NHL Rumors: Jake Guentzel, Lightning Agree to New Contract After Hurricanes Trade
Jun 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 07: Carolina Hurricanes Center Jake Guentzel (59) in action during the first overtime in Game 2 of the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Second Round game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers on May 7, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning agreed to a new contract on Sunday, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.
The terms of the deal were not initially known.
The reported contract agreement comes on the same day the Lightning acquired Guentzel's rights from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick.
Latest addition coming to Tampa! ⚡️
We have acquired forward Jake Guentzel from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
As a result, Guentzel's brief tenure with the Hurricanes ended with the team's second-round elimination by the New York Rangers.
The move marks Guentzel's third team in two seasons. He joined the Hurricanes for their playoff run following his trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March.
The Lightning will hope Guentzel is able to adjust to his new team as well as he did to the Hurricanes following the midseason trade.
Despite suffering a brutal rib injury that left him sidelined for three weeks prior to the trade deadline, Guentzel was an instant difference-maker in Carolina. The winger recorded two goals and six assists through his first five games with the Canes.
He went on to finish the regular season with eight goals and 17 assists in 17 games, then added four goals and five assists in 11 playoff contests.
There's plenty of reason to believe Guentzel will continue his consistent production during his age-30 season.
Despite missing 20 games and adjusting to a midseason trade, he finished his eighth NHL season with his fourth straight 30-goal, 70-point campaign.
Guentzel's offense may not have been enough push the Hurricanes past the New York Rangers in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, but it was enough to prove to the Lightning that he could succeed as a top-line winger even away from Sidney Crosby.
After skating on Crosby's wing for seven and a half seasons, Guentzel quickly found chemistry with Sebastian Aho on Carolina's top line.
The veteran winger will be expected to get similar first-line minutes in 2024-25 as a potential linemate for Brayden Point.
NHL Rumors: Jake Guentzel Contract Eyed By Lightning in FA amid Steven Stamkos Buzz
Jun 30, 2024
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 16: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Carolina Hurricanes shoots the puck during the third period against the New York Rangers in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 16, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be pursuing a pending unrestricted free agent that isn't Steven Stamkos.
The Lightning made multiple trades during Day 2 of the 2024 NHL Draft that cleared up significant cap space ahead of NHL Free Agency. While first impressions could indicate it was in an effort to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos, Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported that a different high-level forward may be the franchise's preference.
"Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois did circle back to veteran agent Don Meehan on Saturday regarding pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos, so there's that," Lebrun and Johnston wrote. "But in all likelihood, this is about another potential big move, and league sources point to strong interest from the Bolts in pending UFA Jake Guentzel."
Guentzel split the 2023-24 season between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes, scoring 30 goals and 47 assists in 67 games. This was the highest point-per-game average (1.47) of his career, and he added nine points in 11 games during the Hurricanes run to the Eastern Conference Final.
The 29-year-old has 492 points in 520 games and could be a strong scoring option alongside MVP finalist Nikita Kucherov and All-Star center Brayden Point. He would replace Stamkos, who has been the face of the franchise since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.
Stamkos had 40 goals and 41 assists in 79 games in 2023-24. He has scored 555 goals and has 1,137 points in 1,082 games. He is the franchise leader in goals and points and has won two Stanley Cups with the team.
Despite this, he is 34-year-old and will likely start to decline quicker than Guentzel will. Additionally, Kucherov and Point have become the younger faces of the franchise and ripping the band-aid off may be what is best for all parties.
Should Stamkos hit the free market, he will likely be one of the premier names, as will Guentzel.
NHL Free Agency is set to begin July 1.
Steven Stamkos to Become NHL Free Agent amid Lightning Contract Talks, Agent Says
Jun 28, 2024
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 21: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning prepares for a face-off against the Florida Panthers in Game One of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Amerant Bank Arena on April 21, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Steven Stamkos will enter free agency Monday after 16 seasons and two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning, his agent told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
From Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan, who tells me regarding his client: “He will be a free agent on July 1.” So would appear Stamkos is going to market Monday unless something changes in Tampa’s position. Will have more in a piece today in @TheAthletichttps://t.co/J7jeTeRFOf
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois told reporters Friday that the Lightning had not been able to reach an agreement with Stamkos, although "both sides are still interested in getting a deal done," per team reporter Gabby Shirley.
