Lightning: Odds That Each Pending UFA Gets a Contract Extension

3 years ago  /  The Hockey Writers  /  Read Time: 4 minutes 44 seconds

• As the Tampa Bay Lightning navigate their way through the remainder of the 2020-21 regular season, let’s take a look towards the near future called the 2021 offseason.
• Many of their RFA’s are complementary players who will likely receive minor pay-raises if they are kept around the franchise.As the Tampa Bay Lightning make a push towards the 2021 Playoffs, general manager Julien BriseBois should already be looking towards how he will attempt to re-sign key Unrestricted Free-Agents (UFA’s) while balancing the team’s precarious cap situation.
• Many veteran players who were acquired through trade are now reaching the end of their contracts, and BriseBois will have to decide if he can find the money to re-sign these players or if he will have to let them walk away in the offseason.
• Ultimately, these trades worked out, as the Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup with both players contributing key minutes on the third line.
• If they had the space available, the Lightning would love to keep him around, but even at the low end of that range, it will be hard to make that fit under the cap.
• On defense, the Lightning also have two big-name players who will be UFA’s this offseason.
• So, it would make sense for the franchise to walk away from him this offseason to give their youth more of an opportunity to play, unless if he is willing to re-sign at a league minimum contract.
• Of course, the Lightning have more players to re-sign or replace this offseason.
• I could also see stopgap starters like Gemel Smith, Ben Thomas and any of the additional taxi-squad players depart Tampa Bay as the option to stash them without affecting the cap will likely go away for 2021-22.

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