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Tampa Bay Lightning To Re-Sign Taylor Raddysh

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Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien Brisebois name-dropped restricted free agent forward Taylor Raddysh recently when discussing how the team’s recent veteran departures up front combined with their limited salary cap space would push young, affordable players into regular roles. Raddysh’s new deal certainly seems to back that up. CapFriendly reports that the Bolts and Raddysh have come to terms on a new three-year deal with a $758K AAV, the structure of which implies the 23-year-old winger is set to become a lineup regular. The breakdown is as follows:

21-22: Two-way, $750K NHL, $100K AHL ($125K guaranteed)
22-23: One-way, $750K
23-24: One-way, $775K

Raddysh may not have any NHL games to his credit just yet, but the Lightning clearly believe that he is ready for the opportunity – and then some. A three-year deal, two of which are one-way and one of which is non-minimum salary, is more than Tampa needed to give to the untested forward, but seemingly wanted to display their faith in the big winger.

The 6’3″, 210-lb. forward is a rare homegrown prospect still in the Tampa pipeline, having been drafted in the second round in 2016. Raddysh was a well-regarded prospect, topping 100 points in the OHL in 2016-17 for a stacked Erie Otters team that included numerous current NHLers, including Tampa’s own Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak and brother Darren Raddysh. His offense has not slowed much in the pros either, recording 110 points in 159 AHL games, including scoring at a better than point-per-game pace this season.

With few right shot forwards pegged for a roster spot in Tampa Bay, Raddysh has an outside shot of cracking the roster right away this season. The big winger may have been blocked slightly by the recent addition of Corey Perry, but he also has a great opportunity to learn a lot from the talented veteran.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Alex Barre-Boulet

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Alex Barre-Boulet to a three-year contract. The first year is a two-way deal that will carry a salary of $750K at the NHL level, the second year is one-way and comes with a salary of $750K and the third year is one-way with a salary of $775K. The contract’s average annual value at the NHL level will be $758,333. Barre-Boulet was a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract.

The 24-year-old forward is another one of Tampa’s undrafted development projects and appears ready to take on a full-time role in the NHL. After dominating the AHL with 124 points in his first two seasons, he made his debut with Tampa Bay this season, playing in 15 games. Though he had just three goals during that span, he was an excellent possession player and should be a fixture in the lineup this season.

Signing for three years at the league minimum is obviously a big win for the Lightning, even if he’s just a part-time player moving forward. Barre-Boulet obviously was willing to give up a bit of potential salary for the security of a multi-year contract and by doing so actually made it easier for the team to keep him in the NHL. Tampa Bay, who have lost several players this summer because of the salary cap, will need players on cheap contracts as they continue pay their more productive forwards at the top of the lineup. Just this week, Brayden Point signed a massive eight-year extension that will make him one of the highest-paid forwards in the league. That deal won’t kick in until next season, but Barre-Boulet is now locked in at a very reasonable price for that stage too.

Detroit Red Wings Acquire Mitchell Stephens

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded away one of their young depth players, sending Mitchell Stephens to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick.

With the signing of Alex Barre-Boulet, the Lightning were inching closer to the 50-contract limit with a few more restricted free agents left to deal with. Given that Stephens wasn’t likely to get much playing time now that Barre-Boulet and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are under contract, a trade to his old manager in Detroit makes sense. It was Yzerman controlling the Lightning when Stephens was selected 33rd overall in 2015.

Now 24, Stephens was a semi-regular presence in the Lightning lineup in 2019-20, playing 38 games during the regular season. He also suited up for seven postseason games, coming in and out of the lineup whenever necessary. He even played 24 minutes in the epic five-overtime game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a career-high that will likely go unbroken for a while.

The benefit here for Stephens is obvious. He goes from an organization that is loaded with players like him, fighting for ice time, to one that needs all the NHL talent it can get. The young forward will have a chance to really establish himself in Detroit as they slowly rebuild through the draft. A player like Stephens is worth that sixth-round pick for Yzerman, even if all he gets is a couple of seasons while the rebuild continues. The Red Wings have plenty of picks to spare, and Stephens already has several years of minor league development invested in him.

Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Sign Cal Foote

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Cal Foote, the team announced today. The two-year deal carries an average annual value of $850,000. The 22-year-old defenseman will be a bargain for Tampa for now, but has the upside to grow into another impact player (and problematic contract situation) over the course of the next two years.

A first-round pick in 2017, Foote may be the only elite prospect in the entire Lightning organization, who have given picks away left in right in recent years en route to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. The team is happy to have him, especially since he looks primed to take a step forward this season with even more opportunity on the Tampa blue line. After skating in 35 games last season, Foote only needs to stay healthy and outplay veterans like Jan Rutta and Zach Bogosian and he could be looking at 82 games this year.