Stamkos scored 40 goals in during the final year of his previous eight-year, $8.5 million-AAV contract last season. He leads all Lightning players with 555 career goals, 1,137 assists and 1,082 games played.
Stamkos, the No. 1 pick of the 2008 NHL Draft, was named captain of the Lightning at the end of the 2013-14 season.
He played an integral role in the Lightning's 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup wins, as well as the team's trips to the Finals in 2015 and 2022.
His slap shot has made one of the NHL's most potent shooters for over a decade while allowing the Lightning to consistently ice one of the most effective power plays in the league.
Stamkos is one of 81 NHL players in history to play more than 1,000 games with the same franchise, so his leaving the Lightning in free agency would come as a surprise.
But the Lightning captain's public frustration with his extension negotiations date back to before the 2023-24 season, when he said in September that Tampa Bay had yet to speak with him about his new contract.
"To be honest, I've been disappointed in the lack of talk in that regard," Stamkos said during Lightning training camp in September, per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "It was something that I expressed at the end of last year that I wanted to get something done before training camp started. There haven't been any conversations."
At the time, BrisBoise said he needed "to see how this season plays out" before making a decision on Stamkos' contract, per Gulitti.
Stamkos said BriseBois first breached the topic with "a short conversation" after the Lightning was eliminated from the first round in five games by the eventual champion Florida Panthers in May, NHL.com's Corey Long reported.
The Lightning and Stamkos haven't been able to settle on a number since then, likely due to Tampa Bay's cap situation.
After re-acquiring defenseman Ryan McDonagh in May, the Lightning have just over $5.3 million in available cap space for the 2024-25 season, per CapFriendly.
Tampa Bay's cap will be further strained by the upcoming extension for blueliner Victor Hedman, which BriseBois said Friday would be announced "in the coming days," per Shirley.
If BriseBois is hoping Stamkos will ink a team-friendly deal in order to return to Tampa Bay, it looks like he's going to risk losing the long-tenured captain to another club willing to out-bid him for one of the most consistent scorers in the NHL.
Steven Stamkos Contract Key to Lightning's NHL Stanley Cup Hopes Amid FA Rumors
Jun 27, 2024
TAMPA, FL - APRIL 27: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning shoots against Gustav Forsling #42 of the Florida Panthers in Game Four of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 27, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)
Steven Stamkos has been the Tampa Bay Lightning's captain since 2014, and over the past decade, he's helped them remain one of the NHL's top teams. His run as the leader featured back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021, and another appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022.
This year, the Lightning lost a five-game series in the first round to the eventual Cup champion Florida Panthers. But Tampa Bay has the talent to regroup and contend again during the 2024-25 campaign.
In order for that to happen, though, the Lightning can't let Stamkos go.
With the offseason here, one of the big questions is whether Stamkos could leave Tampa Bay after 16 seasons and join a new franchise for the first time in his NHL career. The 34-year-old center is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Monday.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period recently reported that contract talks between Stamkos and the Lightning have continued. However, those discussions led to a situation still described as "status quo" as of Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman shared there's a "realistic scenario" that Stamkos hits the free-agent market before coming to terms on a new deal with Tampa Bay.
"I think the Lightning have known he'd prefer to stay," Friedman said on The Jeff Marek Show. "I think they gamble with that a bit. ... It's not going to be on his terms so much, it's going to be on their terms. So, does any part of him change his mind? Does any part of him say, 'You know what? I'd rather do this on my terms.' So, I don't have the answer to that yet, but I do think there is a scenario where that could happen, yes."
Of course, there's a possibility that Stamkos becomes a UFA and then still returns to Tampa Bay. But his play hasn't slowed down in recent years, and he could be an enticing target for other teams, too.
Stamkos recorded 40 goals and 41 assists in 79 games during the 2023-24 campaign. It marked the third consecutive season in which he tallied at least 81 points, as he's only two years removed from scoring a career-high 106 (2021-22 season).
It would make sense that Stamkos would want to stay with the only team he's played for his entire career, though. He's more than settled with the franchise, and he's now been the captain for more than a decade.
The Lightning shouldn't break the bank to keep Stamkos, but he also shouldn't ask them to do so. There should be a mutual ground that allows the franchise to keep one of its all-time greats, while he can continue to build his legacy and potentially help the team achieve even more success before his career is over.
