Johnson left Chicago to play for a contender, but the forward’s search hasn’t turned out as he had hoped.

Whether the Chicago Blackhawks were looking to bring back Tyler Johnson next season or not, the veteran forward made it clear that he wasn’t going to return to Chicago. “I’d like to play some meaningful hockey and get back in the playoffs,” Johnson said once the Blackhawks season ended in April.

After Johnson made his decision, general manager Kyle Davidson brought in a lot of talent via UFA signings and a trade to fill the roster. The Blackhawks figure to be a lot more competitive in 2024-25 than they were the last couple of seasons when Johnson was a part of the team.

It has been over three weeks since free agency began and Johnson is still without a contract. A lot of the teams have filled their needs and adding any more talent, even for dirt cheap, isn’t in the cards. This eliminated a lot of potential contenders from the list of teams the Johnson was hoping to sign with and have a chance at winning again.

“That’s where it’s (playoffs) all at,” Johnson said. “That’s where I’ve always loved. I’ve always just wanted to be a part of that, and when you’re not, especially the last few years here doing what we’re doing, it’s been pretty tough.”

It is definitely tough to go from a Tampa Bay Lightning team that had just won back-to-back Stanley Cups and made the playoffs in 10 of 11 years to Blackhawks clubs that finished 27th, 30th, and 31st in the NHL. Johnson played out his seven-year, $35 million contract, signed with Tampa Bay in 2017. At age 33, he scored 17 goals and 31 points in 67 games last season with Chicago, despite missing a chunk of time with a foot injury.

Any contender that is still left out there may be over the salary cap or very close to it, limiting the number of roster players they can have. And Johnson, while still effective and smart as an NHLer, is no longer worth $5 million a season.

It seems as though Johnson is down to just two options if he wants to continue to play in the NHL. He will have to either sign with whatever team has cap space and an opportunity, or sign with a playoff contender who’s roster is full and hope to win a spot in training camp or by being one of the top options if there are injuries.

I believe Johnson is going to get a contract, but it won’t be what he envisioned when he spoke about losing in Chicago and that he would seek out a playoff contender. The Blackhawks may very well finish higher in the standings than the team Johnson ends up with at this point. Chicago is much improved and will be closer to a playoff spot at the very least. We’ll have to wait and see how things turn out for Johnson this offseason if he’s even signed.