A well-rounded defenseman with good size, Foote does not need to be pigeonholed into a certain role for the Bolts. The youngster can hit and block shots and hold his own in the defensive end. He can also move the puck and produce offense. Although Foote only contributed three points in 35 games last year, it was in very limited minutes and affected by a low shooting percentage that should improve. There is a reason why some expected Tampa to make a side deal to protect Foote from Expansion and why others thought the Seattle Kraken would take him; beyond just his age, Foote’s skill set projects top-four upside.

Corey Perry Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have bolstered their depth, signing veteran forward Corey Perry to a two-year contract. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was the first to report the signing. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports the contract carries an average annual value of $1MM.

The old adage of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” stands strong here. Perry joins the Lightning after losing to the team in two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals (with Dallas in 2020, Montreal in 2021). Now 36 years old, the former Rocket Richard winner and league MVP has seen somewhat of a career renaissance after a messy end to his time with the Anaheim Ducks. After being bought out at the end of the 2018-19 season due to a combination of injuries and declining play, Perry’s scored 14 goals and 42 points in 106 games over the past two seasons. He’s kept up that same rate of production in the playoffs – nine goals and 19 points in a whopping 49 playoff contests since leaving Anaheim.

Perry is still a reliable bottom-six talent, and he’ll add to what should be a rotating cast of bottom-six wingers for the Lightning. After losing their entire checking line of Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, and Barclay Goodrow due to salary cap restraints, the team’s bottom six will take on a fresh look next season. They’ve already added one veteran presence, signing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare yesterday. Bellemare and Perry will provide competition for a cast of young Tampa forwards that include Ross Colton, Alex Barre-Boulet, Mathieu Joseph, and Mitchell Stephens. When three-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon is added to that list, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s no guarantee Perry plays every night for the Lightning. However, a healthy and well-rested Perry is still an important piece of a three-peat puzzle for Tampa, especially come playoff time.

Brayden Point Signs Eight-Year Extension

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The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to lock up their key players. On the first day it was possible, the Lightning have signed Brayden Point to an eight-year contract extension worth a total of $76MM. That will take him to an average annual value of $9.5MM for the 2022-23 campaign after his current deal expires. GM Julien BriseBois was clear in his praise of the young forward:

Brayden is a key contributor to the Lightning’s success and one of the most dynamic players in the NHL. To be able to agree to terms with him on a long-term contract is great news for our organization going forward. Not only is Brayden a skilled player, he is also a fierce competitor who fits in well with the pedigree of our team. Our organization looks forward to having him be a big part of this team for many years to come.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports the full breakdown of salary and signing bonuses for Point:

  • 2022-23: $3.5MM salary + $5.5MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $5.0MM salary + $6.25MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $5.0MM salary + $7.0MM signing bonus
  • 2025-26: $5.0MM salary + $7.0MM signing bonus
  • 2026-27: $4.0MM salary + $5.75MM signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $3.0MM salary + $4.6MM signing bonus
  • 2028-29: $3.0MM salary + $4.2MM signing bonus
  • 2029-30: $3.0MM salary + $4.2MM signing bonus

Point, 25, was available to every team in the NHL during the 2014 draft, but it was Tampa Bay that used the 79th overall pick on him. Two years later he would debut with the club during the 2016-17 season, scoring 18 goals and 40 points en route to finishing tenth in the Calder Trophy voting. It was an impressive rookie season, but still, no one could guess at the level of play the Lightning were about to receive from their undersized center. The following year, he recorded 32 goals and 66 points, becoming the third star forward in Tampa Bay behind Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. A 92-point campaign and then two straight Stanley Cups came after that, establishing Point as a legitimate superstar and one of the very best centers in the entire league.

Even with a $76MM deal, Point appears to be taking a discount to stay with Tampa Bay. He will match the deals signed in 2018 by Kucherov and 2019 by Andrei Vasilevskiy, tying them for the 15th highest cap hit in the NHL with players like Mark Stone, Alex Ovechkin, and Jamie Benn. That $9.5MM appears to be something of an internal limit for the Lightning, one that has allowed them to build an incredibly dominant team.

Signed through the end of the decade, Point will be in his mid-thirties by the time he reaches free agency again. That means there is at least a decent chance that he spends his entire career in Tampa Bay. If he does, Point very well could go down as one of the best players in franchise history. This core group—Point, Kucherov, Stamkos, Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman—has already won two championships but does not appear to be breaking up anytime soon. All five players are under contract for at least three more seasons.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will fill one of their bottom-six forward roles with a well-liked NHL veteran, signing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a two-year contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal is expected to carry an average annual value of $1MM.