Tampa Bay should look to make something happen before Monday. But if not, it can't let Stamkos get away in free agency.
The Lightning need their captain back, and Stamkos would again be in a great situation to achieve both individual and team success in the near future by returning for at least another season.
Lightning's Jon Cooper Apologizes for 'Skirts' Remark After 2024 NHL Playoff Loss
May 1, 2024
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 25: Head coach Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning answers questions at a press conference after 5-3 loss against the Florida Panthers in Game Three of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 25, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper apologized Wednesday for previous comments suggesting the league should "put skirts" on goaltenders if certain goaltender interference rulings are going to be made.
"It's one of those minutes if you could just reach back and grab the words back, I would've," he said, per the Associated Press. "Quite frankly, it was wrong and I've got to go and explain myself to my girls. ... I sincerely apologize to all I offended. It's pained me more than the actual series loss itself."
He made the initial comments following Tampa Bay's season-ending 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.
The Lightning had two goals taken off the board when the officials ruled that players interfered with Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
"We might as well put skirts on them then," Cooper said. "... I think we're letting the goalies off the hook."
"We might has well put skirts on them then... I think we're letting the goalies off the hook."
Lightning coach Jon Cooper weighs in with his perspective on the two disallowed goals tonight and the impact those decisions had on the game. pic.twitter.com/FD1hewDsbC
— Lightning on FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Lightning) April 30, 2024
— shireenahmed.bsky.social (@_shireenahmed_) April 30, 2024
Cooper needs to explain the “skirt” comments to the hundreds of girls and women that play hockey in the Tampa area. At best carelessly sexist language. https://t.co/lAk8zucBQF
— Panther Pourri: A Florida Hockey Now Podcast (@PantherPourri) April 30, 2024
Yet he apologized for them Wednesday with the Lightning in the early stages of the offseason after losing the series 4-1.
While Florida won Game 5 with relative ease, Cooper also called the goaltender interference calls turning points. The first came when the game was scoreless and the second eliminated a goal that would have tied the contest at two in the second period.
The 2023-24 season was Cooper's 12th season as the head coach of the Lightning. The team has won two championships and reached four Stanley Cup Finals during his tenure.
NHL Fans Troll End of Lightning Dynasty After Panthers Clinch Playoff Series Win
Apr 30, 2024
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - APRIL 29: Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning defends the net against Sam Reinhart #13 of the Florida Panthers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Amerant Bank Arena on April 29, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Lightning's season is over after losing Game 5 against the Florida Panthers 6-1 on Monday.
After going down 3-0 in the series, the Lightning managed to get a win in Game 4, but they weren't able to rally to force a Game 6 and have now been eliminated from the playoffs.
Tampa Bay had two goals called back in the game, though those goals wouldn't have made much of a difference as the Panthers put four goals on the board in the final period to make it a comfortable win.
With the loss, NHL fans now claim that the Panthers have officially ended the Lightning dynasty.
Steven Stamkos was the last Bolts player to leave the ice...
GOODBYE TO THE ENTIRE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING “DYNASTY” WAR IS FINALLY OVER GOODBYEEEEEE NOBODY WILL MISS YOUR CIRCUMVENTION AND CHEATING GOODBYYEEEEEEEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/0mR8raZSUd
Watching the Tampa Bay dynasty come to a close in real time is so crazy. Hockey was blessed to see this team, not sure when the league will see it again
The Lightning have had an outstanding run over the last five years with a pair of Stanley Cup titles and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2022, but after a back-to-back first-round exits, it might be time to declare it the end of Tampa Bay's dynasty.
Things looked promising for the Lightning heading into the postseason as they were one of the hottest teams in the NHL, but they couldn't carry that momentum into the postseason as the Panthers handled business.
Now Florida will look to form a dynasty of its own. The Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago and seem poised to make a big run again this year.
NHL Playoff Picture 2024: Maple Leafs, Lightning Clinch Spots; Updated Standings
Apr 6, 2024
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 3: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes part in warm ups before playing the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena on April 3, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning are officially headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Following losses by the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals, the Maple Leafs punched their ticket to the playoffs. The Detroit Red Wings' defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers also allowed Tampa Bay to secure its spot.
