PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up is the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Cap Hit: $86,676,870 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Conor Geekie (three years, $886.7K)
D Emil Lilleberg (one year, $870K)

Potential Bonuses
Geekie: $525K
Lilleberg: $80K
Total: $605K

Geekie was a key pickup in the Mikhail Sergachev trade back at the draft.  He spent the first half of the season with the big club but was sent down after struggling.  That makes it unlikely that he reaches his ‘A’ bonuses while at this point, a low-cost second contract seems likely unless he can establish himself as a core piece over the next two years.

Lilleberg has already signed an extension so we’ll cover that later on.  For here, it’s worth noting that his bonuses are tied to games played so he’ll hit most if not all of his number.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Cam Atkinson ($900K, UFA)
F Michael Eyssimont ($800K, UFA)
F Luke Glendening ($800K, UFA)
F Gage Goncalves ($775K, RFA)
G Jonas Johansson ($775K, UFA)
D Nicklaus Perbix ($1.125MM, UFA)

After being bought out by Philadelphia, Atkinson was a low-cost flyer to see if he could provide Tampa Bay with some depth scoring.  That hasn’t happened and at this point, it’d be surprising to see him land a guaranteed contract this summer.  If so – or if he earns one off a PTO – it’s likely to be for the minimum.  Glendening has been as advertised – a reliable faceoff player who can kill penalties but brings little offense to the table.  There’s still a role for him beyond this year but it’s likely to be at or near the minimum of $775K once again.

Eyssimont had a breakout effort last season, notching 25 points despite playing primarily in their bottom six (often the fourth line).  He hasn’t been able to produce at a similar rate this year which will hurt him a bit on the open market.  Even so, as a fourth liner who can play with some jam and bring potentially a little offensive upside, he could jump closer to the $1.3MM range on his next contract.  Goncalves has cleared waivers twice already but has spent more time with the Lightning than the Crunch so far.  He has arbitration rights which could give the Lightning pause if they think a hearing could push him past the $1MM mark or so but he’s a candidate to take less than his qualifying offer of around $813K for a higher AHL salary or even a one-way NHL salary.

Perbix is the most notable of Tampa Bay’s pending free agents.  While he has largely had a limited role this season, he had 24 points last year while logging a little over 17 minutes a night.  Considering he’s still young (he’ll be 27 in June), big (6’4), and a right-shot player, his market could grow quickly from teams looking for a depth addition with a little upside, meaning that more than doubling this price could be doable.

Johansson remains a below-average NHL netminder but that’s something the Lightning knew when they signed him in 2023.  The goal for them was getting someone at the minimum salary.  Johansson’s staying power could give him a shot at a few more dollars but he’ll remain in the six-figure range.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Mitchell Chaffee ($800K, UFA)
D Ryan McDonagh ($6.75MM, UFA)
D J.J. Moser ($3.375MM, RFA)
D Darren Raddysh ($975K, UFA)
F Conor Sheary ($2MM, UFA)

Sheary received this deal coming off two strong years with Washington but things haven’t gone anywhere near as well with the Lightning.  He scored just four goals last season and has spent most of this year in the minors, carrying a pro-rated $850K charge while down there.  He’s a buyout candidate this summer although they could elect to hold onto him and take the $850K charge again next year instead of putting some money onto the 2026-27 books.  Chaffee has established himself as a regular on the fourth line and is in a similar situation as Eyssimont was a year ago.  Assuming that keeps up, he could push to land a $500K raise or so in 2026.

McDonagh’s contract was once deemed too expensive for Tampa Bay which resulted in them moving him to Nashville in 2022 for a very minimal return.  Two years later, they gave up more value to reacquire the final two seasons of the agreement which is something you don’t see too often.  But it reflects the need they had to bring in a veteran dependable defender which is what McDonagh is at this point of his career.  He’s not a true top-pairing piece at this stage of his career nor is he enough of an offensive threat to provide value relative to his price tag.  But if he can still hold down at least a top-four spot by the end of next season, he could still land a contract in the $4MM to $5MM range, perhaps a one-year deal which would allow for some incentives.

