Lightning To Reassign Cam Atkinson, Logan Brown
March 5: Atkinson and Brown cleared waivers, according to Friedman. Both will be reassigned to Syracuse as the Lightning look to close a trade with the Kraken for forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde.
March 4: The Lightning have placed forwards Cam Atkinson and Logan Brown on waivers for reassignment to AHL Syracuse, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Brown wasn’t previously under contract with the Bolts, so the move indicates he’s been promoted from his contract with Syracuse and signed to an NHL contract for the rest of the campaign.
It’s certainly eye-popping to see Atkinson, a veteran of over 800 NHL games, on the waiver wire. His performance after signing a one-year, $900K deal with the Bolts early in free agency, though, has left much to be desired. The 35-year-old has 3-5–8 through 36 games and is averaging a career-low 8:49 per night. He’s become an increasingly frequent healthy scratch as a result, sitting out a season-high four straight contests entering tonight’s game against his former team, the Blue Jackets.
Atkinson was still a semi-serviceable top-nine piece for the Flyers last year, posting 13-15–28 through 70 games. It wasn’t nearly enough to justify his $5.875MM cap hit, though, and Philadelphia opted to buy him out with one year remaining on his contract. The downturn in production from the diminutive yet skilled Atkinson came after he missed the entire 2022-23 campaign following neck surgery, one that unfortunately seems to have tanked his effectiveness in his career’s twilight.
Selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft by the Blue Jackets, Atkinson was a top-six fixture in Columbus for a decade. He posted 402 points in 627 games with the club before they traded him to Philly in the 2021 offseason in a blockbuster one-for-one exchange that sent Jakub Voráček the other way. Injuries have derailed both players’ careers since, with Voráček since retiring due to concussions.
Now in Tampa, Atkinson has been superseded by players like Zemgus Girgensons and Gage Goncalves on their depth chart. He’s been tried at right wing on the second line with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel – a role that’s Tampa’s top priority this week to fill. Waiving Atkinson gives them additional roster and salary cap flexibility to achieve that goal.
They’ll also add Brown as a recall option down the stretch, assuming he clears waivers. The 26-year-old center will earn a pro-rated salary of $775K in the NHL and $350K in the AHL down the stretch, per PuckPedia.
The No. 11 pick in the 2016 draft, Brown hasn’t skated in an NHL game since making 30 appearances for the Blues in the 2022-23 campaign. He signed a two-way deal with Tampa for 2023-24 but ended up spending the entire season on injured reserve following an undisclosed surgery. He returned to the Bolts on a camp tryout and landed an AHL deal with Syracuse, where the 6’6″ pivot has 7-12–19 through 25 appearances.
Brown won’t count against the Bolts’ active roster since he was waived on the same day he signed a contract.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning
Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up is the Lightning.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Current Cap Hit: $86,676,870 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Conor Geekie (three years, $886.7K)
D Emil Lilleberg (one year, $870K)
Potential Bonuses
Geekie: $525K
Lilleberg: $80K
Total: $605K
Geekie was a key pickup in the Mikhail Sergachev trade back at the draft. He spent the first half of the season with the big club but was sent down after struggling. That makes it unlikely that he reaches his ‘A’ bonuses while at this point, a low-cost second contract seems likely unless he can establish himself as a core piece over the next two years.
Lilleberg has already signed an extension so we’ll cover that later on. For here, it’s worth noting that his bonuses are tied to games played so he’ll hit most if not all of his number.
Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level
F Cam Atkinson ($900K, UFA)
F Michael Eyssimont ($800K, UFA)
F Luke Glendening ($800K, UFA)
F Gage Goncalves ($775K, RFA)
G Jonas Johansson ($775K, UFA)
D Nicklaus Perbix ($1.125MM, UFA)
After being bought out by Philadelphia, Atkinson was a low-cost flyer to see if he could provide Tampa Bay with some depth scoring. That hasn’t happened and at this point, it’d be surprising to see him land a guaranteed contract this summer. If so – or if he earns one off a PTO – it’s likely to be for the minimum. Glendening has been as advertised – a reliable faceoff player who can kill penalties but brings little offense to the table. There’s still a role for him beyond this year but it’s likely to be at or near the minimum of $775K once again.
