Raw Charge

It’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter. Players are starting to get ready to head to the cities they play in, and teams are starting to put together their training camp rosters. While the vast majority of free agents have been signed, there are a few out there that still need contracts. For some of those players, the road back to the NHL might lie in a professional try-out contract. One of those players might be Patrik Laine. Could the Tampa Bay Lightning be the team that signs him? There has been some mention that the Lightning could be a landing spot for the 28-year-old, but it’s mostly speculation at this point. Still, if it doesn’t cost them anything isn’t it worth a look? Bringing in a right-shot forward that has 224 goals in 537 career games with 85 of those coming on the power play could be a big boost for a special teams that has been streaky at best over the last couple of seasons. Imagine a Lightning power play that featured Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, John Carlson, and Patrik Laine? That gaping hole on the right side of the power play that has been there since Steven Stamkos left would immediately be filled by the big Finn launching shots. Of course, there are some concerns with signing Laine, even to a try-out deal. First and foremost, his injury history. That chart above is from the 2024-25 season because he only appeared in five games for Montreal last season. When he’s on the ice he’s been effective, but that’s been a problem. He hasn’t cracked the 56-game mark since the 2019-20 season and has played under 20 games in two of the last three seasons. The best ability is availability, right? Right? Second, is where he would play at 5v5. During that 2024-25 season, he spent most of the time on Montreal’s third line with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. For him to do that, it would complete alter what the Lightning like to do with their third line. Laine is, to put it kindly, not the most interested in defensive hockey. Grinding away on the forecheck isn’t exactly his style. As for the first concern, the beauty of a PTO is that it doesn’t tie a team to a player. If he struggles in camp, the Lightning can part ways without any obligation. Should he excel, they can also limit their financial exposure by signing him to a bonus-laden contract. The league allows for performance bonuses on entry-level contracts, 35+ contracts, and players who have appeared in 400 career games and spent more than 100 days on injured reserve the previous season. A one-year, bonus-heavy deal works for both sides. The Lightning are protected if he can’t stay healthy, and Laine gets a chance to rebuild his reputation in order to land a bigger contract next season. There have already been a few such contracts signed this summer. Mats Zuccarello signed a one-year deal with the Kings for $1 million. However, he can earn another $5.5 million in bonuses. The Lightning have a little wiggle room this season in regards to the cap, and if they do they should be able to absorb it in next season’s cap (even after signing Kucherov to his new contract). Addressing the second concern might be a little tougher for the Lightning. Playing for Jon Cooper means playing defense. Not quite to the level of John Tortorella (who Laine briefly played for in Columbus), but Laine can’t expect to be on the team and completely ignore his defensive responsibilities. Who he ends up with linemates could mitigate that impact. Theoretically, there is a spot open on a line with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel, two of the Lightning’s top defensive forwards. Teaming up with Dominic James and Ilya Mikheyev might not be as strong defensively, but it would be an entertaining trio if nothing else. Could a healthy Laine find some time on the top line? He hasn’t played top line minutes since 2022-23, but it would help limit his defensive exposure. Another option would be to a variation of what the Lightning did last season. There were quite a few games last year when the Lightning would dress eleven forwards, but basically play ten. Usually it was a fourth-line forward like Curtis Douglas that got minimal five-on-five time, but there is nothing saying they couldn’t do something similar with Laine. Basically he would be a power play specialist that took enough shifts at 5v5 to keep warm throughout the game. Laine is likely waiting for a guaranteed contract, but if that doesn’t materialize soon, a PTO might be his only path to the NHL this season. Of the teams that might offer him a spot, the Lightning could be an ideal spot for him to rebuild his reputation.

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Raw Charge

The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t going to carry three goaltenders on the roster this season. That much we can be assured of a month out from training camp. When Julien BriseBois acquired Dennis Hildeby from the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was pretty certain that the plan was for the young Swede to backup Andrei Vasilevskiy for the 2026-27 season. The fly in the jelly, the bump in the road, the Skittle in the M&M’s is the fact that Jonas Johansson is still on the roster. Speaking with the media following the early July free agent frenzy, Mr. BriseBois indicated that the team would be working with Johansson to find a new organization for the 30-year-old, “It’s still early in the process, but JJ has been great for us, is a great teammate, has won us a lot of hockey games, I’m fairly confident we’re gonna get him something that works for him and works for us.” Almost two months later, they’ve yet to find that “something that works”, which, given his performance last season is somewhat understandable. To be kind, Jonas Johansson had a shaky season in net. He appeared in 25 games, posted a 11-10-2 record with a 3.29 GAA and .884 SV%. According to Hockey Reference , 11 of his 23 starts were considered quality while 6 were really bad. Out of the 91 goalies that Evolving Hockey recorded stats for, Johansson’s -4.40 GSAx came in 82nd. That being said, he did have a nice stretch of play in December when Vasilevskiy was out with an injury, including a run of four-out-of-five games where he allowed just one goal. Following The Big Cat’s return, Johansson’s playing time became quite rare as he appeared in just nine games from January to April. The effect of his sporadic appearances was evident as he posted a 3-4-1 record with an .864 SV%, 4.12 GAA, and -7.40 GSAx over that time frame. With a longer season ahead, a more competitive division, and a starting goaltender who may be the best in the league, but isn’t getting younger, the need to upgrade the backup position was evident, and Mr. BriseBois took the chance to do so when he dealt away Nick Paul to acquire the younger Hildeby. So what should they do now with Johansson and the $1.25 million cap hit he has for this season? There are a couple of options. The Lightning could put him on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Teams have used that option recently when unable to trade a player. That would make Johansson an unrestricted free agent and free to sign with any team in the NHL or Europe. With training camps getting ready to start in the big European leagues, it feels like this option would have already happened if they wanted to go down this path. Tampa Bay could also place him on waivers, and if he clears, assign him to Syracuse. With the league’s minimum salary going up to $900,000, it also means the amount of money that can be “buried” in the AHL and not count against the salary cap has gone up to $1.275 million (the threshold is calculated as the league minimum plus $375,000). That would clear his entire cap hit, but the crease in Syracuse is kind of full right now. With the departure of Brendan Halverson, the Bolts signed Mads Sogaard and Olivier Rodrique to contracts. They also have prospect Harrison Meneghin under contract, and while he will probably start the season in Orlando, they will want him to get some playing time in the AHL at some point. A small argument for this case could be made that it gives the Lightning some insurance should Vasilevskiy miss a long stretch of time. Hildeby could be the starter and Johansson could be recalled to back him up if need be. Syracuse could carry three goaltenders in the meantime, but this is not an ideal solution for the Lightning or Johansson. So, that leaves the third option – a trade. The return for a soon-to-be 31-year-old netminder who has put up below replacement stats for much of his career wouldn’t be huge. Future Considerations has been on the move a lot, and could be heading to Tampa if the Lightning do find a willing partner. Freeing up a contract spot along with the salary would be the best solution for the Bolts, even if they don’t garner a draft pick out of the deal. The issue with this solution is that there just aren’t many teams in the NHL where Johansson is a fit or improvement over the tandem already in place. A quick scan of the other 31 organizations quickly eliminates the majority of the teams. An argument could be made for Pittsburgh if they don’t think either of their young goalies (Sergei Murashov or Joel Blomqvist) aren’t ready to backup Arturs Silovs. If Winnipeg deals Conner Hellebuyck or Minnesota sends one of their goaltenders to Detroit in the inevitable Dylan Larkin deal, there could be openings for a veteran with those organizations, but there may be better options for those organizations to fill those holes. At this point, the top two teams that might be interested in Jonas Johansson are teams that are dealing with injuries to their starters – Vancouver and Columbus. As of right now, both Thatcher Demko and Elvis Merzlikins are questionable to start the season for their respective clubs. The appeal of Johansson would be that he is a veteran who does have a little experience in filling in for a short time as a starter. If Demko is out, Kevin Lankinen is probably Vancouver’s starter. One of the netminders that posted a lower GSAx than Johansson last season – Kevin Lankinen at -7.12. He went 5-17-2 with an .868 SV% and 3.92 GAA. Columbus is in a little better position with Jet Greaves as a starter, but there isn’t much in the organization behind him. Merzlikins is questionable for training camp, and Johansson as a short-term back-up might not be the worst solution. Once (or in Demko’s case “if”) either of those starters come back, Columbus and Vancouver would have the option of waiving Johansson and not on the hook for him long term. That might be a little more appealing than working out a trade for someone with a higher cap hit or a longer contract commitment. The decision to move on or to hold Jonas Johansson isn’t going to make or break the Lightning’s season. One way or the other, he isn’t going to be on their roster come October 1, which give Tampa Bay little more cap space to play with throughout the season.

