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Examining Tampa Bay’s Goaltending Options

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One hallmark of Tampa Bay’s success in recent years has been strong goaltending from veteran Andrei Vasilevskiy.  The team has had so much confidence in their starter that they’ve gone quite cheap with their backups over the last few seasons.  The risk to that approach, of course, is Vasilevskiy getting injured, a reality they’re now facing for at least the next two months after he underwent back surgery.

At the moment, the Lightning have Jonas Johansson as their projected starter, a netminder who has seen action with Buffalo, Colorado, and Florida but has a save percentage of just .886 in 35 career appearances.  Sure, that should improve behind a strong Tampa back end but his track record shouldn’t be particularly confidence-inspiring for management.  An upgrade would certainly be helpful.

Of course, an upgrade is quite difficult for them to be able to afford.  While Vasilevskiy will be LTIR-eligible, the fact he’ll return means that Tampa Bay is basically limited to replacing him with a low-cost netminder that can be waived and sent down upon Vasilevskiy’s return.  With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the low-cost options that are out there.

Waiver Candidates

Magnus Hellberg (PIT): Hellberg is no stranger to being in this situation as he was plucked off waivers twice last season by teams in this very situation, looking for a bit of short-term veteran depth.  His NHL track record is limited and his numbers are no better than Johansson’s but he’d at least give them a bit more of an experienced option.

Martin Jones (TOR): Jones was a late signee in free agency, eventually accepting a cheap one-way deal with an eye on being Toronto’s AHL starter.  He played in 48 games with Seattle last season and while he had a save percentage of just .886, his career numbers are a bit better.  If they want someone that can still handle a short-term starters’ workload, he’ll garner some consideration.

Alex Lyon (DET): The veteran impressed down the stretch last season with Florida and actually went into the playoffs as their starter before Sergei Bobrovsky got on his run partway through the first round.  His NHL numbers last year (2.89 GAA, .912 SV%) came in less than a three-month span which is around how long Vasilevskiy will be out.  Could those numbers be repeatable (or close to it) in Tampa Bay?

Cayden Primeau (MTL): This one would be a bit more of a gamble considering his very limited NHL experience.  However, he has been a multi-year starter in the minors now and at 24, it’s possible there’s still some upside.  Could he be this year’s Connor Ingram where a change of scenery helps him to unlock his potential?  If Tampa Bay thinks so, he could be an under-the-radar option if Montreal doesn’t opt to carry three goalies instead.

Alex Stalock (ANA): If Anaheim decides to start Lukas Dostal in the minors, this one won’t be an option for Tampa.  However, if he is on waivers, he could be an intriguing option after putting up a .908 SV% in 27 games with Chicago last season, his first extended NHL action since 2019-20 after dealing with myocarditis.

Anthony Stolarz (FLA): Stolarz is coming off an injury-riddled season but he’s only a year removed from posting a .917 SV% on an Anaheim team that had struggled considerably.  His cap hit would make it quite difficult for them to potentially keep him after Vasilevskiy returns but he is one of the more proven goalies likely to hit the waiver wire in the coming days.

All of these players are on contracts that can be fully buried in the minors without any salary cap penalty.

Trade Options

Eric Comrie (BUF): With Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the fold, it’s quite possible that the Sabres decide to go with the young duo which would leave Comrie as the odd one out.  With a $1.8MM AAV, Tampa Bay would need the Sabres to retain a decent chunk of that (if not the 50% maximum) so it’d be understandable if Buffalo asked for a draft pick in return.  Given that there will be other goalies available for free (and Comrie himself could be waived, too), this might not be their preferred route at this time.

Dan Vladar (CGY): This has been a popular speculative option but it’s not necessarily the most viable for Tampa Bay since he has a two-year deal and a $2.2MM cap hit which is something they can’t afford when Vasilevskiy returns.  Tampa Bay would need to come close to matching money in a trade as a result, meaning they’d have to part with a regular on their roster although he’d give them a higher-upside second-string option.

Free Agent Options

Brian Elliott: Elliott is no stranger to the team as he served as the backup over the past two seasons.  Things went quite well in 2021-22 but that certainly wasn’t the case last season with numbers that were among the worst in his career.  If familiarity with the organization and systems is important to the Lightning, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them at least consider the possibility of a reunion.

