After 10 seasons in Buffalo, Zemgus Girgensons will join the Tampa Bay Lightning on a three-year deal worth $2.55 million ($850K AAV). The 30-year-old Latvian veteran has scored between 14 and 19 points in all eight of his previous seasons. In his final season in Buffalo in 2023-24, he had eight goals, 14 points and 21 PIMs while averaging 11:51 TOI/GP.
Guentzel put up outstanding numbers next to Sidney Crosby since 2019 but also excelled following his trade to Carolina last year, posting 25 points (8G / 17A) in 17 games. With Guentzel now in Tampa Bay, he could find himself on one of the most prolific lines in hockey, next to Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. He's averaged 39 goals and 46 assists (85 points) per 82 games over the last six seasons.
Tampa Bay completed its first small move of the offseason by acquiring 22-year-old Lukas Svejkovsky from Pittsburgh for Bennett MacArthur. Svejkovsky spent the majority of 2023-24 with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) and excelled with 16 goals and 37 points in 30 games played.
Tampa Bay shocked the hockey world on Sunday as it acquired the rights to Jake Guentzel from Caroline for a 2025 3rd round pick. The Lightning are now able to sign Guentzel to an eight-year contract since he is officially under their team's control. In 57 games in 2023-24, the 29-year-old winger had 30 goals and 77 points.
Geekie was dealt from Utah before ever playing a game for the franchise as he was moved alongside JJ Moser, a 2024 2nd Round Pick and a 2024 7th Round Pick to Tampa Bay for Mikhail Sergachev. Geekie was drafted in the 1st round (11th overall) of the 2022 draft by Arizona and had 43 goals and 99 points in 55 regular season games with both Swift Current (WHL) and Wenatchee (WHL) in 2023-24. He is expected to compete for a roster spot in Tampa Bay for the upcoming season.
Moser will head to Tampa Bay after being included alongside Conor Geekie, a 2024 2nd Round Pick and a 2024 7th Round Pick from Utah for Mikhail Sergachev. The 24-year-old swiss defender enjoyed a strong third NHL season in 2023-24, with five goals, 26 points, 77 SOG, and 35 PIMs in 80 games played.
Atkinson was about to enter the seventh year of of seven-year, $41.25 million ($5,875,000 AAV) but has been bought out by Philadelphia and will enter free agency come July 1st. The 35-year-old winger had a down year in 2023-24, with his 13 goals, 28 points, 175 SOG and -22 plus/minus through 70 games played.
After 13 goals and 58 points in 69 games with Syracuse (AHL) in 2023-24, Gage Goncalves has signed a one-year, two-way contract to stay with Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old centre was Tampa Bay's 2020 second-round pick (62nd overall) and made his NHL debut in 2023-24, failing to pick up a point in two games played.
Fortier had 13 goals and 26 points in 62 games with Syracuse (AHL) in 2023-24 and signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with Tampa Bay on Monday. The 24-year-old winger made his NHL debut in 2021-22 and has appeared in 11 NHL games with one goal to his name.
Carlile followed up his 2023-24 NHL debut (1 game) by signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The 24-year-old defenseman spent the majority of his 2023-24 with Syracuse (AHL) and had seven goals and 27 points in 61 games played. He made his NHL debut and only appearance on January 4th, 2024 against Minnesota.
Gill is Tampa Bay's 2022 seventh-round pick (233rd overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday. The 19-year-old defenseman just finished his fourth season with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) and had a goal and nine points in 12 games played in 2023-24.
After two seasons in Nashville, Ryan McDonagh will return to Tampa Bay where he spent five seasons after he was acquired on Tuesday alongside a 2024 4th round pick (EDM) from Nashville for a 2025 2nd round pick and a 2024 7th round pick. The 34-year-old veteran defensemen has appeared in 928 career games played across 14 NHL seasons and has 76 goals and 389 points during that span.
Chaffee was expected to be an unrestricted free agent come summer but has been re-signed by Tampa Bay for a two-year, $1.6 million ($800,000 AAV) contract extension on Thursday. The 26-year-old made his NHL debut in 2021-22 but played 30 of his 32 career games this season with Tampa Bay, picking up seven points (4G/3A) in 30 games played in 2023-24.
The Lightning will of course turn to their franchise netminder in their must-win matchup against the Panthers on Monday. After dropping each of the first three games of the series, Vasilevskiy and the Lightning got on the board in Game 4, as Vasilevskiy stopped 22 of the 25 shots he faced and the Lightning cruised to a 6-3 victory. The bookmakers don't love Tampa's chances of staying alive on Monday, as they enter action as +150 underdogs.
Perbix will draw in along with Tanner Jeannot after both players sat out Game 2 on Tuesday. Maxwell Crozier and Calvin de Haan will draw out of the lineup in their place.
Crozier will take a seat on Thursday as Nick Perbix and Tanner Jeannot draw back into the Lightning lineup. Calvin de Haan will also draw out and join Crozier as a healthy scratch.
Unsurprisingly, the Lightning have no desire to make any sort of change in goal despite being down 2-0 in the series, as they will once again roll with Vasilevskiy between the pipes. Vasilevskiy performed well in Games 1 and 2 despite coming out on the losing side in both instances, allowing just five goals on 64 shots (.922 SV%) across the two contests. The Lightning are actually slight favourites at home tonight despite the 2-0 series deficit, as they enter action at -115 on Thursday.
Perbix will draw out of the Lightning lineup as Maxwell Crozier and Calvin de Haan will draw in for Game 2 against the Panthers. It's unclear at this time whether Perbix is simply a healthy scratch or if he's dealing with an undisclosed injury.