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

It’s official now. On Wednesday, the NHL announced its Hometown Remix uniforms. As in MLB with City Connects and the NBA with City Editions, NHL teams will have a uniform…

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Zachary Bolduc wants to stay with the Montreal Canadiens but admitted he understands hockey is a business and that he could be traded. He talked…

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Raw Charge

As a team that uses its higher picks to improve their current roster through trades instead of drafting prospects, the Tampa Bay Lightning often have to find alternative means to adding young talent to the organization. Be it through European free agents or undrafted college and junior players, the Bolts have been able to find a gem or three over the years. Another means, and one that played out pretty well last summer with Dominic James, is to sign a college player whose draft rights have expired.

<p>The August 15th date has come and gone, meaning there are a handful of players that are no longer bonded to the team that drafted them and are considered unrestricted free agents. While there were originally <a href="https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2026/08/list-of-expected-collegiate-free-agents.html">20 names on the list</a> some have signed AHL contracts and one, Mason Langenbrunner, has already announced his retirement from hockey, there are still a couple of intriguing names left on the list.</p>

<p>One that tops pretty much every list out there is Cruz Lucius. The 22-year-old was originally a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but let them know earlier this year that he wouldn&#8217;t be signing with them. After two seasons at the University of Wisconsin the right-shot winger transferred to Arizona State. Injuries limited him to just 19 games in his first season. However, he bounced back last season to finish fourth in scoring in the NCAA with 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) for the Sun Devils. </p>

<p>Expect him to sign a two-way deal at some point as several organizations should be interested, the Lightning among them. They have a dearth of right-shot forwards in their system and Lucius has enough offensive skill to warrant a look. There are some limits to his game at this point for the playmaker, but he already projects to be a productive AHL forward, and if he can improve his skating while simplifying his game a little he could take the next step. Sometimes his creativity gets the better of him, and as he steps up to the next level of competition he will have to learn what plays he can and cannot get away with. </p>

<p>Another name that popped up was Sutter Muzzatti, a big (6&#8217;6&#8243;) forward formally of the University of Notre Dame. His production was solid (13 goals, 19 assists in 37 games). He&#8217;s a decent skater for his size and is never going to back down from a post-whistle scrum. Could he be worth a look on a two-way deal? Sure, plus it would be a full circle moment as the fifth-round pick the Nashville Predators used to select him originally belonged to the Lightning and was part of the Tanner Jeannot deal. </p>

<p>The most interesting fit out there for the Lightning&#8217;s system probably goes to a former third-round pick of the New Jersey Devils &#8211; Samu Salminen. The Finnish forward capped off his college career by serving as an alternate captain for the NCAA champion University of Denver. In his second season with the Pioneers, Salminen finished with 29 points in 43 games. He was one of their top face-off performers. Through early March (when he was named the <a href="https://denverpioneers.com/news/2026/3/2/du-pioneers-hockey-samu-salminen-named-nchc-forward-of-the-week.">NCHC Player of the Week</a>) he led Denver with 308 face-off wins while grabbing an edge in 52.8% of his draws. </p>

<p>The Lightning could most definitely use some skill in the face-off dot in their system. The 23-year-old ticks all of the boxes that Tampa Bay looks for in their prospects. He is responsible in his own zone, plays a smart game, and has a little deception in his game. Is he the fleetest of skaters? No, but that has never deterred the Bolts from signing someone. They would also be familiar with his game as he was teammates with Hagen Burrows* the last two seasons.</p>

<p>If the Lightning do dip into the market, it&#8217;s very unlikely that anyone they sign has the impact that Dominic James had on the team last year. Then again, James wasn&#8217;t expected to join the Bolts either, so who knows? Even if they don&#8217;t go immediately to the top league, they can have an impact in the organization. It&#8217;s never a bad thing to add solid talent to the organization. </p>

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<p>*It looks like Burrows won&#8217;t be teammates with Jack Pridham this year. The fourth-round pick is transferring to the University of Notre Dame next season. </p></p>

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Raw Charge

The original theme of this article was going to be, “Which Lightning rookie could win the Calder Trophy?” but, to be honest, the chances of that happening are about the same as Frenchy’s restaurant taking over the naming rights to Benchmark Arena. Sure, it could happen, and it would be great, but it’s probably not going to happen. The betting sharps seem to agree considering that as of the time of publication, not a single member of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization has posted odds to win the Calder on the Hard Rock Bet app.

<p>As of right now, Philadelphia&#8217;s Porter Martone is the odds-on favorite at +275 and they have 48 other players listed with Vancouver&#8217;s Adam Novotny rounding out the list at +25000. Yes, we did have to look up Novotny&#8217;s organization. In short, the touts don&#8217;t feel like any of the Lightning&#8217;s prospects are going to make a dent in the Calder Trophy race. Which is cool. After all, it&#8217;s one award a member of the Lightning has yet to win, and based on the fact they haven&#8217;t drafted a top 10 prospect in The Rizzler&#8217;s lifetime, chances are they won&#8217;t win one soon.</p>

<p>So, instead of looking for a dark horse, we pivot. Based on their moves this offseason, it&#8217;s going to be very, very hard for any rookie to make the team out of training camp this season. While lines and defensive pairings aren&#8217;t set, there just aren&#8217;t that many spots that are going to be open when camp opens in just over a month. </p>

<p>Of course, that was the case last season and the Lightning still managed to have eight players that qualified as rookies play last season with three of them (Dominic James, Max Crozier, and Declan Carlile) playing at least 30 games. Charle-Edouard D&#8217;Astous was also a big part of the team, but due to his age, he didn&#8217;t qualify as a rookie despite never having played in the league. Of those eight players, four made their NHL debut last season. James, Curtis Douglas, Max Groshev, and Simon Lundmark made up the quartet of debutantes last season, and all of them, with the exception of Douglas, could see time in the NHL again this season.</p>

<p>There is some comfort in having an experienced, veteran line-up. For the most part, you know how they are going to perform. They can handle increased expectations and don&#8217;t let pressure get them. The Lightning don&#8217;t just have a veteran line-up, they have an exceptional line-up. Which makes it kind of hard for new players to make their mark. </p>

<p>There is one way for rookies to get a shot, though. And it&#8217;s one of the drawbacks of having a veteran team &#8211; injuries. Not only do older players tend to get hurt more often, they tend to stay out of the line-up longer (please note, we have done zero research to substantiate that thought, but it seems to make sense). That&#8217;s the main reason we saw so many young players last season. </p>

<p>While we don&#8217;t hope that happens again this year, it could be an avenue to playing time for other young players in the system. So, lets look at three players who might make their NHL debuts at some point in the 2026-27 season.</p>

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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sam O&#8217;Reilly</h2>

<p>We&#8217;ll start off with the most hyped prospect of the bunch &#8211; Sam O&#8217;Reilly. The kid has yet to lace up his skates for a pro game, but Lightning fans are already excited about what he can bring to the table. The 20-year-old wrapped up one of the most successful junior careers in recent history as helped the Kitchener Rangers on the way to a Memorial Cup title. All he did along the way was snatch up the OHL regular season MVP, the OHL playoffs MVP, and the Memorial Cup MVP. Not a bad bit of hockeying.</p>

<p>In the grand vision of things, the Tampa Bay Lightning would probably like to have him adjust to the pro game in Syracuse, surrounded by what should be a very good Crunch roster. There he can adapt to the increased pace and physical nature of the AHL while not having to carry the pressure of carrying a franchise on his shoulders. </p>

<p>The somewhat rough-and-tumble start to Conor Geekie&#8217;s career might also make them a little more apprehensive at starting O&#8217;Reilly in the NHL. That being said, of all of the prospects in the system, O&#8217;Reilly has the level of skill that could force the Lightning&#8217;s hand. If he has a strong prospect showcase followed by a good training camp, he might just earn a spot on the roster on opening night. It&#8217;s unlikely, but not impossible.</p>

<p>The more realistic scenario would be for him to start in Syracuse, get his feet wet playing all three aspects of the game, and if he continues to excel, he could earn a call-up later in the season, especially if the Lightning need a depth center. Even at a young age, his skill set could fill a need for the Lightning as a bottom-six center. He can win face-offs, he&#8217;s a reliable player in his own zone, and a monster shorthanded (he had 7 regular season short-handed goals between Kitchener and London last season). </p>

<p>The Bolts are deep down the middle with Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde, and Dominic James likely to be the top pivotmen this season. They also have Zemgus Girgensons, Jake Guentzel, and Pontus Holmberg who can play the position as well. Still, if things don&#8217;t go according to plan, there is a path to a debut for Sam O&#8217;Reilly.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ethan Gauthier</h2>

<p>Quick &#8211; over the last decade, who is the highest drafted player selected by the Lightning that is still in the organization? Since we put this question in Ethan Gauthier&#8217;s section, you would be right to guess that at 37th overall, the 21-year-old winger holds that honor. Even if you factor in all of the prospects that the Lightning have traded away, only three players had a higher draft spot (Isaac Howard at 31, Nolan Foote at 27, and Cal Foote at 14). So there is a little pedigree there.</p>

