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Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Lucas Edmonds

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July 22: The Lightning have officially announced the three-year contract.

July 21: The Tampa Bay Lightning nabbed one of the top overage selections available in the 2022 NHL Draft, and now they’ve signed him to his entry-level contract. Per CapFriendly, the Lightning signed Lucas Edmonds to a three-year entry-level deal carrying an $861,667 cap hit. The contract breakdown is as follows:

2022-23: $750K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $105K GP bonus
2023-24: $775K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K GP bonus
2024-25: $775K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K GP bonus

The 21-year-old Edmonds got on teams’ draft radars this season when he returned to North America after spending the majority of his development in Sweden. He never really excelled in the Swedish junior ranks, and he couldn’t latch on to a role last season when given the professional opportunity in Sweden’s second-tier league. A move to Kingston in the OHL though, playing on the same team as fourth-overall pick Shane Wright, unlocked Edmonds’ offensive production. In 68 games, the playmaking winger rocketed to the top of the scoring list with 113 points in 68 games, with 79 of those points coming in the form of assists.

Edmonds’ projection is a bit fuzzy, as while he did exhibit potential this season, he was playing against players in lower age classes as an overage player in the OHL as well. It must have been enough to convince Tampa’s scouting department, though, as they took him inside the top 100 selections at 86th overall.

With Edmonds unable to return to juniors, he’s likely destined to make his professional debut for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch next season.

New Jersey Devils Sign Ondrej Palat

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3:43 pm: Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has made the contract official, locking Palat in for five seasons at a cap hit of $6MM.

6:22 am: Late last night, once most of the league had gone to sleep, the New Jersey Devils were busy adding some Stanley Cup pedigree. Kevin Weekes of ESPN was first to report that Ondrej Palat would be signing a five-year deal with the Devils, and Chris Johnston of TSN added that it is expected to carry a cap hit of $6MM.

Palat, 31, has long been a swiss army knife for the Tampa Bay Lightning, able to move into any situation and excel. In 628 regular season games, all with the Lightning, he has 423 points. It has been the postseason where he shines the brightest, showing up at the biggest moments to score a game-winning goal, or deliver a game-saving shot block. This season, he had 21 points in 23 games as the Lightning tried to win their third consecutive championship.

In New Jersey, while he will still be asked to contribute at a high level, his addition will also give young players like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier someone to lean on to find out “what it takes” to win in the NHL. As the Devils try to transition away from a rebuild and into a contention window, Palat should be able to help shepherd them along, filling in the gaps wherever necessary.

At a $6MM cap hit, a team like Tampa Bay would have had too much risk exposure, given their tight financial structure. In New Jersey, the team has plenty of space and should feel that same squeeze, though there will still likely be years at the end of the deal where he is not performing anywhere near a $6MM value. The focus is on his contributions in the short-term, and whether he can help the young Devils team reach the next level.

Haydn Fleury Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed an interesting depth defenseman, inking Haydn Fleury to a two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $762.5K, meaning he’ll earn the league minimum in both seasons. Fleury was recently left unqualified by the Seattle Kraken this week, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Not the most high-profile signing of the day in the league, or for Tampa with their three massive extensions handed out, Fleury’s signing is still rather intriguing given Fleury’s history and Tampa’s ability to get the most out of players. The defenseman was drafted seventh-overall by the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2014, long being seen as one of the game’s top prospects. He would debut in 2017-18, playing in 67 games, tallying eight points, all assists. Fleury would spend the next few seasons playing in limited action for Carolina, delivering solid defense with very little offense. He appeared to turn a corner in the 2019-20 season, putting up four goals and 10 assists in 45 games, but after failing to repeat on that success the following year, he was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks.

Eventually selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 Expansion Draft, Fleury played just 36 games in Seattle this season, winding up non-tendered. Given the potential and promise that made Fleury such an attractive prospect for so many years, and the glimpse of a breakout seen in 2019-20, Fleury getting a shot with Tampa Bay, who has time and again been able to take players to a new level, is intriguing, and surely encouraging for the 26-year-old defenseman. It’s unclear what role Fleury might be presented with in Tampa, but with the trade of Ryan McDonagh, a new hole has opened up on their left-side defense.

Sergachev, Cirelli, Cernak Sign Eight-Year Extensions In Tampa

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Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is staying in Tampa for nine more years. He’s signed an eight-year extension which will kick in for the 2023-24 season, per his agent Dan Milstein. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports the cap hit is $8.5MM.