Moser was another piece of note in the Sergachev trade after being one of the more underrated blueliners with Arizona.  The structure of the bridge deal gives him a $4.075MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights and assuming he’s still a full-timer in Tampa’s top four, he seems like a strong candidate to push past the $5MM mark on his next contract.  Raddysh has become a capable producer of secondary scoring from the back end although he gives some of that back with his defensive play.  Those players don’t always have the best markets year-to-year but barring a big drop in performance or playing time, he should be able to double this at a minimum in 2026.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Zemgus Girgensons ($850K, UFA)
F Nikita Kucherov ($9.5MM, UFA)
D Emil Lilleberg ($800K in 2025-26 and 2026-27, RFA)

Kucherov continues to be one of the top point-producing forwards in the NHL.  He’s around $2MM below the highest-paid winger (Artemi Panarin) but that’s about to change with this upcoming UFA crop which will only widen that gap and give Tampa Bay even better value in the short term.  Assuming he doesn’t slow down over the next three years, he could be someone conceivably pushing for a deal in the $14MM range himself even at 34.  Girgensons saw his production drop in the last couple of years with Buffalo but it has cratered even more this year.  Still, he’s a capable penalty killer and can play with some grit.  That for $100K above the minimum isn’t bad value.

Lilleberg’s new deal is actually a dip in pay off his entry-level pact but gives him guaranteed money via a one-way salary no matter what.  Assuming he remains a regular with the Lightning during that time, his arbitration eligibility could put him in line to double (or even triple) that price tag on his next contract.

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Sticking to the deadline approach he shared yesterday, general manager Barry Trotz has acquired a forward with NHL experience who can fill in should the Predators move out multiple forward pieces. There are non-subtle expectations Nashville will be one of the aggressive sellers during this year’s deadline season, and Ylönen provides a quality depth option for that approach.

Despite playing the entire year with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Ylönen is a veteran of 111 games at the NHL level — all with the Montreal Canadiens. After debuting with the Canadiens on May 12, 2021, Ylönen scored 11 goals and 29 points in Montreal before signing on with the Lightning this past summer as an unrestricted free agent. He was recalled on February 22nd by the Lightning but only served as a practice player for Tampa Bay’s returning members of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The lack of NHL minutes hasn’t hindered his production this season as Ylönen’s recorded eight goals and 25 points in 47 games for the Crunch. That production puts the Scottsdale, AZ native third on the team in scoring and would make him tied for seventh on the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

Meanwhile, Angello heads east to join the fourth organization of his professional career. The former fifth-round pick of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins is a veteran of 320 games at the AHL level split between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Springfield Thunders, and Admirals. He’s managed 68 goals and 133 points over that stretch and 307 PIMs. Angello isn’t a stranger to the NHL either, scoring three goals and five points in 31 games for Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2022.

Tomkins’ demotion is a positive sign for the availability of their usual No. 2 option, Jonas Johansson. The 29-year-old remains on the roster but hasn’t played since Jan. 28, missing eight games with a lower-body injury. Tomkins and Brandon Halverson have rotated in as Andrei Vasilevskiy’s backup in his absence, although neither has seen game action since Johansson got hurt.

The 30-year-old Tomkins is in his second season in the Tampa organization after inking a two-year, two-way deal early in the 2023 offseason. He’s served as their third-stringer throughout. He hasn’t seen any NHL action this year and only made six appearances in 2023-24 – the first of his NHL career. He posted a 3-2-1 record with a below-average .892 SV% and 3.33 GAA but stopped 0.4 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

Things have mainly gone well for Tomkins in Syracuse this season, fueled by a recent hot streak. He’s not played quite as much as Halverson but has nearly matched him in SV% (.911) with a 2.54 GAA and a 9-9-4 record in 22 appearances with three shutouts. It’s an overall improvement on last season’s numbers on the farm when he logged a .904 SV% and 2.53 GAA in 29 games for Syracuse with a 15-12-2 record.

While he’ll make way for Johansson’s return, the latter hasn’t outplayed Tomkins significantly. Since arriving in Tampa for the 2023-24 campaign, Johansson has managed just a .890 SV% and 3.33 GAA in 36 starts and three relief appearances, combining for 12.2 goals allowed above expected across a year and a half. Before his injury this year, he’d logged a .892 SV% and 3.24 GAA in 13 showings behind Vasilevskiy.

