5 Blackhawks Leaving Chicago in the New Year

2. Tyler Johnson, C

Much like Foligno, Tyler Johnson joined the Blackhawks on a one-year, $5 million contract over the offseason to help provide veteran support. After all, the diminutive center is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and the hope was that he could help pass his winning experience down to the next generation.

While Johnson might be helping the Blackhawks young stars in the locker room, he hasn't made much of an impact on the ice. He's on pace to have the worst campaign of his career, tallying just 11 points through his first 33 games on top of carrying a minus-15 plus/minus rating.

Still, a lackluster season hasn't stopped Johnson's name from popping up in trade rumors. Boston Hockey Now's Jimmy Murphy reported on Dec. 26 that the Blackhawks have told teams around the league that the 33-year-old center "will be available on the NHL trade market."

While it might be tough for a contender to make Johnson's $5 million cap hit work, the Blackhawks could always retain salary to force a trade partner to throw in extra incentives. After all, Chicago has $10.2 million in cap space remaining, per Spotrac.