The Lightning took care of one of their restricted free agents today, announcing the re-signing of Boris Katchouk to a three-year contract while also confirming the previously-reported three-year deal to Taylor Raddysh. Both players will have deals with a $758K AAV that is a two-way contract for next season and then converts to a one-way pact for the final two years. That means the NHL salary in each year of the deal will be the league minimum – $750K in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and $775K in 2023-24.
Katchouk, 23, was a second-round pick of Tampa Bay back in 2016 (44th overall) but he has yet to play in the NHL. Last season, he posted a career-best 34 points in just 29 games with AHL Syracuse, notable considering that his previous career-high of 32 points came in 60 games back in 2019-20. That has helped him secure two one-way seasons without even playing an NHL game which doesn’t often happen.
Of course, Tampa Bay’s cap situation plays a role in that. Katchouk, along with Raddysh and Alex Barre-Boulet whose identically structured deal was announced earlier in the week, figures to be a regular with the Lightning before long as they won’t be able to afford more than players making close to the minimum salary to round out their roster. To get that low-AAV guarantee for three years means they needed to guarantee an NHL salary for two of them as an incentive to sign now. As long as Katchouk and the others play reasonably well, it’ll be a low-cost gamble to make.
The Lightning now have just two players left to re-sign in AHL defenseman Sean Day plus center Ross Colton who is arbitration-eligible. The deadline for filing for a hearing is tomorrow so a decision will need to be made on that front soon.
The Bolts still have a nice pipeline of talent on the horizon who will augment their top tier talent as the cap is managed and they stay competitive. Look for another cup winner or two in the next four years or so.