That’s not it. Anthony Cirelli has also signed an eight-year extension with the team, this time worth $6.25MM per season according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The semi-retired insider didn’t stop there. Erik Cernak has also inked an eight-year extension. His will be worth $5.2MM per season.

The team has now confirmed all three deals.

Sergachev was the first extension, and it’s a massive one. The Russian defender made an immediate impact after his trade from the Montreal Canadiens, authoring an impressive 40-point rookie year. Since then, Sergachev has been an important all-around defenseman for the Lightning during their Stanley Cup runs and is now being rewarded for it. Sergachev scored 7 goals and 38 points this season and has scored around that rate for most of his NHL career. Sergachev played 22:28 minutes per night last season and saw time on both the Lightning’s power play and penalty kill.

At max term and an $8.5MM AAV, the Lightning are banking on additional improvements from Sergachev. Sergachev is a great player right now, but $8.5MM is the sort of price tag typically assigned to lineup-anchoring number-one defensemen. Sergachev is now making more than his Norris Trophy-winning teammate, Victor Hedman, and only $500K less than the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Cale Makar. The Lightning are paying Sergachev like a number-one defenseman, and now it’s up to him to back up their faith with his play on the ice.

The second extension announced was one for Cirelli. Cirelli, who is just about to turn 25, is among the top defensive players in all of hockey. He has two top-five Selke Trophy finishes on his resume and helps the Lightning kill penalties. He’s also an important secondary scorer, with 17 goals and 43 points. Another top-of-the-line defensive center, Phillip Danault, was signed last season on a long-term deal with a $5.5MM AAV. Cirelli’s deal is in the same range as that contract.

Finally, we have the extension for Cernak. Cernak came to Tampa Bay as part of a heist of a trade, getting him from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Ben Bishop, who played only seven games in Los Angeles. Cernak has been a stay-at-home, physical top-four defenseman for the Lightning, a player who has admirably handled every challenge thrown to him by coach Jon Cooper. Cernak averaged 2:48 time on ice short-handed last season and was successful in that crease-clearing role. There’s not much offense to Cernak’s game, but the Lightning are very familiar with him and have ensured that so far highly successful marriage is extended.

On the back of all this positive news, BriseBois also announced some unfortunate as well. Joe Smith of The Athletic tweets that Cirelli and defenseman Zach Bogosian underwent shoulder surgery and will be out for the next four to six months, missing the start of the year.

Vladislav Namestnikov Returns To Tampa Bay Lightning

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Per his agent, Dan Milstein, former Tampa Bay Lightning draftee Vladislav Namestnikov is returning to his first team on a one-year deal. The deal is worth $2.5MM, per the official team announcement.

Namestnikov was a first-round pick of the Lightning at the 2011 draft. Namestnikov last played in Tampa Bay in the 2017-18 season before being sent to the New York Rangers in the Ryan McDonagh blockbuster trade. Since that trade, Namestnikov has been a bit of a journeyman, with stints in Ottawa, Colorado, Detroit, and Dallas.

This past season, Namestnikov was a decent bottom-sixer for the Detroit Red Wings before being sent to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a third-rounder at the deadline. Combining his time with both teams, Namestnikov finished 2021-22 with 30 points in 80 games. That’s about what can be expected from Namestnikov, who has experience as both a center and a winger.

The Lightning are familiar with him and are trying to re-capture the Stanley Cup after losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final. Adding Namestnikov to their bottom-six gives coach Jon Cooper a reliable, versatile option to deploy in all situations and one that should help cover for the departure of Ondrej Palat.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Ian Cole

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed veteran defenseman Ian Cole, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, who reports that the deal is worth $3MM. Cole, 33, signs in Tampa Bay as the likely replacement for Jan Rutta, who is reportedly moving on after winning two Stanley Cups as Victor Hedman’s main partner. Cole’s $3MM deal is a $100k raise from the $2.9MM he made last season on the Carolina Hurricanes.

In Cole, the Lightning are acquiring a defender with significant playoff experience and an accomplished overall resume. A veteran of 670 NHL games, Cole won two Stanley Cups on the Pittsburgh Penguins. For years, Cole has been a reliable, defense-first fourth or fifth defenseman. Last season he ranked fifth on the Hurricanes in ice time and third on the team in short-handed ice time. He handled those minutes with some success, helping the Hurricanes have one of the top penalty kills in the NHL and one of the better overall defensive games.

