Ryan McDonagh traded by Lightning to Predators in salary dump

Ryan McDonagh’s time with the Lightning is over.

Tampa Bay has traded the former Rangers captain to the Predators in return for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mishmash, the team announced Sunday. The trade amounts to a pay cut for the Lightning, who must re-sign Ondrej Palat and have Alex Killorn able to hit unrestricted free agency in a year. The cap of $6.75 million hit by McDonagh was a necessary victim in this context.

Still, the 33-year-old is a more than capable defender, as he has proven in this post-season. Tampa’s loss will certainly be Nashville’s gain.

McDonagh is an experienced playoff veteran who can instantly help the Predators from the back. Although he still has four years left on his contract, the questions surrounding him are more about the backend of this deal than the front end.

McDonagh had 26 regular-season points and contributed strong playoff minutes for the Lightning, who made it to their third straight Stanley Cup final before losing to the Avalanche. The trade caps a hugely successful run for McDonagh in the city, where he helped the Lightning win their first two Cups since 2004 and saw them become the league’s preeminent franchise.