Eyssimont had a breakout effort last season, notching 25 points despite playing primarily in their bottom six (often the fourth line). He hasn’t been able to produce at a similar rate this year which will hurt him a bit on the open market. Even so, as a fourth liner who can play with some jam and bring potentially a little offensive upside, he could jump closer to the $1.3MM range on his next contract. Goncalves has cleared waivers twice already but has spent more time with the Lightning than the Crunch so far. He has arbitration rights which could give the Lightning pause if they think a hearing could push him past the $1MM mark or so but he’s a candidate to take less than his qualifying offer of around $813K for a higher AHL salary or even a one-way NHL salary.
Perbix is the most notable of Tampa Bay’s pending free agents. While he has largely had a limited role this season, he had 24 points last year while logging a little over 17 minutes a night. Considering he’s still young (he’ll be 27 in June), big (6’4), and a right-shot player, his market could grow quickly from teams looking for a depth addition with a little upside, meaning that more than doubling this price could be doable.
Johansson remains a below-average NHL netminder but that’s something the Lightning knew when they signed him in 2023. The goal for them was getting someone at the minimum salary. Johansson’s staying power could give him a shot at a few more dollars but he’ll remain in the six-figure range.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Mitchell Chaffee ($800K, UFA)
D Ryan McDonagh ($6.75MM, UFA)
D J.J. Moser ($3.375MM, RFA)
D Darren Raddysh ($975K, UFA)
F Conor Sheary ($2MM, UFA)
Sheary received this deal coming off two strong years with Washington but things haven’t gone anywhere near as well with the Lightning. He scored just four goals last season and has spent most of this year in the minors, carrying a pro-rated $850K charge while down there. He’s a buyout candidate this summer although they could elect to hold onto him and take the $850K charge again next year instead of putting some money onto the 2026-27 books. Chaffee has established himself as a regular on the fourth line and is in a similar situation as Eyssimont was a year ago. Assuming that keeps up, he could push to land a $500K raise or so in 2026.
McDonagh’s contract was once deemed too expensive for Tampa Bay which resulted in them moving him to Nashville in 2022 for a very minimal return. Two years later, they gave up more value to reacquire the final two seasons of the agreement which is something you don’t see too often. But it reflects the need they had to bring in a veteran dependable defender which is what McDonagh is at this point of his career. He’s not a true top-pairing piece at this stage of his career nor is he enough of an offensive threat to provide value relative to his price tag. But if he can still hold down at least a top-four spot by the end of next season, he could still land a contract in the $4MM to $5MM range, perhaps a one-year deal which would allow for some incentives.
Moser was another piece of note in the Sergachev trade after being one of the more underrated blueliners with Arizona. The structure of the bridge deal gives him a $4.075MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights and assuming he’s still a full-timer in Tampa’s top four, he seems like a strong candidate to push past the $5MM mark on his next contract. Raddysh has become a capable producer of secondary scoring from the back end although he gives some of that back with his defensive play. Those players don’t always have the best markets year-to-year but barring a big drop in performance or playing time, he should be able to double this at a minimum in 2026.
Signed Through 2026-27
F Zemgus Girgensons ($850K, UFA)
F Nikita Kucherov ($9.5MM, UFA)
D Emil Lilleberg ($800K in 2025-26 and 2026-27, RFA)
Kucherov continues to be one of the top point-producing forwards in the NHL. He’s around $2MM below the highest-paid winger (Artemi Panarin) but that’s about to change with this upcoming UFA crop which will only widen that gap and give Tampa Bay even better value in the short term. Assuming he doesn’t slow down over the next three years, he could be someone conceivably pushing for a deal in the $14MM range himself even at 34. Girgensons saw his production drop in the last couple of years with Buffalo but it has cratered even more this year. Still, he’s a capable penalty killer and can play with some grit. That for $100K above the minimum isn’t bad value.
Lilleberg’s new deal is actually a dip in pay off his entry-level pact but gives him guaranteed money via a one-way salary no matter what. Assuming he remains a regular with the Lightning during that time, his arbitration eligibility could put him in line to double (or even triple) that price tag on his next contract.