<p>It does seem like Gauthier has been in the system forever, but he was drafted in 2023, and last year was his first full professional season. It wasn&#8217;t bad, as he had 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 56 games, but there were some stretches where he wasn&#8217;t as effective as the Crunch needed him to be. It&#8217;ll be a big season for him to see if he can level up his game now that he knows what a professional season is like.</p>

<p>At his best, he is a jack-of-all trades forward that can do a lot of things well. He is a decent skater, doesn&#8217;t mind making a hit or two, and is more than willing to do the dirty work on the forecheck to get the puck. With the Lightning lacking right-handed shots, he could have a leg up on some of his AHL teammates should Tampa Bay need to call up a winger at any point during the season. He still projects as a middle-six forward and it wouldn&#8217;t be too much of a stretch for the Bolts to give him a call up to see how he handles life at the NHL level.</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lucas Mercuri</h2>

<p>A slightly older player, and one who might not be as familiar to Lightning fans who aren&#8217;t familiar with the Crunch, is Lucas Mercuri. The 24-year-old right-shot forward has size (6&#8217;3&#8243;, 223 lbs), skill, and a bit of an edge to his play. The voice of the Crunch, Lukas Favale, had plenty of good things to say about him on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiHJMqomytw&amp;t=330s">most recent episode</a> of Backchecking the Bolts (shameless plug &#8211; listen and subscribe). When asked who on the Crunch might be a future Lightning fan favorite, he mentioned Mercuri, who also got his vote for biggest surprise on the team. </p>

<p>The Lightning picked up his rights from the Carolina Hurricanes in March of 2025 in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He debuted last that season, appearing in six regular season games without recording a point. Last season, he played in 67 games posting 14 goals and 12 assists. Which is even more impressive considering he spent 132 minutes in the penalty box. The next most penalized player in Syracuse &#8211; Matteo Pietroniro at 86.</p>

<p>If the Bolts are looking for a forward that plays with a little more edge, he wouldn&#8217;t be a bad call-up. Not only will he be the first to step up in a post-whistle scrum, but he also has enough talent to put the puck in the net. He excels in front of the net, and could be one of those players that scores 96% of his goals within a stride of the blue paint. Think of him as a younger, slightly more skilled Scott Sabourin. </p>

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<p>It&#8217;s going to be a long season, and the Lightning are going to need more than the 23 players that make up the opening night roster. While there might be some old favorites like Conor Geekie, Dylan Duke, or Jakob Pelletier among the call-ups, it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising to see some of these new faces get the call as well. </p>

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

The history of the Tampa Bay Lightning continues to assemble a growing body of work. Part of that history is the growing list of goalies who have taken the team’s…

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Raw Charge

After a little bit of an unscheduled break, we are back! A big thank you for everyone who kept things going in the comment section (and with minimal folks getting thrown in jail by the auto-moderators!). Now that we’re back to regular posts (hopefully) we’ll catch up on a few things that have been announced over the last week.

<p>Sadly, an extension for Nikita Kucherov wasn&#8217;t one of those, but we&#8217;re not at the panic stage just yet. Would be nice if he was under contract, sure, but we&#8217;re not in danger of him not showing up for camp at this point. Speaking of camp, the Carolina Hurricanes <a href="https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/canes-to-host-2026-prospect-showcase-at-invisalign-arena-from-sept-13-15">announced the dates</a> of their Prospect Showcase a couple of days ago. Why is that important? Because, it involves the Lightning!</p>

<p>The joint practice sessions/scrimmages will take place in Raleigh from September 13-15 and feature prospects from the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Nashville Predators. The usual fourth leg to their prospect-showcase table, the Florida Panthers, aren&#8217;t participating this season. Why? Probably because they have fewer young players than the Lightning at this point. </p>

<p>The Bolts are schedule to play on Monday against the Predators and then Tuesday against the Hurricanes. Both games will be at 2:00 PM. No broadcast information has been released as of yet, but at the very least, the games are usually streamed on the hosting team&#8217;s website. Last year, which was hosted by Tampa Bay, was streamed on their website and broadcast locally on The Spot, Channel 66. Expect the team to release more information, along with their rosters toward the end of August. </p>

<p>There are usually roster restrictions on who can attend these showcases. Last season it was players under 24 who had less than 20 games of NHL experience. Exceptions can be made if all the teams participating agree. The rosters are usually dominated heavily by CHL and younger AHL prospects. The NCAA&#8217;s relaxation of eligibility for these showcases might allow the Lightning to bring some college prospects as long as it doesn&#8217;t interrupt their off-season schedules. </p>

<p>Expect most of the recent draft picks to show up, and it wouldn&#8217;t be a surprise to see Benjamin Rautiainen as an exception to the European prospect trend. With the Lightning not ruling him out of possibly earning a spot on the NHL roster, the showcase would be a great spot for him to show what could be done on North American ice.</p>

<p>It&#8217;s always interesting to see if the team, which will dress 18 skaters and 2 goaltenders for each game, will fill out the roster with any invitees. Last season, they had two defenseman Maddox Labre and goaltender Anders Miller. Both had been part of their post-draft development camp earlier that summer and are now playing NCAA hockey. Earlier this summer, the Lightning had a handful of invitees, including Patrick Maroon&#8217;s son Anthony Thomas-Maroon, as well as goaltender Danick Leroux. </p>

<p>These showcases lead right into training camp, so that means we&#8217;re just over a month away from hockey being back in our lives! </p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hockey News</h2>

<p>With a dearth of Lightning news out there, Jason spoke with Matt Savage of Mission Control Hockey about expansion to Houston on the latest Backchecking the Bolts podcast. </p>

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Why the NHL Wants Houston: Expansion, Obstacles &amp; the lure of Hockey in Houston" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vBq-Ppw-U5k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </div></figure>

<p><strong>Grading the offseason moves in the Atlantic: Tampa Bay Lightning</strong> [<a href="https://floridahockeynow.com/grading-the-offseason-moves-in-the-atlantic-division-tampa-bay-lightning/">Florida Hockey Now</a>]</p>

<p>Our friends down south give the Lightning a B+. That&#8217;s nice of them. </p>

<p><strong>Andrei Vasilevskiy makes appearance at Lightning youth camp</strong> [<a href="https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2026/08/07/andrei-vasilevskiy-makes-guest-appearance-at-lightning-youth-goalie-camp">Spectrum News 9</a>]</p>

<p>The Big Cat is in town and dropped by on a summer goalie camp hosted by the Lightning. Can&#8217;t wait for a kid at this camp to get drafted 10-15 years from now and show a picture they took with Vasilevskiy at this camp.</p>

<p><strong>Hedman makes NHL Top 20 list</strong> [<a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-current-players-ranked-top-20-defensemen-2026">NHL.com</a>]</p>

<p>Look, we love the Big Swede, and we think he&#8217;s going to have a pretty good bounce back season. That being said, to put him in the top 20 of NHL defensemen right now is a bit of a stretch (and some serious J.J. Moser erasure). </p>

<p><strong>Canada wins gold at Hlinka Gretzky Cup </strong>[<a href="https://www.hlinkagretzkycup.ca/en-ca/season/2026/stats/game-summary?gameid=5726">Hlinka Gretzky Cup</a>]</p>

<p>It&#8217;s been three years since Canada won gold at the U20 World Junior Championships. It&#8217;s been rough. The good news is that the basis of a future U20 team won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament as Team Canada routed Team USA, 8-1, on Saturday. </p>

<p><strong>Kings to retire Anze Kopitar jersey this season</strong> [<a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/anze-kopitar-number-to-be-retired-by-los-angeles-kings">NHL.com</a>]</p>

<p>No one will wear number 11 in L.A. ever again. No, former Bolts Steve Kelly isn&#8217;t getting honored, it&#8217;s the guy that has worn it since 2006 &#8211; Anze Kopitar. The future hall of famer will see his number raised to the rafters on February 24 prior to the game against the Montreal Canadiens.</p>

<p><strong>The NHL fan experience is changing</strong> [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7484048/2026/08/07/nhl-fan-survey-tickets-streaming/">The Athletic</a>]</p>

<p><em>The Athletic</em> is writing about the results of their annual fan survey that had over 20,000 responses. On the whole, things are fairly positive, but it&#8217;s interesting to see how the game is changing. For one thing, the majority of fans who responded (62%) aren&#8217;t concerned about blackouts. Almost half of the fans (48%) stream the games with only 30% ever tuning in on the radio. </p>

<p><strong>Penguins sign Ville Koivunen to eight-year extension </strong>[<a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/news/79731/penguins-re-sign-ville-koivunen-to-eight-yes-eight-year-contract">Pensburgh</a>]</p>

<p>Hey, a contract that is just as perplexing as the Jeffrey Viel deal! The Pens decided they needed to lock down their 23-year-old forward to an eight-year, $4 million AAV contract. The contract buys out his first four UFA seasons and he is now the only Penguin on the roster signed past the 2029-30 season.</p>

