consummated the trade for Gourde and Bjorkstrand.
But it was important to the Lightning to do everything they could to keep Atkinson. It was part of BriseBois’ calculus all along. Atkinson never played a game at Syracuse and rejoined Tampa Bay a week later. He played Thursday at Philadelphia, scoring the tying goal that allowed the Lightning to pick up a point in an eventual shootout loss.
“We all want more opportunity,” Atkinson said. “We all want to be that go-to guy, which I was in the past. But I’m comfortable and OK with where I’m at and just being here with the guys. The last couple weeks were definitely interesting.
“But I give so much credit to Julien and the management and the coaching staff and all the leaders in here and even the young guys. Even though it was kind of a lull and uncertain times, they made me feel as much a part of it as possible. I know that doesn’t happen for a lot of people.”
Lightning brass know what makes a championship team, and every season that recipe needs to be reworked. Atkinson has been in and out of the lineup this season and was a healthy scratch in four of the five games before coming off the roster.
But at 35 and in his 13th season in the league, he knows his opportunities to win a Stanley Cup are dwindling. Though he hasn’t played much, Atkinson adds energy to the room few players can match.
“He came in with an attitude that this was a group he wanted to win with, with the understanding that he might not be in the lineup every single night. But when he was going to be, he was going to give us everything,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
“Maybe he’s not getting 18-20 minutes like he used to earlier in his career, but he brings a life to our room. And when he’s in the lineup, usually good things happen with our team. Even when he’s not, he’s in the room with the guys and there’s just a positive vibe about him.”
As strange as it might sound, going through the waiver process reemphasized to Atkinson that Tampa Bay was where he wanted to be.
Before Atkinson was placed on waivers, BriseBois told him that if he cleared he’d return to the team in a matter of days. The Lightning simply needed to accrue enough daily cap space to add him back, and that took a week. Atkinson couldn’t officially participate in team activities, but he was able to skate on his own after the Lightning left the ice.
“I can’t thank Julien enough for just being honest and kind of putting it in my court as far as what we wanted to do, and ultimately I want to win here and I want to be here,” Atkinson said. “There were a lot of uncertainties, because it could have gone multiple ways, and I obviously had to get educated pretty quickly on the cap.
“He was very upfront. He’s like, ‘I’m not trying to trade you. We want you here. You’re so important to all of us.’ So, that was obviously refreshing. And then talking to Coop as well, I just love being here, and so it’s been good so far.”
Atkinson has just four goals and nine points in 38 games this season. He’s played in only one of the three games since rejoining the team, though he has points in three of his last four games. Though he’s seen the majority of his ice time in a bottom-six role, he still can provide valuable minutes at both 5-on-5 and on the power play.
The Lightning know it takes more than 18 skaters to win a Stanley Cup, and there is clearly something special that Atkinson brings, whether he’s on the ice or not.
“I started here, and I want to finish here,” he said. “Tomorrow’s not promised, and next season isn’t promised as well. If you ask for a trade, you never know where you may end up. I could be in the same situation, not playing, on a (worse) team.
“Everyone wants more minutes, but I know what we have here. I think we have an unbelievable opportunity to win, and that’s ultimately why I wanted to be here in the first place. And I think they value that and see that. And I’ve been pretty honest since day one, knowing my situation being an older guy and leader that people look up to, just being a good teammate, I think that goes a long way, whether you’re playing or not.”