The backup netminder position hasn’t been a concern in Tampa for nearly a decade, given Vasilevskiy’s increasingly rare ability to remain a top-tier netminder while making 60-plus starts. Johansson’s underwhelming play likely isn’t a massive influence on the Bolts’ deadline plans. However, it’s reasonable to assume they could look to at least add another depth option to complement him, Halverson, and Tomkins heading into the postseason should Vasilevskiy sustain an injury.

Today’s roster move marks Tomkins’ third call-up since the end of January. It hasn’t made too much of a difference for him personally, as Tomkins still hasn’t stepped on the ice for the Lightning outside of practice and warm-ups.

He’s spent the 2024-25 season as the ’1B’ option with AHL Syracuse. Splitting the crease with the impressive Brandon Halverson, Tomkins has managed a 9-9-5 record in 22 games with a .911 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average including three shutouts.

It’s objectively been the best professional year of his career up to this point. Unfortunately, being 30 years old, Tomkins doesn’t have much long-term value within the Lightning organization.

Given Johansson’s injury struggles of late, and the pair of older options in the AHL, goaltending could become a secondary focus for the Lightning at the trade deadline. Tampa Bay has a more pressing need at the forward position but the team may look to improve their backup option. Fortunately, the Lightning have the privilege of deploying Andrei Vasilevskiy on most nights, who’s no stranger to playing in 60 or more games a season.

Friday: Ahead of their return to regular season hockey on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning are bringing a depth forward to the NHL level. The Lightning announced they’d recalled forward Jesse Ylönen from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and he could debut with the team against the Seattle Kraken.

Still, there’s a decent chance Ylönen won’t debut either. Tampa Bay is likely without forwards Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli due to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship contest yesterday so Ylönen may serve as a practice player for a day or two.

Ylönen signed a one-year, $775K contract with the Lightning last offseason after spending the first four years of his North American career in the Montreal Canadiens organization. The Scottsdale, AZ native scored 12 goals and 29 points in 112 games in Montreal including another 34 goals and 85 points in 120 games with their affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Due to the depth and health of their forward core, Tampa Bay hasn’t had much use for Ylönen at the NHL level this season. This has allowed him plenty of playing time with the Crunch, scoring eight goals and 25 points in 47 games. That offensive production is good for third in scoring on the team putting Ylönen 11 points shy of his career-high output in a lone AHL campaign.

After a significant roster overhaul last offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning are chasing their fourth Stanley Cup Final appearance in six years. Whether they reclaim the Atlantic Division title or settle for the Eastern Conference’s top wild-card spot, they are poised for a tough first-round matchup against the Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams have eliminated Tampa Bay in consecutive postseasons, fueling the Lightning’s quest to reassert their dominance in the league’s most competitive division.

Record

31-20-4, 3rd in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyers

Deadline Cap Space

$6.122MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 43/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: LA 2nd, TOR 2nd, EDM 4th, TB 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, MIN 7th, SJ 7th, TB 7th, UTA 7th
2026: TB 1st, TB 2nd, TB 3rd, TB 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, TB 7th

Trade Chips

What Tampa Bay lacks in draft capital quality, they make up for in quantity. The Lightning won’t have their 2025 first-round pick thanks to the Tanner Jeannot trade with the Nashville Predators a few years ago and the two second-round picks they have are expected to fall in the back half of the round. Still, having 17 draft selections over two years is enough to add a few sweeteners to proposed deals while retaining their ability to boost their organizational depth.

Tampa Bay’s prospect depth may be enough to stave off dealing roster players. Although he was recently reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, it’s highly unlikely the Lightning will include forward Conor Geekie in any trade negotiations during deadline season. However, there are a few more forward prospects they could move.

One year after being a point-per-game player with the NCAA’s Michigan State University Spartans, Isaac Howard is going for the Hobey Baker Award. The former 31st overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has scored 22 goals and 43 points in 30 games for the Spartans this season good for second in points among college players. Given his exceptional play in East Lansing, Howard would be a commanding centerpiece if the Lightning go big-game hunting.

Other prospects include Ethan Gauthier, Dylan Duke, and Niko Huuhtanen for various reasons. There’s a dramatic drop-off in quality beyond Huuhtanen but the former two offer appeal in varying ways. Gauthier was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2021 QMJHL Draft and has developed into an above-average playmaker for the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Duke is a high-motor forward who’s become an annoying pest in front of the net although he’s undersized for his playstyle.