<p></p>

<p>We are down to the final day of rankings for the 2026 Top 20 Under 25. If you haven&#8217;t gotten around to it, today would be an excellent day. Submissions will be open until 11:00 PM EST. </p>

<p></p>

<p>Click <a href="https://tally.so/r/yPr5Wg">here</a> for the form. </p></p>

<p class="card-text"><a href='https://www.rawcharge.com/lightning-morning-news-lightning-prospect-showcase-announced-tampa-bay-nhl-prospects/' class="btn btn-secondary">Go to website</a></p>

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

Following his departure from the team, a former Tampa Bay Lightning fan favorite spoke about his departure. Nick Paul took to social media to say his goodbyes and thank-yous. “To…

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

The Atlantic Division was one of the most competitive in the NHL last season, and it should be no different in 2026-27. Teams in the Atlantic have loaded up this…

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

For the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2019-20 season was a make-or-break moment for a franchise that had become known as good enough to make deep runs in the postseason but…

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Raw Charge

Poor Kirill Kaprizov. Well, not really. He is the exact opposite of poor. However, the Minnesota Wild forward never truly got to enjoy his reign as the top paid player in the NHL. Despite garnering headline after headline last summer with his then record-setting extension that topped out at $17 million per season, he never actually skated a single game as the highest-paid player in the league. Since then he’s seen Leo Carlsson and now Macklin Celebrini surpass him in the salary game. Before the puck drops on the 2026-27 season, will Kaprizov fall even further down the list?

<p>There is a pattern to the off-season. As the Stanley Cup winners revel in drunken celebration the general managers start reworking their rosters at the draft. They do it by selecting the next franchise cornerstone (Gavin McKenna) or slinging some trades around (Mason MacTavish, Sebastian Cossa, Pavel Dorofeyev). Then comes the unbridled gluttony that is unrestricted free agency. Once the fervor over the top available players, there are a few minor signings, but the focus then shifts to the restricted free agents.</p>

<p>This summer had the added drama of a couple of offer sheets (both matched) and some months-long negotiations that resulted in a stop-gap measure (Jason Robertson). There were arbitration hearings scheduled and then cancelled as agreements were made in all fifteen cases that were filed. Sprinkled among those were extensions for some of the top-tier players who had finished up their entry-level deals. Connor Bedard agreed to what now seems to be a reasonable $15 million a season contract and most recently Celebrini ascended to new contract heights with his record-setting, five-season, $18.5 million average annual value deal with the Sharks that kicks in for the 2027-28 season.</p>

<p>For the most part the big name RFAs are now under contract. With all due respect to Cutter Gauthier, Adam Fantilli, and Alexander Nikishin, their new contracts aren&#8217;t going to break any records. They will just have to settle for being multi-millionaires at relatively young ages. </p>

<p>So what comes next? Well, much like thunder follows lightning, the focus shifts to the extension-eligible players. Those players entering the final season of their current contracts who, since July 1, have been able to sign new deals. Tampa Bay Lightning fans are familiar with the situation as they wait patiently for any type of news about Nikita Kucherov. They aren&#8217;t the only fan bases who use every day that goes by without an announcement as &#8220;proof&#8221; that things will end badly. Further west, in Colorado and Minnesota, there are fans not-so-patiently waiting for reports to emerge about Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes respectively. </p>

<p>Much like Kucherov, the two defensemen are set to cash in on lucrative deals. It isn&#8217;t out of the realm of possibility that at least one of them will set a record. Makar probably stands the best chance to set, at the very least, a new high for defensemen. Right now, Erik Karlsson holds the title at $11.5 million per season, but he will be dethroned by Bowen Byram, whose $12.5 million AAV extension (the same money Connor McDavid makes) begins in 2027-28.</p>

<p>Makar will undoubtably top both players as he has the benefit of still being relatively young (27) and really, really good. The Avalanche will do everything they can to keep him in the Mile High City, and that might mean signing him to a deal that lurks near the Celebrini/Kaprizov/Carlsson level. Despite the level of play around him, losing Makar would pretty much erase Colorado&#8217;s chances of winning another Stanley Cup any time soon.</p>

<p>For the Wild, things aren&#8217;t quite so engrained. Hughes has been there less than a season, and while he&#8217;s warmed to the idea of staying in the frozen tundra that is Minnesota, there are other factors, such as playing with his brothers Jack and Luke, that might prevent him from signing a long-term deal, or any type of contract that keeps him in the green and white. Still, Bill Guerin has found ways to get things done, and his owner is <a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/owner-says-minnesota-wild-will-sign-quinn-hughes-to-new-contract">already on record</a> stating that they will re-sign him, the only question lingering is the length of the deal. </p>

<p>The same goes for Kucherov as <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/delving-into-a-nikita-kucherov-extension-tampa-bay-lightning-free-agency-new-contract/">has been discussed</a>. Much like Hughes, albeit for different reasons, the length of the deal is just as important as the AAV. For Kucherov, it likely centers on how long he wants to keep playing, and if he&#8217;s willing to sign a deal that will take him to the end of his career with the Lightning. </p>

<p>It seems negotiations are ongoing for all three players (and one would assume others such as Pavel Zacha, Alex Debrincat, and Drake Batherson) and once one signs a new deal, it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising to see a few more follow suit. Could it be closer to the beginning of the season like it was last fall when Kaprizov, McDavid, and Jack Eichel all signed deals within basically a week of each other at the end of September/early October (and denying fans an absolutely rip-roaring fun UFA summer in 2026)? </p>

<p>It seems worth noting that Kucherov&#8217;s first &#8220;big&#8221; contact was signed on October 11, 2016. The 23-year-old RFA didn&#8217;t agree to a three-year, $4.76 AAV contract until two days before the season began. So, he&#8217;s no stranger to biding time. And, for all the guff that Julien BriseBois gets for some of the contracts he hands out (and at times deservedly so) he is pretty good at <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7471312/2026/07/29/nhl-contract-efficiency-rankings-2026/">maximizing value</a> out of his roster. </p>

<p>There is no real urgency for any of the players to get a deal done today, tomorrow, or three Thursdays from now. It&#8217;s not going to change how they prepare for the season or how their general managers build their roster. The players have contracts and will report to training camp in just over six weeks time. Perhaps being in closer proximity to each other will help spark some conversations that bring some of these deals to the finish line.</p>

<p>Would it have been less stressful for all of the fan bases if their players had announced new deals at the beginning of July? Of course, but just because the calendar is flipping to August doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s time to abandon hope and hammer down the panic button. The rhythm of the NHL offseason hasn&#8217;t been disrupted just yet. So sit back and relax. </p></p>

<p class="card-text"><a href='https://www.rawcharge.com/with-the-macklin-celebrini-contract-question-answered-focus-shifts-to-next-years-unrestricted-free-agents-nhl-nikita-kucherov-cale-makar/' class="btn btn-secondary">Go to website</a></p>

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

As is the case every season, the moment the Carolina Hurricanes captured the Stanley Cup, the hockey world began looking ahead to the 2026-27 season. Everyone wants to get the…

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

The trade market varies from offseason to offseason, but there was no shortage of notable trades in the NHL this summer. There may still be a couple of deals before…

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

It’s hard to pinpoint head coach Jon Cooper‘s exact impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning. In a sense, it’s a pairing that was meant to be. Cooper and the Lightning…

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Tampa Bay Lightning News & Opinion

It’s March 5, 2025. The Tampa Bay Lightning are ready to make an all-in push for another Stanley Cup and pull the trigger on a three-way deal with the Seattle…

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Raw Charge

The 2026 NHL Free Agent Season hasn’t even ended yet. Heck, we’re not even a full month into it yet, but that’s not going to stop us from looking ahead to the 2027 NHL Free Agent Season. A lot of focus has been on Nikita Kucherov, which is understandable considering he can lay a legitimate claim to being the best player in the league. Unfortunately, he isn’t the only Tampa Bay Lightning player that can test unrestricted free agency next season. Jonas Johansson, Zemgus Girgensons, Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Pontus Holmberg are all in the final seasons of their current deal and eligible for an extension.

