July 22: The Lightning have officially announced the three-year contract.
July 21: The Tampa Bay Lightning nabbed one of the top overage selections available in the 2022 NHL Draft, and now they’ve signed him to his entry-level contract. Per CapFriendly, the Lightning signed Lucas Edmonds to a three-year entry-level deal carrying an $861,667 cap hit. The contract breakdown is as follows:
2022-23: $750K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $105K GP bonus
2023-24: $775K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K GP bonus
2024-25: $775K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K GP bonus
The 21-year-old Edmonds got on teams’ draft radars this season when he returned to North America after spending the majority of his development in Sweden. He never really excelled in the Swedish junior ranks, and he couldn’t latch on to a role last season when given the professional opportunity in Sweden’s second-tier league. A move to Kingston in the OHL though, playing on the same team as fourth-overall pick Shane Wright, unlocked Edmonds’ offensive production. In 68 games, the playmaking winger rocketed to the top of the scoring list with 113 points in 68 games, with 79 of those points coming in the form of assists.
Edmonds’ projection is a bit fuzzy, as while he did exhibit potential this season, he was playing against players in lower age classes as an overage player in the OHL as well. It must have been enough to convince Tampa’s scouting department, though, as they took him inside the top 100 selections at 86th overall.
With Edmonds unable to return to juniors, he’s likely destined to make his professional debut for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch next season.