Jaroslav Halak: Last month, Halak indicated that he wants to keep playing but doesn’t want to be in a third-string/reserve role.  This short-term vacancy would seemingly fit him well.  He’d be guaranteed some consistent playing time and if he can outplay Johansson, it’s possible that he could push for a season-long opportunity.  He had a .903 SV% in 25 games with the Rangers last season, a better mark than many others on this list.

Internal Options

Tampa Bay has two other goalies on NHL deals, neither of which have made an NHL start.  Hugo Alnefelt is viewed as a possible goalie of the future but didn’t have a great year with AHL Syracuse.  Ideally, he needs frequent playing time and that’s easier to get with the Crunch.  Matt Tomkins is the other goalie in the system.  He exercised an opt-out in Sweden to sign with the Lightning back in May.  The 25-year-old hasn’t been more than an AHL backup in North America and it would be tough to rely on him in the NHL for any sort of extended stretch.

With Vasilevskiy’s surgery occurring now instead of in-season, Tampa Bay will have considerably more options over the next couple of weeks if they decide to add someone from outside the organization.  At this point, their best bet might be via the waiver wire where the list above certainly isn’t exhaustive; there will be plenty of netminders for them to choose from to give them a bit more stability in the short term.  They just might have to wait a week or two for the better options to become available.

Logan Brown Won't Be Available To Start The Season

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  • Lightning center Logan Brown is dealing with an injury that will keep him out for the start of the season, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The 25-year-old inked a one-year, two-way deal with Tampa Bay at the beginning of free agency after being non-tendered.  He played in 30 games last season with St. Louis and was expected to push for a spot at the end of the roster in training camp, an outcome that now won’t be happening.  Encina adds that blueline prospect Roman Schmidt will also miss the start of the season due to injury.

Summer Synopsis: Tampa Bay Lightning

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The Tampa Bay Lightning’s upcoming season got turned on its head late in training camp, when it was announced that star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy underwent surgery and would miss the first two months of the year. Given their tight cap, Tampa will need to lean on Jonas Johansson, Hugo Alnefelt, and Matt Tomkins in Vasilevskiy’s absence. That’s a rocky leg to start the season on but with many of their core pieces still in place, Tampa is still sure to be a tough matchup and contender for the postseason.

Draft

2-37: F Ethan Gauthier, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
4-115: F Jayson Shaugabay, Warroad (U.S. High School)
6-179: D Warren Clark, Steinbach (MJHL)
7-193: F Jack Harvey, Chicago (USHL)
7-211: F Ethan Hay, Flint (OHL)

Tampa entered the 2023 NHL Draft with only three draft picks, in the fourth, sixth, and seventh rounds. But two draft day swaps – sending Ross Colton to Colorado and Corey Perry to Chicago – earned them a second-round and seventh-round pick respectively. That let them make a bigger splash, drafting Ethan Gauthier, who was considered a First Round talent by many public scouting services. They also traded up for Minnesota’s reigning Mr. Hockey Award winner Jayson Shaugabay in the fourth round – earning another high-upside prospect. But their draft day was otherwise without much flair, drafting MJHL defender Warren Clark, two-time draft re-entry forward Jack Harvey, and the OHL’s Ethan Hay. The draft has not been a priority of the Lightning as they’ve roared to success over the last six years and that trend seemed to continue this season.

UFA Signings

F Conor Sheary (three years, $6MM)
G Jonas Johansson (two years, $1.6MM)
F Logan Brown (one year, $775K)*
F Luke Glendening (two years, $1.6MM)
F Mitchell Chaffee (one year, $775K)*
D Calvin de Haan (one year, $775K)
F Tyler Motte (one year, $800k)

* indicates a two-way contract

In typical fashion, Tampa patched the holes in their roster through free agency, getting a role player for all ends of the lineup. With the news of Vasilevskiy’s injury, Johansson steps into the biggest role. The 28-year-old goaltender has played with three different NHL clubs over the last four seasons, including two separate appearances with Colorado. But he hasn’t been able to earn consistent playing time anywhere, playing only 35 career games and recording a .887 save percentage. Tampa represents perhaps the biggest opportunity of his young NHL career and how he’ll adjust to an increased role will be a major storyline through the start of Tampa’s year.