<p>Of those names, Johansson and Girgensons are the most likely not to see a new deal from Julien BriseBois before next summer. In fact, the likelihood of Johansson making it to October 1 in a Lightning uniform are pretty slim. For D&#8217;Astous and Holmberg, though, it&#8217;s a different story. Both are young enough that it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising to see Mr. BriseBois try and lock them to multi-year deals prior to July 1 as they have each earned spots on the roster with their play last season.</p>

<p>We&#8217;ll get to D&#8217;Astous (who has already signed one extension in his brief Lightning career) in a future post, but today&#8217;s focus is on Pontus Holmberg, the 27-year-old forward that signed a two-year, $1.55 million AAV contract with the Lightning last summer after the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to tender him a contract as a restricted free agent. In 70 games last season, Holmberg put up a career-best 11 goals and 31 points. A broken collarbone ended his season prematurely and prevented him from helping the Lightning in the post-season.</p>

<p>He had a pretty even season in terms of point production, recording three or more points in every month except November and April, two months where he missed games due to injuries. December was his big goal-scoring month as he potted five of his eleven goals over a nine-game stretch as the entire team caught fire prior to Christmas. As nice as the offense was, it was his ability to move from his natural center position and join Yanni Gourde and Zemgus Girgensons on the third line that helped the Lightning take off.</p>

<p>While the Lightning were outscored with the trio on the ice at 5v5 (20-18) they actually dominated play the majority of the time they were out there. In the 618 minutes they were together over the course of 63 games, they produced an expected goals edge of 55.65% while posting a 60.85% advantage in high-danger chances. Their expected goals against per 60 of 2.22 was second only to the 1.96 xGA/60 put up by the trio of Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Brayden Point for forward units that played at least 100 minutes together last season. </p>

<p>As the season evolved, Girgensons, Gourde, and Holmberg became a bit of a security blanket for Coach Jon Cooper. He would throw them out there to start periods and after goals to either gain momentum back or keep things rolling. Something they often did by simply hounding the puck in the offensive zone. The 129 high-danger chances the Lightning generated while they were on the ice was the most from any offensive trio. Had they been able to convert their shots at a higher rate than the 7% they posted, they would have been on the right side of that goals scored column.</p>

<p>Holmberg played a huge role in the line&#8217;s success. His ability to carry and shield the puck from opponents was one of his biggest assets (and also earned him the &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/TBLightning/status/1994512686588334396?s=20">Backpack</a>&#8221; nickname from Yanni Gourde). His numbers overall were a bit indicative of the line as a whole. The offensive underperformed a bit, but the defense was top shelf. </p>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="680" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/holmberg-player-card.png?resize=640%2C680&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-24793" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/holmberg-player-card.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/holmberg-player-card.png?resize=282%2C300&amp;ssl=1 282w, https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/holmberg-player-card.png?resize=768%2C816&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure>

<p>Those are solid numbers defensively, and Holmberg was honored with a single fourth-place Selke vote. Hey, it&#8217;s not nothing! </p>

<p>Going into the 2026-27 season, we know that the hard work, the forechecking, and the zone entries will be there. Could we see a bump in his offensive game? It&#8217;s not out of the realm of possibility. Holmberg grew more comfortable in the Lightning&#8217;s system as the season went on, and while the goal scoring may have dried up a bit after January (he had three goals over his last 29 games) he was still generating chances. Over that 29-game drought he still posted a 5.81 ixG at 5v5, the fourth best number on the team during that stretch. His 58 individual scoring chances was tied for third over that time. The kid was trying, but just a little snake-bit at the net.</p>

<p>If he keeps generating chances like that next season, and stays healthy, he could be a nice depth scoring option for the Lightning and give that third line a nice boost. Could he get to the 15-20 goal mark? It&#8217;s not impossible, right? We&#8217;ll find out early in the season how the bottom-six looks. We can assume that early on, Coach Cooper will lean on the combinations that worked defensively last year, but things do change, and maybe Holmberg finds himself paired up with Dominic James or Ilya Mikheyev and they naturally generate a little more offense. </p>

<p>The Lightning are already in a position where they are hoping that Victor Hedman and Brayden Point can bounce back offensively from last season. If that happens, great, but if a player like Holmberg can go from 11 goals to 17 or 18, that&#8217;s a nice little boost further down the line-up. Holmberg has shown some offensive skill in small flashes, and with the right breaks, it wouldn&#8217;t take much for him to make that a more consistent part of his game. </p>

<p>For a player entering a contract year, that would be a nice little boost to the bank account. Right now, AFP Analytics is projecting his next deal to be a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.568 million. Which would be a nice deal for the Lightning, especially if Holmberg takes the next step in his offensive game. That being said, it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising to see him reel in a little bit more. In looking at some similar players to Holmberg that are under contract, we noticed that he shares a lot of similarities as Jason Dickinson.</p>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="527" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/jason-dickinson-comparison.png?resize=640%2C527&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-24795" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/jason-dickinson-comparison.png?w=850&amp;ssl=1 850w, https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/jason-dickinson-comparison.png?resize=300%2C247&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.rawcharge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/jason-dickinson-comparison.png?resize=768%2C632&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure>

<p>Both are strong defensive depth forwards that are slightly below league average when it comes to scoring. After splitting time with Chicago and Edmonton last season, Dickinson signed a five-year deal worth $4 million a season to stay with the Oilers. That might be a bit high for Holmberg, who is a few years younger. It is worth noting that in his age 28 season (2023-24) Dickinson jumped from 9 goals the previous year to 22 the next. He hasn&#8217;t matched that high since, but it shows that a player in the right role can see a dramatic increase in scoring. </p>

<p>Since he is a bit older, we took a look at how they compared over similar ages. The numbers a fairly similar, with a slight edge to Holmberg. </p>

<div class="sr_share_wrap" style="overflow:auto"> <table class="sr_share" id="" data-soc-sum-params="null" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:.83em; border: 1px sold #aaa; overflow:auto;"> <caption>Jason Dickinson (2021-2022) vs. Pontus Holmberg (2025-2026): Skater Totals Table</caption> <colgroup><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col><col></colgroup> <thead> <tr> <th colspan="6" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;"></th> <th colspan="3" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Scoring</th> <th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;"></th> <th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;"></th> <th colspan="4" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Goals</th> <th colspan="3" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Assists</th> <th colspan="2" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Shots</th> <th colspan="2" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Ice Time</th> </tr> <tr> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Rk</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Player</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Age</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">From</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">To</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">GP</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">G</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">A</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">PTS</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">+/-</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">PIM</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">EVG</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">PP</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">SH</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">GWG</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">EV</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">PP</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">SH</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">SOG</th> <th scope="col" data-filter="1" data-name="" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">SPCT</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">TOI</th> <th scope="col" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">ATOI</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody><tr> <th scope="row" csk="1" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">1</th> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; "><a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/d/dickija01.html?utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=Share&amp;utm_campaign=ShareTool" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Jason Dickinson</a></td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">25-26</td> <td csk="2021" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">2020-21</td> <td csk="2022" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">2021-22</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">113</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">12</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">14</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">26</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">-3</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">37</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">12</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">0</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">0</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">2</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">13</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">1</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">0</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">132</td> <td csk="0.0909" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">9.1</td> <td csk="1634.5000" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">1634:30</td> <td csk="867.8761" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">14:28</td> </tr> <tr> <th scope="row" csk="2" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">2</th> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; "><a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/h/holmbpo01.html?utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=Share&amp;utm_campaign=ShareTool" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Pontus Holmberg</a></td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">25-26</td> <td csk="2025" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">2024-25</td> <td csk="2026" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">2025-26</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">138</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">18</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">23</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">41</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">5</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">58</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">17</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">0</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">1</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">2</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">22</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">1</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">0</td> <td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">158</td> <td csk="0.1139" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">11.4</td> <td csk="1795.4500" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">1795:27</td> <td csk="780.6304" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; ">13:01</td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div id="credit_stats_player_comp_rs" style="font-size: 0.83em;" class="sr_share">Provided by <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/sharing.html?utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=Share&amp;utm_campaign=ShareTool">Stathead</a>: <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/hockey/versus-finder.cgi?utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=Share&amp;utm_campaign=ShareTool">Found with Stathead. See Full Results.</a><br>Generated 7/27/2026.</div>

<p>At 26, Dickinson signed a three-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks that had an AAV of $2.65 million, or 3.25% of the salary cap at that time. Now that seems in line with what Holmberg may sign, especially if he agrees to an extension prior to July 1. With the cap expected to rise to $113,500,000 next season, an AAV of $3.689 million would be 3.25% of the cap. We could see Holmberg signing a three-year deal in that range to stay in Tampa.</p>

<p>That would fit into the Lightning&#8217;s plans, even with whatever mega-deal Kucherov ends up signing and give Mr. BriseBois something that he really values &#8211; cost certainty &#8211; for a few seasons. It would also give the Lightning a really solid bottom-six forward who can play on the wing or at center, who at worst, is a shut-down type of defensive player, and at his ceiling could be a 35 to 40 point player who plays excellent defense. </p>

<p>Re-signing Pontus Holmberg prior to July 1, 2027 isn&#8217;t as high up the priority list as signing Nikita Kucherov, but it also wouldn&#8217;t be a bad idea either. </p></p>

<p class="card-text"><a href='https://www.rawcharge.com/pending-lightning-free-agent-could-be-poised-for-a-breakout-season-tampa-bay-pontus-holmberg/' class="btn btn-secondary">Go to website</a></p>

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Raw Charge

On Friday, Team Canada announced their roster for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase. Among the 32 names was Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Czata. For the 19-year-old forward, it’s the first step to making the cut for the World Junior Championship in late December. He’ll join Morgan Anderberg, who was named to the Swedish roster last month, in Windsor for the tournament. Neither the U.S. or Finland will have a representative from the Bolts this season.

