The Tampa Bay Lightning are still busy trying to win the Stanley Cup, but the front office is working for the future as well. Alex Green has been signed to a two-year, entry-level contract, ending his college career at Cornell University after three seasons. Green’s contract will begin in the 2020-21 season.
Green, 22, could be another late-bloomer for the Lightning after growing into a leadership role at Cornell. Selected 121st overall in 2018, the tall lanky defenseman scored seven goals and 16 points in 29 games this season while earning the ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman award.
That’s not to say he’ll step right into the NHL, but Green should be a regular in the Syracuse Crunch lineup whenever the 2020-21 season gets underway. If he can continue to use his tight gap control and long reach to shut down rushes, the Lightning already have more than enough offensive weapons on the back end. Tampa Bay has been so good at finding mid-round talent and developing it into NHL depth that no one should be surprised to see Green’s name on a scoresheet before his entry-level deal is up.