The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Tanner Jeannot from the Tampa Bay Lightning, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic (Twitter link). In return, Tampa receives Pick 118 in this year’s draft and L.A.’s second-round pick in 2025, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com (Twitter link). The move has since been confirmed by the team.
This trade quickly succeeds Mikhail Sergachev’s move to the Utah Hockey Club. The two moves combine to free up $11.165MM in cap space, massively supporting Tampa’s pursuit of franchise centerman Steven Stamkos. It also quickly succeeds Tampa’s acquisition of Jeannot, which came ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, with the Lightning acquiring the winger for Callan Foote and one pick in each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds.
Jeannot recorded 24 goals, 41 points, and 130 penalty minutes in his rookie 2021-22 season with the Nashville Predators. But he’s struggled to find that same spark since, totaling just eight goals and 18 points in 75 games with Tampa Bay between last season and this season. With the Lightning facing a cap crunch that may cost them the face of their franchise, they’ve been forced to accept defeat – winning back less than half of the assets they gave up for Jeannot.
But while the trade may illicit soul searching on Tampa’s end, it stands as a low-cost, high-upside move for the Kings. Jeannot carries a low-stakes $2.665MM cap hit – setting him up well to fill the girtty, high-energy bottom-six forward role left open by Carl Grundstrom’s trade to the San Jose Sharks. The Kings have used Grundstrom’s grit to good effect, and could be getting a more dynamic iteration in Jeannot, who shows much more drive down the ice and confidence on the puck. Los Angeles will be searching for any boost they can receive after a middling 2023-24 campaign, though the gritty style that’s led Quinton Byfield to success could also be exactly what Jeannot needs to rediscover his groove.