<p>The international gathering gives the coaching staff a first look at players who may potentially end up on the final roster for the U20 championship, but it&#8217;s not a guarantee. Czata will be competing for a spot against other top draft picks (as well as a few yet-to-be-drafted players for one of the spots in the line-up. There are also some players, like Gavin McKenna, who might be on the final roster who weren&#8217;t invited to the camp. After all, what does he have to show the top brass that they already don&#8217;t know? </p>

<p>Czata has worn the maple leaf on his jersey already as he put up 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 7 games at the U18 World Championship back in the 2024-25 season (a tournament in which Canada took home the gold). He also has a matching gold medal from the U17 World Hockey Challenge in 2023-24 where he had 4 assists in 8 games. </p>

<p>With his ability to play defense as well as score, the Brampton native could find a nice role in Canada&#8217;s bottom-six as they look to recapture gold at the biggest junior tournament in the hockey world. Last year, with the Niagra IceDogs, Czata had a career-high 25 goals in 63 games. The production led to him being traded this spring to Guelph, as the Storm stack their roster in preparation for hosting the Memorial Cup next spring. </p>

<p>Even if he doesn&#8217;t make the final roster, it will be a big season for the second-round pick. He&#8217;ll have a key role in Guelph, and should their Memorial Cup dreams be dashed early, he will likely join the Syracuse Crunch at the end of the season. He spent a few weeks with them down the stretch this past Spring, appearing in three games without recording a point. Already signed to his entry-level contract, it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising to see him officially turn pro in May, and burn the first year of the contract in a handful of games at the AHL level. </p>

<p>Much like Czata, Anderberg has plenty of international experience at the junior level having also played for in the U18 World Championship in 2024-25, where he picked up a silver medal after scoring one goal in seven games. The 18-year-old also played two games for the U20 team last year (not at the World Juniors, though), which is fairly impressive for a youngster. The quick-skating forward has an excellent chance of making Sweden&#8217;s final roster in December, but how large of a role he plays will be determined.</p>

<p></p></p>

<p class="card-text"><a href='https://www.rawcharge.com/ethan-czata-invited-to-team-canada-summer-showcase-joins-swedens-morgan-anderberg/' class="btn btn-secondary">Go to website</a></p>

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Raw Charge

Part of the fun of free agency is simply the fact that there are new players on the roster. Especially a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning, that has been together, for the most part, for quite a few seasons. Along with the new faces, there are new jersey numbers to learn and get used to on the ice. With the Bolts announcing, in their own creative way, which numbers the latest crop of free agents will be wearing, we also get a chance to remember some players from the past.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="embed-x"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New numbers in town 👀 <a href="https://t.co/Gmd2l6Fenm">pic.twitter.com/Gmd2l6Fenm</a></p>&mdash; Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) <a href="https://x.com/TBLightning/status/2078209981736702438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> </div></figure>

<p><strong>John Carlson &#8211; Number 74</strong></p>

<p>The big right-shot defensemen is going with the number he&#8217;s worn his entire NHL career. Throughout Lightning franchise history, four players have worn it with the most recent being defenseman Sean Day, who sported it for two games in the 2021-22 season. Brantt Myhers was the first to wear it in the 1996-1997 season (after he had sported 27 and 33 in his rookie season) while Nick Tarnasky is the all-time Lightning points leader with that number (11 goals, 9 assists in 169 games).</p>

<p>The most famous Lightning player to wear it was Ondrej Palat, who rocked it in his rookie season of 2012-13 before switching over the more familiar 18 (check out Tyler Johnson&#8217;s number as well).</p>

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Ondrej Palat&#039;s First NHL Goal - March 16th 2013" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HJrLepbsb0U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </div></figure>

<p><strong>Ilya Mikheyev &#8211; 95</strong></p>

<p>The big, fast winger switched to 95 in Chicago after wearing 65 in Toronto and Vancouver. Why the switch? There is a chance that 65 is one of the unofficially &#8220;retired&#8221; numbers in Chicago as it hasn&#8217;t been worn since fan favorite Andrew Shaw sported it from 2012-21. Mikheyev could have switched back to 65 in Tampa as Max Crozier was the last to wear it before changing to 24 last year, but it looks like the Russian is opting to stick with the 95. </p>

<p>It&#8217;s been a month of Leap Year Days since a member of the Lightning took to the ice wearing number 95. One has to go all the way back to the 1995-96 season to find clips of a Bolt skating around with that number. Michel Petit, who wore six different numbers during his 827-game career in the NHL, was the only Tampa Bay to wear 95 in franchise history. </p>

<p>Acquired from the Kings in November of 1995, Petit wore it for 45 games, recording 4 goals and 7 assists during that span. By default, he&#8217;s the only player to wear it in the playoffs, where he had zero points (but 20 penalty minutes) in 6 games against the Flyers. </p>

<p></p>

<p><strong>Dennis Hildeby &#8211; 35</strong></p>

<p>The towering Swedish netminder (whose name comes up on the latest <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GDzZNAsSBc">Backchecking the Bolts</a> podcast) is keeping the number he wore during his 26-game career in Toronto, 35. Honestly, we&#8217;re a bit surprised that this number, which has been worn by nine players in Lightning franchise history, hasn&#8217;t been unofficially retired by the Bolts. After all, it was most famously worn by <s>Dieter Kochan</s> Nikolai Khabibuilin when the Lightning raised their first Stanley Cup. </p>

<p>While there was a five-year break after that, it has been worn by four players since, including the Lightning&#8217;s back-up for their most recent Stanley Cup, Curtis McElhinney. Come to think of it, the Lightning have never won a Stanley Cup without a goaltender wearing the number 35. So, great choice, Dennis Hildeby!</p>

<p><strong>Jeffrey Viel &#8211; 25</strong></p>

<p>Despite only appearing in 99 career NHL games, Viel has racked up a few different sweater numbers. He wore 63 in San Jose, 28 in Winnipeg, 28 and 48 in Boston, before returning to 28 for his brief, but productive, Anaheim career. With Zemgus Girgensons firmly ensconced in that number with the Lightning, Viel is trying out the number 25 for his first season with the Bolts.</p>

<p>Much like Hildeby&#8217;s choice, this number has some significant history in the organization as Dave Andreychuck most famously wore it during his tenure with the Bolts from 2002-2006. It was the number on his back when he skated to center ice in 2004 to lift Lord Stanley&#8217;s trophy over his head, completing the Lightning&#8217;s rise from laughing stocks of the league to champions. </p>

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="2003-04 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 - Cup Presentation" width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V1Lsc-NFOPc?start=128&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </div></figure>

<p>Since then, it has been handed out once, to Matt Carle. The beleaguered defenseman wore it from 2012 to 2016 during his second stint with the Lightning. Other notable players to sport the number 25 were Marc Bergevin and Michael Nylander. </p></p>

<p class="card-text"><a href='https://www.rawcharge.com/new-players-new-numbers-tampa-bay-lightning-john-carlson-ily-mikheyev-dennis-hildeby-jeff-viel/' class="btn btn-secondary">Go to website</a></p>

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Raw Charge

A week ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Syracuse Crunch announced an extension of their affiliation which dates back to 2012. The four-year deal will carry them through the 2029-30 season and continue the longest, and most successful, partnership in Lightning franchise history. On Wednesday, Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon released a statement about the deal on social media:

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="embed-x"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A letter from owner Howard Dolgon about our four-year affiliation extension with the <a href="https://x.com/TBLightning?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TBLightning</a>. ⚡️👊<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/TampaCuse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TampaCuse</a> <a href="https://t.co/gQEOMMDHit">pic.twitter.com/gQEOMMDHit</a></p>&mdash; Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) <a href="https://x.com/SyracuseCrunch/status/2079920148907962433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> </div></figure>

<p>Dolgon alludes to Syracuse as a town that was once referred to as a &#8220;hockey graveyard&#8221; yet that the Crunch have not only survived as an independently-owned AHL franchise for 33 years, but has thrived, especially since linking up with the Lightning in 2012. As he points out, the Crunch have been to the Calder Cup Final twice, made the playoffs almost every season, and have had a stream of future NHL hall of famers (and one head coach) roll through the Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial.</p>

<p>In all, 104 players have suited up for the Lightning and the Crunch, including Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Gabriel Dumont, and Daniel Walcott. Some have spent several seasons in Syracuse before getting the call, others, like Charle-Edouard D&#8217;Astous and Dominic James, have spent just a handful of games there before heading to the NHL.</p>

<p>One thing that players who have spent time in both cities have mentioned during the affiliation with the Lightning, is how professional the set-up in Syracuse is. The workout facilities mirror what is in Tampa, which isn&#8217;t always the case with AHL teams. The Crunch have done their part as well, with players who get called up able to jump into the line-up right away and make an impact. </p>

