The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Conor Sheary on unconditional waivers with the intention to terminate his contract. Sheary, a 10-year veteran, played just five games with the Lightning this season and largely spent last year in the minors due to salary cap limitations. With one year remaining on his contract, he was set to earn $2 million next season. Previously, Sheary secured back-to-back Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017, but his time in Tampa has been less fruitful, finishing with four goals and 15 points in 62 games. If unclaimed, he will enter unrestricted free agency.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Kraken have also put forward Joe Veleno on unconditional waivers to buy out his final year, which carries a $2.275 million cap hit. Veleno, 25, has accumulated five seasons of NHL experience and was recently acquired by the Kraken in a trade involving Andre Burakovsky. He previously played for Detroit, recording 38 goals and 81 points over 306 games. The rapid changes for both players reflect the tightening salary cap landscape across the league.