Given their team needs, the Lightning will likely keep all five of their top prospects. Still, each of Tampa Bay’s core forwards (aside from Nikita Kucherov) is signed beyond the 2027-28 season, making the Lightning well-positioned to mortgage their future on offense for more immediate needs.

Team Needs

1)  Bottom-Six Forwards: Although the Lightning should already be considered one of the few true Stanley Cup contenders, they still need a few bottom-six forwards. The combination of Michael Eyssimont, Cam Atkinson, Gage Goncalves, Luke Glendening, and Zemgus Girgensons has averaged approximately two goals and six points in 46 games with a -3 rating. The easiest pathway for Tampa Bay to improve this area of their roster is by contacting the Seattle Kraken. If the Kraken retained 50% of both players’ salaries, the Lightning could afford forwards Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde at the deadline. Gourde is familiar with the organization and should come off the LTIR near the end of March. Tanev is another defensive-minded forward who would add explosive speed to Tampa Bay’s bottom six.

2)  A Backup Goaltender: The Lightning could also use a more capable backup netminder. Jonas Johansson has been less than average in his role, earning a .890 save percentage and a 3.33 goals-against average in 39 games for Tampa Bay. Thankfully, the Lightning have one of the world’s best goaltenders in Andrei Vasilevskiy who can play between 55 and 60 games of the regular season. Still, when recovering from back surgery at the beginning of last season, Tampa Bay went 9-6-5 without Vasilevskiy before going 36-23-3 upon his return. Either Alexandar Georgiev or Vitek Vanecek of the San Jose Sharks would be affordable backup options for the rest of the season as injury insurance for Vasilevskiy.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

• The Blues announced Thursday they’ve called up forward Zachary Bolduc from AHL Springfield. The move was widely expected after they assigned him to the minors for the first time this season at the beginning of the 4 Nations break to get playing time while St. Louis was off. The 2021 first-round pick rejoins the club after posting 6-12–18 with a +10 rating through 46 games to begin the year. Bolduc, 21, posted a pair of assists and a minus-three rating in four games with Springfield over the last two weeks.
• The Devils announced they’d recalled goaltender Nico Daws from AHL Utica and reassigned forward Chase Stillman to Utica and goalie Tyler Brennan to ECHL Adirondack in corresponding transactions. Brennan and Stillman were recalled Tuesday to practice with the Devils while some of their players were returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off and were expected to return to their respective minor-league clubs in the coming days. Daws comes back up to serve as Jake Allen’s backup coming out of the break until starter Jacob Markström is ready to return from his MCL sprain, which is set to keep him out for another two weeks. The 24-year-old won his only start of the season against the Penguins on Feb. 4, stopping 25 of 27 shots for a .926 SV%. He also saved all seven shots he faced in relief of Allen against the Sabres on Feb. 2.
• The Lightning announced they’ve reassigned left-winger Gabriel Fortier to AHL Syracuse. Tampa recalled him Tuesday to serve as an extra practice player as their contingent of 4 Nations players works their way back to Florida, but it won’t result in any NHL playing time. The 2018 second-rounder hasn’t suited up for the Bolts since 2022-23 and has 10-7–17 in 37 AHL games this season with a plus-five rating.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

The trio of Duke, Goncalves and Halverson join the many other players headed to the minors over the break to get more playing time. In all likelihood, Goncalves will be the only one back on the roster when their schedule resumes on Feb. 23 versus the Kraken. Duke had only entered the lineup recently, making his NHL debut in the Bolts’ final two games before the break. Halverson was up from Syracuse as the replacement for injured backup Jonas Johansson. Johansson enters the break with a day-to-day designation due to a lower-body injury, so he should be ready when Tampa returns to action in nearly two weeks.

Duke, 21, got on the box score in his first NHL try. The Ohio native and University of Michigan alum scored in his debut against the Red Wings on Saturday on his lone shot attempt across both games. Besides that, his performance was hard to judge with minimal usage. Duke skated just 15:43 total across the two contests, during which time the Bolts were out-attempted 14-7. However, Tampa was out-chanced heavily in both wins, so his Corsi share wasn’t too far south of the team average.