<p>Having a tight relationship with an affiliate is important to a NHL team as it helps create stability in the organization and level sets expectations for the players as they move through the organization and makes it easier for the parent club to monitor their prospects. While the Lightning have dipped into the AHL well a little more than Syracuse has anticipated over the last few seasons, they&#8217;ve never ignored the needs of the Crunch. Julien BriseBois and Joel Bouchard have worked well together to make sure Syracuse has what it needs to be competitive in a tough AHL North Division.</p>

<p>It is also worth noting that Dolgon mentioned the possibility of a new &#8220;state of the art&#8221; facility for the team. It is worth noting that the Oncenter was built in 1951, which in terms of modern sports facilities basically puts it closer in relevance to the Colosseum in Rome than Benchmark International Arena. </p>

<p></p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hockey News</h2>

<p></p>

<p><strong>How Tampa Bay inspired Stephen Gionta&#8217;s transition to scouting </strong>[<a href="https://www.nhl.com/lightning/news/scouting-report-how-tampa-bay-inspired-nhl-alum-stephen-gionta">Tampa Bay Lightning</a>]</p>

<p>It&#8217;s not always easy to transition to a post-NHL career. For Stephen Gionta, the prospect of working in one of the league&#8217;s top organizations was too big of a draw to ignore when the Lightning&#8217;s current Director of Personnel, Jamie Pushor, called him about a scouting job back in the summer of 2019. </p>

<p><strong>Living Sisu Hockey League</strong> [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABlLU66sEL8">La Poche Bleue YouTube</a>]</p>

<p>Have you missed live hockey with professional players? Well, if you need your fix, it&#8217;s summer hockey league season. Here is some 3-on-3 action. Jeffrey Veal is on one of the teams. Andre Roy is one of the broadcasters. </p>

<p><strong>Delving into a Nikita Kucherov extension</strong> [<a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/delving-into-a-nikita-kucherov-extension-tampa-bay-lightning-free-agency-new-contract/">Raw Charge</a>]</p>

<p>We try and predict how much it&#8217;s going to cost the Lightning to sign Nikita Kucherov. The best we can figure is &#8211; a lot. There aren&#8217;t many players in the league that are in the situation that Kucherov is in, that makes things a little difficult.</p>

<p><strong>Jeffrey Viel ready to embrace Lightning-Panthers rivalry</strong> [<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/jeffrey-viel-ready-to-embrace-lightning-panthers-rivalry-after-joining-tampa-bay">The Hockey News</a>]</p>

<p>The good news is that the Lightning&#8217;s newest grit-guy will have some time to get his feet wet before the Lightning and Panthers meet in the regular season in late November. Then again, they&#8217;ve had some festive pre-season games over the last few years and they meet two times this September before the season gets underway. </p>

<p><strong>&#8220;It&#8217;s just business&#8221;</strong> [<a href="https://www.milehighhockey.com/colorado-avalanche-feature-stories/65434/its-just-business-how-the-nhls-favorite-phrase-shields-organizations-but-buries-players">Mile High Hockey</a>]</p>

<p>The Lightning aren&#8217;t the only team trying to sign a generational talent to a new contract. Out in the thin air of Denver, Colorado Cale Makar needs a new deal, and there is a chance it could be a record breaker. Adrian Hernandez expresses some thoughts on the new player empowerment era.</p>

<p><strong>Thoughts on whatever the hell is going on with the Red Wings</strong> [<a href="https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/thoughts-on-whatever-the-hell-is-going-on-with-the-red-wings-steve-yzerman-dylan-larkin-nhl/">Winging it in Motown</a>]</p>

<p>Speaking of thoughts, things might not be going so well for our friends over at WIIM.</p>

<p></p></p>

<p class="card-text"><a href='https://www.rawcharge.com/lightning-morning-news-crunch-owner-comments-on-the-extension-of-partnership-with-tampa-bay/' class="btn btn-secondary">Go to website</a></p>

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Raw Charge

The NHL draft is over. Free agent frenzy is over. For the most part the Tampa Bay Lightning have put their 2026-27 roster together. So, that means everything is crossed off of Julien BriseBois’ to-do list, right? Kind of. There is one highlighted item left on that list, and while it might not be urgent, getting it done sooner than later will prevent a lot of stress down the road. What is that item that is highlighted, underlined, circled, and written in bold?

<p>Getting an extension done for Nikita Kucherov. </p>

<p>The best player in franchise history is officially on the clock for an extension. As of July 1, he was eligible to sign a new deal as he entered the final year of the 8-year, $76 million that he signed back in July of 2018. That means we are three weeks into the &#8220;Why haven&#8217;t the Lightning signed Nikita Kucherov?&#8221; discourse. Nikita-geddon? Kuch-alypse? Well, sports fans always need something to be on the edge of panic about, right?</p>

<p>Still, it begs the question, why haven&#8217;t the Lightning signed him yet? Surely, Mr. BriseBois learned from the Steven Stamkos saga that putting off signing a franchise icon till the last minute could lead to that icon wearing a mustard yellow sweater instead of Lightning blue. The good news is that it does seem that the two sides have had some exploratory discussions, which, is already one step ahead of where they were with Stamkos. In his post July 1 <a href="https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=season&amp;seasonFrom=20202021&amp;seasonTo=20222023&amp;gameType=2&amp;sort=points,goals,assists&amp;page=0&amp;pageSize=50">discussion with the media</a>, the Lightning general manager was asked about the status of talks with Kucherov and his agent, Dan Milstein. Per Benjamin Pierce, here is what he had to say,</p>

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> <p>“I&#8217;ll reiterate that we would like Nikita to stay here, he would like to stay here,” BriseBois said, adding that this year’s busy trade market around the league and free agency have kept him busy.</p>

<p>That doesn’t mean the Lightning aren’t working toward a Kucherov extension. It remains a top priority and the intention of the franchise to keep him in Tampa, and they’ve been in talks with his agent, Dan Milstein.</p>

<p>“We’ve had chats,” BriseBois said of re-upping Kucherov.</p>

<p>“Just because there wasn&#8217;t a pressing deadline to accomplish something versus these free agents–if you don&#8217;t sign them today, they&#8217;re gone.&#8221;</p> </blockquote> </blockquote>

<p>Kucherov has, as is typical, been silent on the topic. When asked about it at his exit interview he responded with, &#8220;You just gotta ask Julien, I&#8217;m not even thinking about it.&#8221; </p>

<p>Chances are he&#8217;s thought about it a little since then as he&#8217;s returned to the ice and began his usual off-season workouts. Still, there is a better chance that he is leaving the actual discussions up to his agent and general manager. There is a sense that he does enjoy playing in Tampa Bay, and despite their recent postseason struggles, it is a franchise that can best afford him a run at a third Stanley Cup. The big question is, how do they afford him?</p>

<p>Honestly, it&#8217;s not an easy question to answer. There aren&#8217;t a ton of players in his situation that have been free agents. His next deal will kick in with him entering his age 34 season. While the Lightning have some experience signing players in their mid-30s, none have really put up the production he has. Not only have the Lightning not really dealt with a player like this, the rest of the league hasn&#8217;t either. Finding a player in a comparable situation as Nikita Kucherov is not easy. </p>

<p>Usually at 34, a top-tier player is still locked into a longer term deal that they signed at 29 or 30 years old. They aren&#8217;t exiting that deal for a few more seasons. And if they are, they aren&#8217;t producing like Nikita Kucherov has over the last few seasons. In his age 32 season (last year), Kucherov put up 130 points. The only three players that have cracked the 100 point barrier at that age since the 2007-08 season are Kucherov, Mark Scheifele (103 points last season), and Erik Karlsson (101 points in 2022-23).</p>

<p>Scheifele and Karlsson were both locked into long-term contracts when they put up those seasons, so it&#8217;s kind of hard to use them as comparisons for what Kucherov should sign for in his next deal. Add to it that Kucherov is coming off of a season where he is the oldest player to win the Hart Trophy since Dominik Hasek won it at age 32 back in the 1996-97 season (Hasek also won it as a 33-year-old the following year). The last forward to win the Hart at age 32 &#8211; Jean Beliveau for the 1963-64 season. </p>

<p>So, what is Nikita Kucherov&#8217;s value? Normally, by the age of 33 or 34, the unbeatable effects of time have started to take hold. Yet, that doesn&#8217;t seem to be the case with Kycherov. Since his age 30 season he&#8217;s put up 395 points. Since 2007-08, the only other player to crack 300 points in their age 30-32 seasons is Artemi Panarin with exactly 300. Scheifele is next with 262 followed by Blake Wheeler at 256. That&#8217;s a far cry from what Kucherov has done over the past three seasons.</p>

