Defenseman James Wisniewski signed a professional tryout contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and will attend training camp in September.
Wisniewski, 32, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee 47 seconds into his Carolina Hurricanes debut against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 8, 2015. He had surgery five days later and missed the rest of the regular season. The Hurricanes bought out the final season of his six-year contract June 30. He had signed that contract July 1, 2011 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets traded Wisniewski and a third-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft to the Anaheim Ducks for forwards Rene Bourque and William Karlsson, and a 2015 second-round pick on March 2, 2015. The Hurricanes acquired Wisniewski from the Ducks in a trade for goalie Anton Khudobin on June 27, 2015.
Wisniewski has 53 goals and 274 points in 552 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ducks, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Blue Jackets and Hurricanes.