The Bolts selected Duke in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, and he’s looking like a good depth pick. The 5’10” winger/center plays a physical game and has transitioned well to professional hockey, leading Syracuse with 13 goals in 36 games in his rookie season. This likely won’t be his last recall of the season as he pushes for a full-time promotion to the active roster sometime over the next couple of seasons.

Goncalves has spent most of the season in the NHL, albeit with underwhelming results. The 24-year-old pivot has 1-6–7 through 33 games and cleared waivers last month, so the Bolts will extend his 30-day clock by ferrying him to the AHL over the break. He should go back to logging heavy minutes in Syracuse, with whom he’s torched the league for 4-10–14 in only 11 showings so far in 2024-25. He’s coming off a spectacular 45-assist, 58-point showing in 69 games last year, although the 2020 second-rounder is still learning how to transition his offensive upside to the NHL.

Halverson only recently signed a two-way deal with the Bolts, a necessity with Johansson banged up and Matt Tomkins standing as the only other goaltender under contract in the organization. The 6’5″ 28-year-old backed up Andrei Vasilevskiy on multiple occasions but failed to enter a game for the first time since the 2017-18 season. He has a .918 SV%, 2.20 GAA, four shutouts, and a 12-7-7 record in 26 games this year.

The Tampa Bay offense fired on all cylinders without Kucherov on Sunday, but the star Russian has still served as the team’s beating heart. He’s scored eight points in his last five games and leads the Lightning lineup with 25 goals and 82 points in 52 games this season. He’s scoring at an 82-game pace of 39 goals and 129 points. Those marks would – impressively – not even scratch Kucherov’s career-high in scoring, which he set with 44 goals, 100 assists, and 144 points in 81 games last season. Kucherov and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid became the first players to reach 100 assists this century last season. The feat had previously not been accomplished since Wayne Gretzky achieved it in the 1990-91 season. That was Gretkzy’s 11th consecutive season reaching the scoring mark that only four other players have ever hit, none more than once.

With a well-timed break in store, Kucherov shouldn’t miss any prolonged time with this injury. He’s appeared in at least 21 minutes of ice time in each of Tampa Bay’s last 10 games, and should continue in that role when the team returns from the 4-Nations break. If he does, only a few players in the league will stand as more of an assured scoring threat.

It’s the first career regular season recall for the 21-year-old.  Duke was selected late in the fourth round back in 2021 by Tampa Bay, going 126th overall.  He spent three seasons at the University of Michigan, the last of which was a dominant effort coming last season that saw him record 26 goals and 23 assists in just 41 games, good for a share of 11th in Division I scoring.  Duke also had a brief stint with the Crunch last season, getting into three regular season games and five playoff contests.

Duke has played exclusively with Syracuse so far in his first professional campaign.  Through 36 outings this season, he has 13 goals and nine assists, ranking him tied for third in points on the Crunch while being their only double-digit goalscorer.

With the recall, Tampa Bay’s active roster now stands at 22 players but that likely won’t be the case for long.  With the 4 Nations Face-Off break coming up next week, Duke will likely be returned to the Crunch at that time.

Feb. 6: Halverson is on waivers today for the purpose of reassignment back to Syracuse, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He backed up Andrei Vasilevskiy on Tuesday against the Senators and will do so again for the second half of their home-and-home tonight, but clearing today will allow the Bolts to return him to the minors as soon as tomorrow or over the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Feb. 3: Veteran netminder Brandon Halverson has turned his impressive play into an NHL contract. The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they’ve signed Halverson to a two-year contract taking him through the 2025-26 season.

Halverson had been the top netminder playing on an AHL contract this season and arguably the top player. The Traverse City, MI native returned to North America last season after a one-year stint with the Bayreuth Tigers of the DEL2 league in Germany.

He spent much of last season with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, where he posted a record of 14 wins, 12 losses, and 3 overtime losses in 32 games, along with a .913 save percentage and a 2.82 goals-against average. After joining the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch for the playoff stretch, his performance improved significantly, achieving a record of 7-3-3 in 14 games, with a .913 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average. He also recorded a .916 save percentage in seven playoff games.