Predators Acquire Jesse Ylönen From Lightning
The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are making an AHL swap shortly before the trade deadline. The Predators announced they’ve acquired forward Jesse Ylönen from the Lightning for forward Anthony Angello.
Sticking to the deadline approach he shared yesterday, general manager Barry Trotz has acquired a forward with NHL experience who can fill in should the Predators move out multiple forward pieces. There are non-subtle expectations Nashville will be one of the aggressive sellers during this year’s deadline season, and Ylönen provides a quality depth option for that approach.
Despite playing the entire year with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Ylönen is a veteran of 111 games at the NHL level — all with the Montreal Canadiens. After debuting with the Canadiens on May 12, 2021, Ylönen scored 11 goals and 29 points in Montreal before signing on with the Lightning this past summer as an unrestricted free agent. He was recalled on February 22nd by the Lightning but only served as a practice player for Tampa Bay’s returning members of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The lack of NHL minutes hasn’t hindered his production this season as Ylönen’s recorded eight goals and 25 points in 47 games for the Crunch. That production puts the Scottsdale, AZ native third on the team in scoring and would make him tied for seventh on the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.
Meanwhile, Angello heads east to join the fourth organization of his professional career. The former fifth-round pick of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins is a veteran of 320 games at the AHL level split between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Springfield Thunders, and Admirals. He’s managed 68 goals and 133 points over that stretch and 307 PIMs. Angello isn’t a stranger to the NHL either, scoring three goals and five points in 31 games for Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2022.
Lightning Reassign Matt Tomkins
The Lightning announced today they’ve reassigned goaltender Matt Tomkins to AHL Syracuse. They’re back to having two open spots on the active roster.
Tomkins’ demotion is a positive sign for the availability of their usual No. 2 option, Jonas Johansson. The 29-year-old remains on the roster but hasn’t played since Jan. 28, missing eight games with a lower-body injury. Tomkins and Brandon Halverson have rotated in as Andrei Vasilevskiy‘s backup in his absence, although neither has seen game action since Johansson got hurt.
The 30-year-old Tomkins is in his second season in the Tampa organization after inking a two-year, two-way deal early in the 2023 offseason. He’s served as their third-stringer throughout. He hasn’t seen any NHL action this year and only made six appearances in 2023-24 – the first of his NHL career. He posted a 3-2-1 record with a below-average .892 SV% and 3.33 GAA but stopped 0.4 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
Things have mainly gone well for Tomkins in Syracuse this season, fueled by a recent hot streak. He’s not played quite as much as Halverson but has nearly matched him in SV% (.911) with a 2.54 GAA and a 9-9-4 record in 22 appearances with three shutouts. It’s an overall improvement on last season’s numbers on the farm when he logged a .904 SV% and 2.53 GAA in 29 games for Syracuse with a 15-12-2 record.
While he’ll make way for Johansson’s return, the latter hasn’t outplayed Tomkins significantly. Since arriving in Tampa for the 2023-24 campaign, Johansson has managed just a .890 SV% and 3.33 GAA in 36 starts and three relief appearances, combining for 12.2 goals allowed above expected across a year and a half. Before his injury this year, he’d logged a .892 SV% and 3.24 GAA in 13 showings behind Vasilevskiy.
The backup netminder position hasn’t been a concern in Tampa for nearly a decade, given Vasilevskiy’s increasingly rare ability to remain a top-tier netminder while making 60-plus starts. Johansson’s underwhelming play likely isn’t a massive influence on the Bolts’ deadline plans. However, it’s reasonable to assume they could look to at least add another depth option to complement him, Halverson, and Tomkins heading into the postseason should Vasilevskiy sustain an injury.
Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Matt Tomkins
Regular backup netminder Jonas Johansson won’t be ready to return after all following the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they’ve recalled Matt Tomkins from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and he’ll serve as a backup tomorrow night.
Today’s roster move marks Tomkins’ third call-up since the end of January. It hasn’t made too much of a difference for him personally, as Tomkins still hasn’t stepped on the ice for the Lightning outside of practice and warm-ups.
He’s spent the 2024-25 season as the ‘1B’ option with AHL Syracuse. Splitting the crease with the impressive Brandon Halverson, Tomkins has managed a 9-9-5 record in 22 games with a .911 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average including three shutouts.