Conor Sheary steps into a large role as welll; a candidate to fill in Alex Killorn’s spot in the top-six. The 31-year-old Sheary has developed into an admirable role player in his later career, recording 80 points in 153 games over his last two seasons with the Washington Capitals. He averaged 15:46 through 82 games last season, the most ice time and games that he’s played in his eight-year NHL career. Sheary is a good best for around 15 goals every season and has seemingly evaded the injury concerns that plagued the middle of his career. But it’s hard not to question how big of a role he can step into for the Lightning. Sheary will carry a $2MM cap hit until he’s 34.

And while Sheary may rotate with the top-nine, Motte, Brown, Glendening, and De Haan all represent important depth pieces. Motte likely has the easiest path to an everyday role, with openings on either side of the fourth line. Brown and Glendening will rival for the fourth-line center role, while De Haan should be able to earn a spot in the team’s defense rotation.

With their UFA signings, Tampa continues to prioritize filling out their depth – a focus they popularized through their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins and something re-emphasized by Cup winners like the St. Louis Blues or Washington Capitals. And with the key departures they’ve seen, these depth pieces will need to help bolster Tampa’s talented top-end.

RFA Re-Signings

F Cole Koepke (one year, $775K)*
F Gabriel Fortier (one year, $775K)*
F Tanner Jeannot (two years, $5.3MM)
F Brandon Hagel (eight years, $52MM)
D Darren Raddysh (two years, $2MM)

* indicates a two-way contract

Tampa’s biggest move of the summer comes in Brandon Hagel’s long-term extension, which carries a $6.5MM yearly cap hit starting in 2024-25. Tampa acquired Hagel in right before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, sending the Chicago Blackhawks Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, and two first-round picks in exchange for the winger and two fourth-round picks. One of the first-round picks involved in this deal turned into 2022 Draft prospect Oliver Moore, while the other is a 2024 Draft pick carrying top-10 protection (turning into a 2026 pick if Tampa earns a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft).

This past season was Hagel’s first full year in Tampa and he made the most of it, scoring 30 goals and 64 points in 81 games and adding an additional five points in six playoff games. He recorded these numbers while averaging just over 18-and-a-half minutes in ice time every game. Those are strong numbers for the now-25-year-old and Tampa clearly agrees, making him a consistent feature of their top-six for the foreseeable future.

The Lightning also re-signed Tanner Jeannot, who originally filed for salary arbitration but found terms on a multi-year deal with the club. Tampa acquired Jeannot at last season’s trade deadline, trading a pick in each of the first five rounds, throughout various drafts, and Cal Foote for the winger. Jeannot only played 20 games with the Lightning to end the year, recording four points, and represents one of the biggest question marks on the 2023-24 Lightning roster.

Other than re-signing recent trade deadline pickups, Tampa’s RFA signings continued to round out their depth. Although, interestingly, Darren Raddysh earned a one-way, $1MM-per-year contract. Raddysh played a mere 17 games with Tampa last season, the most the 27-year-old has played in one NHL season. The new deal suggests he’ll be a part of the NHL roster in the upcoming year, an exciting change for a defender that’s played the last six years in the AHL.

Departures

F Corey Perry (trade with Chicago)
F Ross Colton (trade with Colorado)
F Rudolfs Balcers (ZSC Lions, NL)
F Grant Mismash (Östersunds, HockeyAllsvenskan)
D Dmitri Semykin (SKA-Neva, VHL)
F Alex Killorn (Anaheim, four years, $25MM)
D Dominik Masin (Ilves, Liiga)
D Ian Cole (Vancouver, one year, $3MM)
G Maxime Lagace (unsigned UFA)
F Pierre-Cedric Labrie (unsigned UFA)
F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (Seattle, one year, $775K)
D Trevor Carrick (Anaheim, one year, $775K)*
F Patrick Maroon (trade with Minnesota)

* indicates a two-way contract

Tampa had a slew of departures this off-season, including a major top-six piece in Alex Killorn. The 34-year-old forward recorded 27 goals

and 64 points with the Bolts last year, representing major shoes to be filled. Anaheim signed Killorn through his age-37 season, carrying a cap hit of $6.25MM in each of the next four seasons – a deal far too rich for the cap-strapped Lightning.