This season has quickly become the best of his professional career. After Saturday’s loss to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, Halverson has a 12-7-10 record through 26 games with a .918 SV% and 2.20 GAA, including a league-leading four shutouts.

The Lightning have been dealing with some uncertainty in the net due to a short-term injury to backup netminder Jonas Johansson. Given Halverson’s impressive play on the season, Tampa Bay may opt to utilize him in their backup role for the time being instead of Matt Tomkins. Regardless, it’s been an impressive road back to an NHL contract for Halverson who last suited up in one game for the New York Rangers in the 2017-18 season.

Feb. 6: The Lightning announced Thursday they’ve recalled left-winger Conor Sheary from AHL Syracuse. He joined the team for this morning’s practice and could draw into the lineup in place of Anthony Cirelli, according to Benjamin Pierce of NHL.com. The latter may be dealing with the undisclosed injury that made him a game-time decision for last Saturday’s game against the Islanders. The Lightning’s active roster now stands at 22 players.

Tampa Bay signed Sheary to a three-year, $6MM contract in free agency in 2023. Things haven’t gone well for the two-time Stanley Cup champion, who scored a career-low four goals in 57 games last year and ended up on waivers early in 2024-25 after going pointless through three games. He’s played once since then, skating a season-high 12:18 against the Maple Leafs on Nov. 30 during a brief recall.

The 32-year-old Sheary has been good but not dominant in the AHL, where he ranks second on the Crunch in scoring with 9-15–24 through 31 games. It’s his first action outside the NHL since the 2015-16 campaign when he notched over a point per game with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and earned a mid-season call-up to Pittsburgh that kept him in the league for a decade. The undrafted free agent signing out of UMass has been a serviceable complementary winger throughout much of his career despite his 5’8″, 182-lb frame, notching 124-143–267 in 592 career appearances.

It could be an interesting look for the Bolts tonight against the Senators if they’re down a center without Cirelli. Sheary won’t be shifting to the middle – that task will be going to former Penguins teammate Jake Guentzel, who will anchor a line between Gage Goncalves and Brandon Hagel while veteran Cam Atkinson takes his spot on the top line alongside Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.

While the move indicates Geekie won’t miss any time after leaving Saturday’s overtime loss to the Islanders with an apparent arm injury, he won’t be in the lineup tonight against the Senators. He heads to the minors for the first time this season after posting no points and a minus-five rating in his last nine games, posting a 43.4 CF% in that span. He hasn’t been on the ice for an even-strength goal since his most recent point, a tally against the Bruins on Jan. 14.

The Bolts’ front office has determined that Geekie needs more development time due to his lack of individual offensive output and recent drag on the team’s possession play. Acquired from Utah in last summer’s Mikhail Sergachev trade, the 2022 11th overall pick was the only Lightning prospect listed in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s offseason league-wide top 100 ranking, which ranked him No. 74.

Entering the season, the 6’4″, 207-lb 20-year-old had just two games of professional experience, both coming with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners in last year’s Calder Cup Playoffs. He’s yet to see regular-season action in the minors, making the Lightning roster out of camp following a 43-goal, 99-point showing in the Western Hockey League in 2023-24 with the Wenatchee Wild and Swift Current Broncos.

Projecting as a top-six, two-way center with strong physical tools, Geekie has understandably spent most of his rookie season on the wing since Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Nick Paul, and Luke Glendening were already locked in down the middle. He’s gotten plenty of looks in second-line minutes alongside Cirelli and Brandon Hagel, but it hasn’t led to much individual production. He has 12 points (6 G, 6 A) through 49 games and a minus-three rating while averaging 12:09 per game, none of which has come on the penalty kill and less than a minute of which has come on the power play. His even-strength production pales to that of his most common linemates, the latter of which ranks second on the team behind Nikita Kucherov with 20 EVG and 21 EVA.

The Lightning haven’t gotten much secondary scoring outside of their top five forwards and Paul, but an electric 26.4% power play and point-per-game seasons from Kucherov, Point, Hagel, and Jake Guentzel still means they have the league’s fourth-best offense. They’re still likely looking for another piece to complement Hagel and Cirelli on the second line, though, and since Geekie’s failed to lock down that spot, they’ll see what he can do in heavy usage in the minors.

Geekie still has two seasons remaining on his entry-level contract, which carries a cap hit of $867K.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.