It’s objectively been the best professional year of his career up to this point. Unfortunately, being 30 years old, Tomkins doesn’t have much long-term value within the Lightning organization.
Given Johansson’s injury struggles of late, and the pair of older options in the AHL, goaltending could become a secondary focus for the Lightning at the trade deadline. Tampa Bay has a more pressing need at the forward position but the team may look to improve their backup option. Fortunately, the Lightning have the privilege of deploying Andrei Vasilevskiy on most nights, who’s no stranger to playing in 60 or more games a season.
Tampa Bay Lightning Assign Jesse Ylönen To AHL
Saturday: It turned out to be a one-and-done recall for Ylönen as a day after being recalled, the Lightning announced that he has been sent back to Syracuse.
Friday: Ahead of their return to regular season hockey on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning are bringing a depth forward to the NHL level. The Lightning announced they’d recalled forward Jesse Ylönen from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and he could debut with the team against the Seattle Kraken.
Still, there’s a decent chance Ylönen won’t debut either. Tampa Bay is likely without forwards Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli due to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship contest yesterday so Ylönen may serve as a practice player for a day or two.
Ylönen signed a one-year, $775K contract with the Lightning last offseason after spending the first four years of his North American career in the Montreal Canadiens organization. The Scottsdale, AZ native scored 12 goals and 29 points in 112 games in Montreal including another 34 goals and 85 points in 120 games with their affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Due to the depth and health of their forward core, Tampa Bay hasn’t had much use for Ylönen at the NHL level this season. This has allowed him plenty of playing time with the Crunch, scoring eight goals and 25 points in 47 games. That offensive production is good for third in scoring on the team putting Ylönen 11 points shy of his career-high output in a lone AHL campaign.
Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning
With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is just a few weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After a significant roster overhaul last offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning are chasing their fourth Stanley Cup Final appearance in six years. Whether they reclaim the Atlantic Division title or settle for the Eastern Conference’s top wild-card spot, they are poised for a tough first-round matchup against the Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams have eliminated Tampa Bay in consecutive postseasons, fueling the Lightning’s quest to reassert their dominance in the league’s most competitive division.
Record
31-20-4, 3rd in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$6.122MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 43/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: LA 2nd, TOR 2nd, EDM 4th, TB 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, MIN 7th, SJ 7th, TB 7th, UTA 7th
2026: TB 1st, TB 2nd, TB 3rd, TB 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, TB 7th
Trade Chips
What Tampa Bay lacks in draft capital quality, they make up for in quantity. The Lightning won’t have their 2025 first-round pick thanks to the Tanner Jeannot trade with the Nashville Predators a few years ago and the two second-round picks they have are expected to fall in the back half of the round. Still, having 17 draft selections over two years is enough to add a few sweeteners to proposed deals while retaining their ability to boost their organizational depth.
Tampa Bay’s prospect depth may be enough to stave off dealing roster players. Although he was recently reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, it’s highly unlikely the Lightning will include forward Conor Geekie in any trade negotiations during deadline season. However, there are a few more forward prospects they could move.
One year after being a point-per-game player with the NCAA’s Michigan State University Spartans, Isaac Howard is going for the Hobey Baker Award. The former 31st overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has scored 22 goals and 43 points in 30 games for the Spartans this season good for second in points among college players. Given his exceptional play in East Lansing, Howard would be a commanding centerpiece if the Lightning go big-game hunting.
Other prospects include Ethan Gauthier, Dylan Duke, and Niko Huuhtanen for various reasons. There’s a dramatic drop-off in quality beyond Huuhtanen but the former two offer appeal in varying ways. Gauthier was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2021 QMJHL Draft and has developed into an above-average playmaker for the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Duke is a high-motor forward who’s become an annoying pest in front of the net although he’s undersized for his playstyle.
Given their team needs, the Lightning will likely keep all five of their top prospects. Still, each of Tampa Bay’s core forwards (aside from Nikita Kucherov) is signed beyond the 2027-28 season, making the Lightning well-positioned to mortgage their future on offense for more immediate needs. 