Ian Cole appeared in nearly 19-and-a-half minutes per night last season, now opening a hole in the team’s blue-line rotation. And while Ross Colton’s role was reduced to the bottom-six, his knack for coming up in clutch moments, and 30-to-40-point upside, will be difficult to replace.

In fact, Tampa will need to replace much of the bottom of their lineup, losing an three players that appeared in 70-or-more games for the squad last season in addition to Killorn, Cole, and Colton. While the team used UFA signings to fill these holes, it still represents significant turnover.

With no large-name replacement for Killorn’s scoring, and a lot of new faces in depth roles, Tampa will need to gel quickly if they want to maintain the success they’ve become known for.

Salary Cap Outlook

Tampa is, once again, very tightly bound by the salary cap. They’ll enter the season just at the cap ceiling, after moving Brent Seabrook’s contract to long-term injured reserve. But there’s very little opportunity for cap relief elsewhere, with Vasilevskiy’s injury not being long enough to garner any significant cap space.

Key Questions

How Will The Goalies Step Up? There’s no arguing the massive step down that Tampa takes in losing Vasilevskiy. His talent is so great that even two months without him can have substantial ramifications. If Tampa wants to avoid an ice cold start to the year, they’ll need both their blue line and their goaltenders to step up. And there’s certainly reason to think both can. Johansson has carried the faith of many NHL teams and Alnefelt performed admirably in the AHL last season. Matt Tomkins was also a standout in the SHL over the last two seasons, although he struggled in North American minor leagues earlier in his career. All three goalies will likely have their chance at making an impact – and which, if any, can take advantage of the opportunity will define Tampa’s season early on.

What is Tanner Jeannot’s Upside? The Lightning spent a seriously pretty penny on acquiring Jeannot at the deadline. But he didn’t necessarily jump off of the page in his early games with the club. Alex Killorn’s departure leaves a major need for scoring and grit in the team’s top-six. Jeannot can undoubtedly bring grit and physicality, and his 24 goals and 41 points in his rookie season speak to his scoring upside. With Tampa in need of more difference-makers, this season will be Jeannot’s chance to solidify himself in an NHL team’s top-six.

When, and How, Will Stamkos Extension Talks Come Up? While not directly impacting their next season, Steven Stamkos’ expiring contract is already a major focus of the team’s season. The future-Hall of Fame forward is set to hit free agency after this season and is reportedly yet to engage in extension talks with the club he’s spent his entire career with. He’s undeniably still an impact-player, recording 34 goals and 84 points last season, but more than that, Stamkos is a Tampa Bay legend. His next contract will likely carry him to retirement, so it will be interesting to see if Tampa offers him a path to do end his career with the club.

Andrei Vasilevskiy Out Two Months After Back Surgery

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes has reported that Tampa Bay Lightning superstar goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy underwent successful back surgery, and is expected to be out of commission on an eight-to-ten-week timeline. The Lightning confirmed the news, with GM Julien BriseBois stating that Vasilevskiy is expected to miss “the first two months of the regular season.”

Vasilevskiy hasn’t been a regular participant in Lightning camp in recent days, with head coach Jon Cooper previously telling reporters that Vasilevskiy was out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

This is obviously a major blow to the Lightning, who have come to rely on the brilliant goaltending provided by Vasilevskiy in order to remain among the top teams in a highly competitive Atlantic Division.

While this development is something of a surprise, it doesn’t come completely out of nowhere.

Vasilevskiy has in the past commented on how his high workload has impacted his body, which is something to be expected given the number of deep playoff runs the Lightning have made in recent seasons, led by Vasilevskiy in the crease on a nightly basis. The hope here will be that Vasilevskiy can make a full recovery before the new year, and get back to playing like one of the league’s best netminders.

The 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner’s injury thrusts new backup Jonas Johansson into an unfortunate spotlight. It’ll be up to him to keep the Lightning competitive in the Atlantic for the first two months of the regular season, which is something of a tall task for a player with a career .887 save percentage in the NHL.

That being said, Johansson’s more recent form does provide reason for optimism. He posted a .932 save percentage playing in parts of three NHL games last season, and had a .920 save percentage in the AHL.  But with only 35 total games of NHL experience, a massive test is coming up for the 28-year-old.

