The Cats bought out the remaining 2 years of Jokinen’s salary in an attempt to save cap space. The move saved the Cats $2.7 million per year over the next 2 seasons, but caused FLA to sacrifice a valued, highly respected member of the team. Jokinen proved to be an influential teammate as he was a notable leader in the locker room, as shown by the organization previously naming him alternate captain.
Although Jokinen experienced a tumultuous, unproductive 2016-17 where he amassed a disappointing 11G and 17A for a total of 28 points in 69 games. Jokinen established a career low in points for a season as he often struggled to generate scoring opportunities for himself and linemates as shown by his staggeringly low amount of points.