Team Needs
1) Bottom-Six Forwards: Although the Lightning should already be considered one of the few true Stanley Cup contenders, they still need a few bottom-six forwards. The combination of Michael Eyssimont, Cam Atkinson, Gage Goncalves, Luke Glendening, and Zemgus Girgensons has averaged approximately two goals and six points in 46 games with a -3 rating. The easiest pathway for Tampa Bay to improve this area of their roster is by contacting the Seattle Kraken. If the Kraken retained 50% of both players’ salaries, the Lightning could afford forwards Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde at the deadline. Gourde is familiar with the organization and should come off the LTIR near the end of March. Tanev is another defensive-minded forward who would add explosive speed to Tampa Bay’s bottom six.
2) A Backup Goaltender: The Lightning could also use a more capable backup netminder. Jonas Johansson has been less than average in his role, earning a .890 save percentage and a 3.33 goals-against average in 39 games for Tampa Bay. Thankfully, the Lightning have one of the world’s best goaltenders in Andrei Vasilevskiy who can play between 55 and 60 games of the regular season. Still, when recovering from back surgery at the beginning of last season, Tampa Bay went 9-6-5 without Vasilevskiy before going 36-23-3 upon his return. Either Alexandar Georgiev or Vitek Vanecek of the San Jose Sharks would be affordable backup options for the rest of the season as injury insurance for Vasilevskiy.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Minor Transactions: 2/20/25
Minor moves will continue across the league Thursday as teams dial in their rosters coming out of the 4 Nations break. We’ll keep track of those moves here as always:
- The Blues announced Thursday they’ve called up forward Zachary Bolduc from AHL Springfield. The move was widely expected after they assigned him to the minors for the first time this season at the beginning of the 4 Nations break to get playing time while St. Louis was off. The 2021 first-round pick rejoins the club after posting 6-12–18 with a +10 rating through 46 games to begin the year. Bolduc, 21, posted a pair of assists and a minus-three rating in four games with Springfield over the last two weeks.
- The Devils announced they’d recalled goaltender Nico Daws from AHL Utica and reassigned forward Chase Stillman to Utica and goalie Tyler Brennan to ECHL Adirondack in corresponding transactions. Brennan and Stillman were recalled Tuesday to practice with the Devils while some of their players were returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off and were expected to return to their respective minor-league clubs in the coming days. Daws comes back up to serve as Jake Allen‘s backup coming out of the break until starter Jacob Markström is ready to return from his MCL sprain, which is set to keep him out for another two weeks. The 24-year-old won his only start of the season against the Penguins on Feb. 4, stopping 25 of 27 shots for a .926 SV%. He also saved all seven shots he faced in relief of Allen against the Sabres on Feb. 2.
- The Lightning announced they’ve reassigned left-winger Gabriel Fortier to AHL Syracuse. Tampa recalled him Tuesday to serve as an extra practice player as their contingent of 4 Nations players works their way back to Florida, but it won’t result in any NHL playing time. The 2018 second-rounder hasn’t suited up for the Bolts since 2022-23 and has 10-7–17 in 37 AHL games this season with a plus-five rating.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Moser Will Return On Sunday Vs Seattle
The Lightning will welcome back an important part of their defense corps on Sunday. Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times relays that J.J. Moser will be back in the lineup against Seattle after missing two-and-a-half months with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old was an important part of the return for Tampa Bay in the Mikhail Sergachev trade from the draft and had 10 points in 27 games before the injury while averaging nearly 20 minutes per night of playing time. Moser was technically activated off IR before the break but the team elected to scratch him for their last game instead to give him more time to recover.
Tomkins Received Recent Interest From SHL Team
- Earlier this week, Mattias Persson of HockeyNews.se reported that HV71 of the SHL was trying to add Lightning goaltender Matt Tomkins for the remainder of the season. With Tampa Bay recently converting Brandon Halverson to an NHL deal, Tomkins is effectively down to fourth-string status and he did spend two years in Sweden recently so the move wouldn’t have been entirely shocking. However, it appears the efforts to get Tomkins out of his NHL deal before today’s international transfer deadline were unsuccessful as Varmlands Folkblad’s Johan Ekberg reports (Twitter link) that the netminder has declined HV71’s offer and will remain in North America for the rest of the season. The 30-year-old has a 2.66 GAA and a .905 SV% in 21 games with AHL Syracuse.