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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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>

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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>

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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>

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<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>

<p></p></p>

<p class="card-text"><a href='https://www.rawcharge.com/delving-into-a-nikita-kucherov-extension-tampa-bay-lightning-free-agency-new-contract/' class="btn btn-secondary">Go to website</a></p>

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