Behind Johansson on the depth chart is Hugo Alnefelt, who has just 20 minutes of NHL experience, and Matt Tomkins, a player who represented Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing but has never skated in an NHL game.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/23

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After a busy day yesterday, teams are expected to expand their lists of training camp cuts today. This will be one of the last instances of mostly junior-league players appearing on this list as teams continue to trim down their rosters to solely NHL and AHL hopefuls. Today’s list will be updated as cuts come in, as always.

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

G Nolan Lalonde (to Erie, OHL)
D Ben Roger (released from ATO to Saint Mary’s, USports)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release)

F Sam Alfano (released from ATO to Erie, OHL)
F Easton Armstrong (released from ATO to Wenatchee, WHL)
D Samuel Mayer (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
D Hunter Mayo (released from ATO to Red Deer, WHL)
G Jacob Oster (released from ATO to Oshawa, OHL)
D Chase Pauls (released from ATO to Lethbridge, WHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via updated training camp roster)

F Brayden Yager (to Moose Jaw, WHL)

Seattle Kraken (via team release)

D Ty Nelson (to North Bay, OHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release)

D Michael Buchinger (to Guelph, OHL)
D Quinton Burns (to Kingston, OHL)
D Matthew Mayich (to Ottawa, OHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release)

F Ethan Gauthier (to Drumondville, QMJHL)
D Dyllan Gill (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Ethan Hay (to Flint, OHL)
D Scott Walford (released from ATO to McGill, USports)

This page will be updated throughout the day.

 

Andrei Vasilevskiy Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are without all-world netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy as the preseason schedule begins. Head coach Jon Cooper informed reporters today, including Diandra Loux of The Hockey News, that the 2021 Conn Smythe winner is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Snapshots: Stamkos, Backlund, International Games

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Tampa Bay Lightning “wouldn’t be crushed” if Steven Stamkos didn’t sign an extension with the team. This comes in the wake of a surprising lack of discussion around Stamkos’ next contract, with the veteran center saying he was disappointed the team didn’t reach out this summer.

While the front office might not mind a Stamkos departure, Lightning fans may have a different stance. Stamkos has played all of his 1003 career NHL games with Tampa, netting 515 goals and 1056 points along the way. His performances have led him to two Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies and a spot on the Hart Trophy ballot seven times, including being the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin’s Hart win in 2012. Stamkos even won the Mark Messier Leadership Award just last year. All of these accolades sit beside two Stanley Cup wins in Stamkos’ theoretical hardware cabinet, making it clear why his departure would be harder to stomach than these reports describe. Still capable of scoring over 30 goals and 80 points, Stamkos will be a luxury addition to any team in the league, if his time with the Lightning really is counting down.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Elliotte Friedman also spoke to Mikael Backlund’s contract situation on the 32 Thoughts podcast, sharing that talks may be tied to the idea that Backlund is Calgary’s natural leader. Friedman said, “I think the players believe that Backlund is the true captain of the team, and I’m sure the organization is not blind to it.” This could be the spark that ignites talks between Backlund and the Flames, two sides that haven’t come together yet.
  • ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski spoke to the NHL’s hope (article behind paywall) to build on the momentum brought on by the Australian pre-season games. More specifically, the league is considering holding an outdoor game in Mexico City. There have been, or are scheduled to be, 42 regular-season NHL games played outside of North America. Playing a game in Mexico would bring the total number of countries the NHL has played in up to 10 (USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Great Britain, Mexico*).

Lightning Haven’t Spoken To Stamkos About Contract Extension

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos had a frank interview with reporters that appeared on Sportsnet today. In the interview, Stamkos tells reporters that he and the team have yet to start discussions on an extension to his expiring contract. The interview created a buzz and even led Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois to respond with an interview of his own.

The 33-year-old Stamkos is set to begin his 16th season with the club and is coming off back-to-back productive seasons after he was slowed by injuries for a few years. Stamkos posted 34 goals and 50 assists last season in 81 games and was even better the year before posting 42 goals and 64 assists in 81 games.