Here's a look at the updated NHL standings following the Maple Leafs and Lightning clinching their respective playoff berths.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins: 45-17-15, 105 points (Clinched playoffs)
Vancouver Canucks: 47-21-8, 102 points (Clinched playoffs)
Edmonton Oilers: 45-24-5, 95 points
Vegas Golden Knights: 42-25-8, 92 points
Wild-Card Race
Nashville Predators: 44-28-4, 92 points
Los Angeles Kings: 40-25-11, 91 points
St. Louis Blues: 40-32-4, 84 points
Minnesota Wild: 36-30-9, 81 points
Seattle Kraken: 31-31-13, 75 points
Calgary Flames: 34-36-5, 73 points
Arizona Coyotes: 31-39-5, 67 points
Anaheim Ducks: 25-47-4, 54 points (Eliminated from playoff contention)
Chicago Blackhawks: 22-48-5, 49 points (Eliminated from playoff contention)
San Jose Sharks: 17-50-8, 42 points (Eliminated from playoff contention)
Toronto center Auston Matthews leads the team with 99 points, while his 63 goals are the most of any NHL player. William Nylander is right behind Matthews for the team lead in points, recording 95 of his own which includes 55 assists.
Goaltender Ilya Samsonov has notched 21 wins compared to just six losses, continuing his strong second half of the season.
The Lightning booked their seventh straight trip to the playoffs and will look to make it further after a first-round defeat in 2023. Tampa Bay had reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the previous three seasons.
In the team's 2023-24 campaign, forward Nikita Kucherov holds the NHL lead with 133 points. This includes 43 goals and 90 assists in 75 games played.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has also performed admirably after missing the start of the season after undergoing back surgery, owning a record of 29-17-2. He's allowed 133 total goals in his 48 appearances while recording 1,216 saves.
The Lightning have hit their stride as of late, winning 10 of their past 12 games.
As for the Maple Leafs, they currently hold a record of 43-23-9. They secured their eighth straight playoff appearance on Friday after their Stanley Cup hopes ended in the second round of the playoffs in 2023.
The Maple Leafs will be seeking their 14th Stanley Cup, while the Lightning will attempt to win their fourth cup.
With the NHL trade deadline approaching on March 8, business is starting to pick up. Not actual trades, but rather the discussion about potential deals. And…
Legend Steven Stamkos Won't Be Traded by Lightning at Deadline amid NHL Rumors
Jan 16, 2024
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 09: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightninglooks to pass in the second period during a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Amalie Arena on January 09, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois insisted Tuesday that superstar forward and team captain Steven Stamkos will not be dealt before the March 8 trade deadline.
According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, BriseBois said: "Steven Stamkos is not getting traded so we can put that one to bed. That is not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances."
Stamkos is currently set to become a free agent at the end of the season, and while BriseBois said he envisions Stamkos on the team beyond this season, he also noted that negotiations for a new contract won't continue until the offseason, per Smith.
During an episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast last month, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said teams were "going to call" the Lightning and inquire about Stamkos' availability.
Stamkos, 33, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NHL draft, and he has spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Lightning.
Born in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Stamkos has gone on to become one of the best and most accomplished players of his generation.
Stamkos is a seven-time All-Star, a two-time winner of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer and a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
Entering play Tuesday, Stamkos had 533 goals and 564 assists for 1,097 points in 1,044 career regular-season games to his credit. That ranks him first in Lightning history in goals and points, and second in assists behind only Martin St. Louis.
Even as he quickly approaches two decades in the NHL, the future Hall of Famer remains a highly productive player.
Two seasons ago, Stamkos scored 42 goals and had a career-high 106 points. He followed that up last season with 34 goals and 50 assists for 84 points.
Stamkos is on a point-per-game pace this season, recording 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points in 41 contests.
Even so, Stamkos hasn't quite performed to his usual level, as he has a minus-20 rating, which is on pace to be the worst plus/minus rating of his entire NHL career.
The Lightning have also fallen below expectations as a team, as their 49 points have them tied with the Detroit Red Wings for fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.
Still, the Bolts are just one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, and they hold the second and final wild-card spot in the East.
Tampa Bay is a supremely talented and veteran-laden team led by the likes of forwards Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, defenseman Viktor Hedman and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Because of that, the Lightning are far more likely to add than subtract at the trade deadline in hopes of making one more run at the Cup.
That could result in the Lightning losing Stamkos for nothing in free agency during the offseason, but he is likely more valuable to them as part of a playoff run than as a trade chip.