<p>That is all well and good, but the next contract isn&#8217;t about what he&#8217;s done, but what is he going to do. Will he slow down? Will he be 70 or 80% of the player he is now. If he is, he&#8217;ll still be pretty good. Since 07-08 [ed. note &#8211; we&#8217;re using those years because it&#8217;s as far back as Evolving Hockey goes, and they have the best stats by age sorting, and it&#8217;s a good barometer for the modern NHL game] no 34-year-old has put up 100 points in a season. The highest point total &#8211; Marty St. Louis in 09-10 when he scored 94 points for the Bolts. Is there any reason to think that Kucherov will still be churning out 100-point efforts in two seasons? No, not really, especially with the cast of productive characters the Lightning have around him. </p>

<p>It seems a four-year deal would be reasonable for both Kucherov and the Lightning. That would carry him to age 37 and through the 2030-31 season, the same season that sees the end of Jake Guentzel&#8217;s, Brandon Hagel&#8217;s, Anthony Cirelli&#8217;s, Yanni Gourde&#8217;s, JJ Moser&#8217;s, and Erik Cernak&#8217;s deals (oh yeah, Jeffrey Veal&#8217;s as well). There is a nice symmetry there (especially if Andrei Vasilevskiy signs a three-year extension when he is eligible next summer).</p>

<p>What could the Lightning expect out of Kucherov for those four years. The good thing is that there are a few recent examples. Sidney Crosby has put up 362 points in 313 games from age 34 to 37. Anze Kopitar had 278 in 325 games while Alex Ovechkin had 272 in 274 games (with 147 goals). Old friend Marty St. Louis recorded 327 points in 289 games from 2009 to 2013. Kucherov is that level of player so it&#8217;s not unreasonable to think he could put up similar, if not better numbers. </p>

<p>Those stats are all well and good, but doesn&#8217;t answer the question. What kind of deal is Nikita Kucherov going to sign for. In a NHL where Leo Carlsson is making $18.5 million a year and Kirill Kaprizov is making $17 million, how much should Kucherov make? In a just and fair world (i.e. non-salary cap) he should probably be making somewhere in the $25 million a year realm. However, that&#8217;s not the world that exists. </p>

<p>There is a cap, and there are considerations that have to be made. AFP Analytics projects him to make $12 million on a two-year contract. If that is what he is looking for, sign the deal. Do it today, in fact, get a time turner, go back and do it yesterday. Nikita Kucherov at $12 million a season is absolutely a below market deal. </p>

<p>It&#8217;s always hard to know where these projections come from. Again, which player does one use to compare to Kucherov? Performance-wise, Crosby would be a pretty close comparable, but it&#8217;s hard to argue he took fair market value when he signed his extension in 2024. The two-year, $8.7 million deal was at 9.1% of the cap. Yes, he was older (37) but he was productive. Signing such a team-friendly, short-term deal probably isn&#8217;t in the cards.</p>

<p>It seems that the projection most resembles the contract Panarin signed with L.A. earlier this year (2 years, $11 million AAV that represents 10.58% of the current salary cap). Should the cap go up to $113.5 million as projected next season, an equivalent deal would be about $12.01 million per season for Kucherov. </p>

<p>Panarin has aged gracefully in his career, but it&#8217;s been a long time since he&#8217;s been in the Hart Trophy conversation. Honestly, the closest comparison for Kucherov might be the deal his other countryman, Alex Ovechkin, signed back in 2021. Coming off of his massive 13-year deal, The Gr8 One signed a five-year extension with a $9.5 million AAV. At that time, that represented 11.66% of the salary cap. Next year&#8217;s equivalent would be $13.23 million. </p>

<p>Can the Lightning afford a $13 million cap hit? Yes, they can. As of right now they are projected to have about $82.825 wrapped up in cap hits next season. Even without the bump in cap space, they could fit the $13 million in and have room to work. Why is that important? Cap-tagging. Essentially, even though the contract won&#8217;t go into effect until next season, the Lightning can&#8217;t sign a contract that would take them over the current salary cap. It was something that they had to play around with a few seasons ago when Mr. BriseBois was handing out long-term deals like toothbrushes at a dentist&#8217;s office, but the Lightning should be fine.</p>

<p>Would Kucherov accept a deal in the $13 million range? That&#8217;s debatable. Maybe prior to all of the nonsense that has gone on over the last 12 months, starting with Kaprizov&#8217;s extension and going through the Carlsson offer sheet drama. On the open market, it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising if Kucherov could demand $18 or $19 million on a short-term deal. But would it be the right fit? </p>

<p>With taxes and cost of living, $13 million in Tampa is probably closer to $15 or $16 million in New York or California. It still fits within the Lightning&#8217;s budget, so they wouldn&#8217;t have to jettison any of their top players in order to fit him into the line-up, plus JBB would still have wiggle room to keep improving the team. Signing Kucherov to a higher-end deal may handicap another franchise and leave him with less talent to play with. He seems to like playing in Tampa. He knows his teammates here, where they like the puck, what they will do in the offensive zone. Adjusting to an entirely new set of teammates would take some time. Plus, his good buddy Vasy plays here. That always help. </p>

<p>Still, he has pride, right? While it&#8217;s safe to assume he wants to win another Stanley Cup more than anything else, he also wants to be recognized as one of the best in the league. While Ted Lindsey Awards and Hart Trophies are part of that, so is being one of the top-paid players in the league. Taking a team-friendly deal is all well and good, but in the end, there is also some respect with the paycheck. So, it&#8217;s not hard to see that $13 million get bumped up to $15 million. Now, with taxes and cost of living factored in, he&#8217;s in the same ballpark as Kaprizov, Carlsson, Connor Bedard, and Leon Draisaitl. </p>

<p>That seems to feel right. So, our prediction &#8211; 4 years, $14.5 million per season. If Kucherov goes the Crosby route, a six-year, $9.67 million AAV deal basically extends what he is making now and gives the Lightning a tremendous amount of flexibility going forward. Yes, it&#8217;s a long commitment, and probably commits Kucherov to a Lightning line-up that is past it&#8217;s Stanley Cup window, but if he&#8217;s still doing Kucherov-things, perhaps he agrees to a trade for those last two seasons. </p>

<p>Being an absolute unicorn of a player makes this a difficult task for both sides. No matter what he signs for, there is going to be criticism for it being too much or too long. The question Lightning fans should ask themselves is, is an extra million or an extra year worth seeing Kucherov in a different uniform in 2027?</p>

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Raw Charge

One of the biggest stories of the off-season came to a resolution. Kind of. The Dallas Stars and restricted free agent Jason Robertson have agreed to a new contract for next season. Just next season. It’s a one-year deal with a $12 million cap hit. When the deal expires on June 30, Robertson will be an unrestricted free agent. He will be eligible for an extension as of January 1, so expect the trade/contract talk to ramp back up right around that time, especially if the Stars are struggling. It’s been a rough negotiation between the two sides, to the point that Dallas had worked out a trade with Seattle that fell through when Robertson declined a long-term deal with the Kraken that reportedly would have netted him $15 million a season. Dallas isn’t out of the woods just yet. With Robertson under contract they are slightly more than a million dollars over the salary cap. The dragged out negotiations also indirectly led to them having to move young forward Mavrik Bourque to Nashville earlier this month. He has since signed a five-year deal with a $5.5 million AAV. Robertson’s arbitration hearing was set for July 25 so this gives the two sides some more time to iron out a longer-term deal. Hockey News Utah signs John Marino to long-term contract [ Deseret News ] The Mammoth locked in one of their top defensemen with an eight-year, $82.25 million contract. With the clock ticking on eight-year deals (as of September the max term will be seven years for staying with the same team and six years when a player signs with a new team) it will be interesting how many more we see over the next two months. Jet Greaves and Columbus Blue Jackets exchange arbitration numbers [ Sportsnet ] The Blue Jackets and Jet Greaves have wildly different ideas about how much the goaltender will be paid next season. They still have a couple of days to work things out as the arbitration hearing isn’t until Thursday, but there is a $4.7 million chasm between the two sides. Columbus filed at $2.8 million while Greaves is at $7.5 million. There is a good chance they will come to an agreement somewhere in the middle before entering the meeting room. Once the hearing starts the arbitrator has to choose one of the two numbers. Which NHL Draft year makes the best line-up of players traded for first-round picks [ The Athletic ] This is Sean McIndoe’s time of year to shine. The quirky writer spent quite a bit of time looking up trades to find out which draft year could boost the best line-up of players traded for first-round picks. The answer – 2026. Which isn’t a surprise since first-rounders were being swapped like hockey cards over the past few seasons. The Lightning placed one player on the roster – Yanni Gourde. Rangers hiring Quick, Brassard in player development roles [ SNY ] The recently retired Jonathan Quick is joining the Rangers front office as director of goaltending development while Derick Brassard will be a player development assistant. NHL unveils new centralized production for club regional broadcasts [ NHL ] With the demise of the FanDuel Sports Network, several NHL teams were left without regional broadcast agreements. This year the NHL is going to step in and provide centralized production for the Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Wild, and Blues. The teams will still need to find a way to broadcast the games via cable or over-the-air channels as well as streaming options.

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