It’s no surprise that Stamkos is looking for long-term security after taking a big discount on his last contract to remain in Tampa Bay. Back in June 2016 Stamkos signed an eight-year $68MM extension to remain in Tampa Bay and opted to forego unrestricted free agency. The contract turned out to be a win-win as Stamkos was able to raise the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning and the team was able to keep their captain at a bargain.

Also of little surprise are Stamkos’ feelings about the situation, Tampa Bay typically engages the players they want to extend well before the completion of their existing deals. This has been modus operandi in the past, and it begs the question as to whether or not they want to extend Stamkos at all.

From Tampa’s perspective, BriseBois was frank with Tampa Bay beat reporter Chris Krenn saying that he wanted to see the season play out before making a decision on Stamkos’ future. He also added that after the season he would work with Stamkos and his agent to hammer out a deal that works for all parties involved.

It should be an interesting season in Tampa Bay as the Lightning are coming off a season in which they took a big step back and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Lightning looked tired at times after three straight runs to the Stanley Cup final, but should be rested this season after a long summer.

Josh Archibald Clears Unconditional Waivers; Contract Terminated

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09/10/23: According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, Archibald has cleared unconditional waivers and has had his contract terminated.

09/09/23: After signing Josh Archibald back in July, his time with the Lightning has come to an end.  The team announced today that they have placed the winger on waivers today for the purpose of terminating his contract.  GM Julien BriseBois released the following statement:

Yesterday, I was informed by Josh’s agent, and by Josh himself in a subsequent conversation, that he was not planning on playing hockey for the time being and that he would not be reporting to training camp. Consequently, Josh was placed on unconditional waivers earlier today for the purpose of terminating his contract.

The 30-year-old spent last season with Pittsburgh, primarily playing on their fourth line.  Archibald got into 62 games with the Penguins, picking up six goals and six assists while averaging just shy of ten minutes per night.  Looking to add to their toughness, Tampa Bay signed Archibald to a two-year deal that carried a cap hit of $800K along with a 16-team no-trade clause.  To create the cap room to fit him in, they flipped Pat Maroon with partial retention to Minnesota, a move that freed up precisely $800K.

However, it appears that Archibald had a change of heart and has now decided against playing this season altogether according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).  Tampa Bay could have elected to suspend Archibald without pay which would have kept him on their reserve list if he had a change of heart but instead, they’re parting ways altogether, a move that opens up a contract slot, one they quickly utilized to sign Tyler Motte to a one-year, $800K deal.

Archibald’s NHL career stands at 305 games played over eight seasons with Pittsburgh (two separate stints), Arizona, and Edmonton.  He has 83 points and 855 hits in those appearances but for now, at least, those totals won’t be going any higher.

Lightning Sign Tyler Motte To A One-Year Deal

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Just minutes after announcing that they’re parting ways with winger Josh Archibald, the Lightning have found his replacement as they announced the signing of winger Tyler Motte to a one-year, $800K contract.

The 28-year-old split last season between the Senators and Rangers and had a decent showing offensively with eight goals and 11 assists between the two teams; his assist and point totals were both career-bests.  Of course, Motte isn’t known for his production but rather for being a gritty winger who can play all three forward positions in a pinch (though his time at center has been quite limited throughout his career) and kill penalties.  Motte has played for five different teams over a seven-year NHL career, collecting 43 goals and 38 assists in 331 games so far.

This is the second summer in a row that he has had to wait until just before training camps got underway to land a new contract.  Last year, he signed with Ottawa back on September 14th but still landed himself a raise in the process, receiving a $1.35MM agreement.  Now, Motte’s price tag will be the lowest of his career although he’ll head into training camp with a guaranteed deal, something not too many unrestricted free agents have been able to land in recent weeks.  CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reports (Twitter link) that Motte’s asking price was much higher earlier this summer and that he had changed agents recently in the hopes of finding a deal to his liking; clearly, this was the fall-back option.

Motte will fill the role that Archibald was originally expected to fill following the trade of Pat Maroon to Minnesota.  That should see him taking a regular shift on Tampa Bay’s fourth line while seeing some secondary minutes on the penalty kill as well although his track record suggests he’s better suited to move up onto the third line if injuries arise.  It’s an odd turn of events with Archibald opting to step away but with Motte, GM Julien BriseBois has filled that spot rather well despite the minimal notice.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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