3 Lightning Goaltending Trade Targets amid NHL Rumors, Andrei Vasilevskiy Injury
Oct 4, 2023
MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 29: Look on Montreal Canadiens goalie Cayden Primeau (30) during the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 29, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Lightning enter the 2023-24 season without star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy due to injury, and now the franchise faces questions about how they will replace him.
Vasilevskiy underwent surgery to repair a lumbar disc herniation in his back and is expected to miss the first two months of the regular season.
That leaves Tampa Bay with Jonas Johansson, Matt Tomkins and Hugo Alnefelt in the crease, which is not ideal for a team with championship aspirations. The trio has combined for just 36 career NHL games, with Johansson having appeared in 35 games across four seasons and Alnefelt having appeared in one game for the Lightning during the 2021-22 campaign.
The Lightning can't afford to have a mediocre goaltending tandem to begin the year as the Atlantic Division playoff race is expected to be closer than it has been in the last few seasons.
That said, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun noted on Sept. 28 that "everything is on the table" for the Lightning in terms of their goaltending situation. So, let's take a look at a few potential trade candidates with the regular season right around the corner.
Daniel Vladar, Calgary Flames
Flames goaltender Daniel Vladar has 55 games of NHL experience under his belt and he is considered one of the top up and coming goaltenders in the NHL after two seasons in Calgary.
However, Vladar's name has circulated in trade rumors this offseason as the Flames also have Jacob Markstrom and Dustin Wolf available in the blue paint. Those rumors have led to speculation about whether or not Vladar could be an option for the Lightning.
At first glance, Vladar would be a solid option for the Bolts. During the 2022-23 season, he posted a 14-6-5 record with a 2.87 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in 27 games (23 starts). His save percentage wasn't great, but there's plenty of room for growth with the 26-year-old.
While Vladar should most definitely be an option for the Lightning, there are some issues the organization would have to tackle in any move for the netminder.
Tampa Bay has minimal cap space and while it will get relief by putting Vasilevskiy and his $9.5 million average annual value on injured reserve, it likely wouldn't have room to accommodate Vladar's $2.2 million cap hit once the veteran returns to the lineup.
The Lightning could try to trade one of Johansson, Tomkins or Alnefelt, but that alone wouldn't clear enough cap space for the team to pursue a trade for Vladar and they would likely have to part ways with additional assets.
So while Vladar seems to be an option, it's important to keep in mind that the Bolts have a few hoops to jump through if they hope to bring him from Calgary to Tampa Bay.
Cayden Primeau, Montreal Canadiens
Much like Vladar, Cayden Primeau's status with the Montreal Canadiens remains up in the air as the franchise already has Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault on the roster.
Additionally, the Canadiens could end up losing Primeau for nothing if they opt not to carry three goaltenders on their roster in 2023-24, making him a prime trade candidate for a team like the Lightning.
Primeau has limited NHL experience, having appeared in 24 games across four seasons, and while he hasn't performed the best in his short stints in Montreal—3-12-2 record with a 4.11 goals-against average and .871 save percentage—he's just 24 years old and has plenty of upside.
Additionally, Primeau isn't nearly as expensive as Vladar. He boasts an $890,000 cap hit, which is something Tampa Bay could make work.
Primeau likely wouldn't serve as the Lighting's starting goaltender if acquired, but he could be a solid backup to Johansson.
Louis Domingue, New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have a plethora of goaltenders available with Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick and Louis Domingue, whom the Lightning are all too familiar with, on the roster.
Domingue spent a season and a half with the Bolts from 2017-19 and it's worth wondering whether Tampa Bay would be interested in bringing him back.
Quick is in line to be Shesterkin's backup, which means Domingue could be available, either via trade or on the waiver market ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
Domingue was solid in his stint in Tampa Bay, appearing in 38 games for the Lightning as a backup to Vasilevskiy, posting a 28-8-1 record with a 2.88 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
Since his days in Tampa, Domingue has suited up for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and most recently the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he spent the 2021-22 campaign.
Domingue spent the 2022-23 campaign in the AHL, but he has been respectable at the NHL level boasting a .905 save percentage in 142 career NHL games.
Additionally, Domingue only has a $775,000 cap hit, which would be easier for the Lightning to fit under the salary cap.
Given the familiarity with Domingue's game and his performance over the last several seasons, Tampa Bay could take a swing at the veteran as they continue to explore their options.