Bellemare, 36, has played 51 postseason games over the past four years, filling a checking role with the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. Though his playing career is likely coming to an end relatively soon, he’ll give it at least one more go with the reigning Stanley Cup champions. With the Lightning forced to part with Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Johnson and Blake Coleman due to cap concerns, they needed to find some players to fill the third and fourth line for cheap. Bellemare is a strong candidate, though he’ll likely be lining up beside players more than ten years younger than him.

Undrafted, Bellemare took an interesting path to the NHL, spending several years in the French professional league back home before heading to Sweden for his formative professional years. By the time he debuted in the NHL in 2014, he was already nearly 30 years old. He has never been much of an offensive contributor at this level, but offers unending energy and slick defensive ability in the middle of the ice. The fact that he won more than 60% of his draws this season was surely not lost on the Lightning, whose best faceoff man is a part-time center in Steven Stamkos.

It’s unlikely that Bellemare will be able to replicate the production of any of those four players mentioned above, but the cap-strapped Lightning will have to make due. If they put him in the correct situations, he can still be a valuable addition to any playoff lineup.

Tampa Bay Lightning Announce Several Minor Contracts

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced several minor signings to fill out their organizational depth. Gabriel Dumont, Charles Hudon, Darren Raddysh, Andrej Sustr and Maxime Lagace have all signed one-year, two-way contracts today worth the minimum $750K in the NHL.

Raddysh should be a familiar name to Bolts fans, as brother Taylor Raddysh is a Tampa draft pick and budding NHLer. Darren, like Taylor, has not played in the NHL just yet, but has been a productive AHLer. The two could both find themselves in the Tampa Bay lineup this season as the team will be looking for affordable support.

Sustr is another name well-known by Tampa. The veteran defenseman spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the team before spending a year with the Anaheim Ducks and the past two season in the KHL with the Kunlun Red Star. He returns to the Lightning to play a depth role, likely as no more than a stay-at-home bottom-pair option.

Dumont is yet another former Bolt, having spent parts of two seasons with the team, including a career high 39 NHL games in 2016-17. Dumont and Hudon are both small, shifty forwards with NHL experience and plenty of AHL success and will be good veterans for Tampa in the minors.

Lagace, though largely an AHL netminder, played a significant role for the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural season and could do so again if called upon. In his one start for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, Lagace recorded a 29-save shutout. Likely to be Tampa’s No. 3 in net, the 28-year-old is not a bad depth option for the Lightning.

 

 

 

Zach Bogosian Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

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After a short stop in Toronto, Zach Bogosian is heading back to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The veteran defenseman has signed a three-year contract with the Lightning that will carry an average annual value of $850K, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.

Bogosian is still just 31, despite debuting way back in 2008 as a teenager. The third overall pick from that year’s draft, he dealt with injury after injury through the first decade of his career, never living up to his potential. Only recently has Bogosian gotten his career back on track, asking the Buffalo Sabres to terminate his contract in 2020 in order to sign with Tampa Bay. He won a Stanley Cup that summer during his first taste of the playoffs, certainly a factor in him returning this time around.

In the interim, he played one season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, stabilizing the team’s third-pairing and penalty kill. After being knocked out in the first round, he’ll take his gear back to Tampa Bay and lock in with one of the best teams in the league at an incredibly low price. In fact, Bogosian is actually taking a pay cut from last season and locking himself into a number only barely higher than the league minimum.

Brian Elliott Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will bring in a new veteran backup for Andrei Vasilevskiy, signing Brian Elliott according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The one-year deal is worth $900K according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest.

Elliott, 36, is coming off of a difficult season in Philadelphia in which he was asked to do more than expected behind a struggling Carter Hart and faltered, recording an .889 save percentage and 3.06 GAA. However, there is reason to believe that things will be much different for the veteran in Tampa. He will have a much more reduced role for the Bolts behind workhorse Andrei Vasilevskiy, arguably the best goaltender in the NHL right now. He will also be playing behind a stout Tampa defense that just won back-to-back Stanley Cups. With less responsibility and more protection, Elliott could return to form. A veteran of 502 NHL games over 14 years, Elliott has a career save percentage of .910 and GAA of 2.53.

The value of this deal works out nicely for the cap-strapped Lightning. Barring an injury to Vasilevskiy, the Lightning do not need to ask much of their backup, yet were paying Curtis McElhinney $1.3MM for numbers that were no better than Elliott’s. Filling his vacancy with a respected vet for under $1MM is a savvy move for the team, especially when backup goalies have had high price tags today.

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