Tyler Johnson is not a fan of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For the first time since 2013, and for the the first time since he made a permanent jump to the NHL, his Tampa Bay Lightning failed to qualify for the postseason, and Johnson isn't keen on missing out on future quests for the Cup.

"Something I'd rather never do again," he told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

Johnson, who signed a seven-year extension worth $35 million in July, used this extended offseason to recuperate from a series of injuries that have plagued him over the past couple of years, including a broken wrist suffered during the 2015 Cup Final and lower-body injuries that kept him from helping the team make a late push for a playoff spot this past season.

With training camp only a couple of weeks away, Johnson says he feels "10 times better" than he did at this point last year, and sees value in being able to rest after previous long playoff runs.

"Injuries come when your body gets fatigued, that's pretty much what happens," Johnson said. "Sometimes you get some unlucky things here and there, but a lot of times it's fatigue. In a way, it was nice to have that break to relax. I've never had that before.

"But those summers are way too long," he added. "I'd rather not have them."

Tampa Bay went deep in the playoffs in both 2015 and 2016, but missed out in 2017 by a single point despite dealing with a number of man-games lost due to injury, most notably by captain Steven Stamkos.

The long summer, although not a longed-for result, should help the team get back to full strength and into the ranks of Cup contenders.

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