With Rutta on the way out, Cole is the Lightning’s way of making sure his departure doesn’t impact their team too strongly. On a one-year term, Cole is a low-risk investment. Although he’s 33 years old, the odds are that Cole will be able to handle a similar role in Tampa Bay and a $3MM price tag is the market rate for players who can do that. He won’t wow fans or be the sort of flashy signing many want to see, but it’s a tidy bit of business by Julien Brisebois.

Free Agency Notes: Hague, Marchment, Kulak

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We haven’t heard a whole lot of offer sheet talk yet this offseason, but there is one young defenseman who could come into play. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger notes that he believes Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague is “a real possibility” as an offer sheet candidate from general managers league-wide. Hague is an important defenseman on the rise in the Golden Knights organization, and while he doesn’t have a lot of leverage on his next contract as he’s not arbitration-eligible, another team could indeed force Vegas’ hand. A second-round pick from their first 2017 draft class, Hague’s notched a solid 42 points in 142 NHL games over the past three years. While he’s been limited to third-pairing minutes on a deep Vegas team, he’s shown really solid play-driving ability as an up-and-coming two-way defenseman. With the Golden Knights’ tight salary cap situation, it’s a reasonable bet that they couldn’t match a healthy offer for Hague.

  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun expects the Montreal Canadiens to make an offer to bring back defenseman Brett Kulak when free agency opens tomorrow. They won’t be alone, though, as LeBrun notes that six other teams could be interested as well. Dealt to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a package that included William Lagesson and a second-round pick at the trade deadline, Kulak is an underrated defensive commodity who’s extremely valuable in a bottom-four role. He’d spent the last three seasons prior to this year in a Habs uniform, and he was a steadying presence in 2021-22 on a struggling team.
  • If the Tampa Bay Lightning can’t come to terms with pending UFA Ondrej Palat, The Athletic’s Joe Smith lists Mason Marchment as someone the team could make an offer to in free agency. He’d certainly add a strong checking element to the team’s middle six, and while he likely wouldn’t replace Palat’s value entirely, he’d be a strong value option with a breakout year last season and great underlying metrics. Marchment finished 2021-22 with 47 points in just 54 games.

Tampa Bay Lightning Hire Jeff Blashill

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In what has basically become a coaching trade, Jeff Blashill will join the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant for next season. He takes the spot of Derek Lalonde, who was hired to replace him with the Detroit Red Wings this summer.

It will be something of a surprise to see Blashill back as an assistant, given how long he’s been the head man in one place or another. You have to go back to 2011-12 to find the last time he wasn’t running a bench, his first year in the NHL. Since then, he took over the head coaching duties with the Grand Rapids Griffins for three years (where he won a championship) and then was the head coach of the Red Wings for the last seven seasons.

Even before he came to the NHL he was the head coach at the USHL and NCAA levels, meaning assisting isn’t something Blashill is very familiar with.

As Joe Smith of The Athletic has profiled in the past, Blashill and Lightning head coach Jon Cooper have a strong relationship, so this move doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Still, it will be interesting to see what kind of effect it has on the Lightning, and how long Blashill is on the sidelines before pursuing another head coaching opportunity.

Maxime Lagace Re-Signs With Tampa Bay

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July 11: The Lightning have officially announced the contract, confirming that it is a one-year, two-way deal.

July 10: Goaltender Maxime Lagace has decided not to test free agency next week.  Instead, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that he has agreed to a one-year, two-way deal to remain with the Lightning.  The deal pays $750K in the NHL, $250K in the minors, and has a total guarantee of $350K.

The 29-year-old joined Tampa Bay last summer after spending 2020-21 in Pittsburgh’s organization.  He spent the bulk of the year as the starter with AHL Syracuse, posting a 2.31 GAA and a .910 SV% in 36 games.  Lagace also got into a pair of games with the Lightning, making it the fourth time in the past five years that he has seen NHL action.

Lagace will be expected to reprise his role as the starter with the Crunch with Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott holding down the top two spots with the big club.  With the team parting ways with Amir Miftakhov earlier this summer, Lagace only has Hugo Alnefelt to split time with in the minors as things stand; Alexei Melnichuk is a restricted free agent that Tampa Bay will need to decide by 4 PM CT tomorrow whether or not to qualify him.

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