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Forbes
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Summer Of 2025 Has Been A World Of Difference For The Tampa Bay Lightning
SUNRISE, Fla. — Pontus Holmberg of the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Florida Panthers during first ... More period action at the Amerant Bank Arena on April 8, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by) This summer has been in stark contrast from that of a year ago for the Tampa Bay Lightning. While fans were not gathered outside Amalie Arena with pitchforks, there was much moaning, groaning and other expressions of disappointment when Steven Stamkos signed with Nashville upon the free agency window opening last summer. The writing had long been on the wall and in type that became bolder as time marched along and the Stammer can continued to be kicked down the street. Extending Victor Hedman (four years, $32 million) proved to be the imperative off-season duty for Julien BriseBois, and the late-May reacquisition of on- and off-ice pillar Ryan McDonagh from the Predators made it pretty clear the general manager was going about business in a manner that would not include the franchise's all-time leading scorer. A June 29 trade that could pay dividends for seasons to come had defenseman J.J. Moser and forward Conor Geekie, now 25 and 21, respectively, arrive in Tampa from Utah in exchange for blueliner Mikhail Sergachev and his $8.5 million AAV. That provided BriseBois with the capital to procure star forward Jake Guentzel (for a 2025 third-round pick) and sign him at a rate of $9 million per over seven years. Guentzel fared very well in his first season with the Bolts, collecting a third 40-goal season. Meanwhile, Moser proceeded to record a plus-20 rating despite missing nearly 30 games, and Geekie, showed flashes of his considerable talent during a rookie campaign (52 games, 8 goals) that also included a roughly two-month stint at Syracuse of the AHL. Indeed, nothing this summer was going to compare with last year's activity. Still, BriseBois and the Bolts, with $5.5 million in cap space, went to work fortifying the ranks in the aftermath of a draft that yielded eight selections led by forward Ethan Czata, who had 21 goals and 55 points in 68 games with Niagara (OHL), at No. 56. Keeping Goncalves With veteran Yanni Gourde already in the fold at an AAV of $2.33 million over six years, there was also a strong desire to retain the services of 24-year-old forward Gage Goncalves. In a 26-game stretch commencing with his season debut with the parent club November 5, the forward produced one goal and one assist and, ultimately, another flight to Syracuse. However, he was back with the Crunch for less than two weeks before he was summoned once again. 'You would just want to see guys go down there and not hang their head and keep working at their game, and that's what he did,' coach Jon Cooper said at the time. Goncalves was 7-11-18 over his final 34 regular season games. That was followed by 1-3-4 in all five games of Tampa Bay's first round playoff series loss to the Panthers, an experience that could only benefit Goncalves. Cooper, BriseBois, et al, undoubtedly approved of what they saw and re-signed him to a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.2 million. 'It really means a lot to sign this deal, and hopefully I can just keep growing as a player and kind of as a person in Tampa,' said the second-round, 2020 pick. Improving even-strength 'model' With UFAs Luke Glendening and Cam Atkinson not in the plan for 2025-26, the Lightning needed to address the bottom six of its forward ranks. The need was fulfilled when Pontus Holmberg and Jakob Pelletier did not receive qualifying offers from the Maple Leafs and Flyers, respectively, and signed with the Bolts. In Holmberg, Tampa Bay has a player who, according to BriseBois, can be tough to play against. 'He's a pest, goes to the hard areas, takes pride in his work ethic and, in being particularly competitive and feisty, draws penalties,' he said. 'Our model is to be a really good defensive team, a really good five-on-five team. He allows us to be an even better version of that model. That's why we brought him in.' Holmberg was brought in on a two-year deal at an average of $1.55 million. The 26-year-old, who made his NHL debut with the Leafs in 2022-23, played in 68 games with Toronto last season and was 7-19-26 in 12:40 of ice time. His 53 blocked shots were third among the team's forwards. BUFFALO - James Reimer of the Buffalo Sabres makes a save on a shot by Jakob Pelletier of the ... More Philadelphia Flyers in the first period during a game on April 17, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Ben Green/NHLI via Getty Images) The 24-year-old Pelletier was 7-12-19 in 49 games with the Flyers and Flames. He signed for three years beginning with a two-way deal for the 2025-26 season prior to the final two years converting to a one-way term. He has played 86 career NHL games and made his debut with Calgary versus the Lightning during the second half of the 2022-23 season. The Lightning also brought back Boris Katchouk on a one-year, two-way deal. The 27-year-old played his first 38 NHL games with Tampa Bay in 2021-22 prior to being dealt to the Blackhawks at that season's trade deadline. He was sent to Chicago along with a pair of first-round picks (2023 and 2024) and forward Taylor Raddysh in return for Brandon Hagel. That has worked out pretty well, hasn't it? Katchouk, who has played 176 NHL games with the Lightning, 'Hawks and Senators, spent last season with the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre-Scranton, scoring 21 goals.
New York Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
The Hurricanes have everything they need to improve — but patience might also be needed
RALEIGH, N.C. — There was plenty of disappointment over the last 12 months for the Carolina Hurricanes. It started at last year's draft, when the team's efforts to sign winger Jake Guentzel — acquired months earlier before the trade deadline — fizzled out. The number of players Carolina had poised for unrestricted free agency, coupled with a salary-cap crunch, limited how much the Hurricanes could offer and when they could offer it, since they also were continuing negotiations with several of their other players. Advertisement The Hurricanes faced a similar letdown during the season, when their shocking midseason acquisition, Mikko Rantanen, also was unwilling to sign an extension and subsequently was traded to Dallas. Despite that, Carolina was still among the last four teams playing, until the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers dispatched Rod Brind'Amour's team in five games in the Eastern Conference final. The good news? The Hurricanes entered the postseason better positioned than any Stanley Cup contender. Still, things could have been better. Carolina's front office knew this summer wouldn't be a photocopy of last offseason because the Hurricanes wouldn't have any players poised for high-priced extensions, and they also had players on entry-level contracts to fill some holes. Fate — or rather, the NHL and NHLPA — intervened. The two sides agreed during the season to rapidly raise the salary-cap ceiling for the 2025-26 season, along with the following two years. What had been, in recent years, small increases that hamstrung teams near the cap ceiling became large leaps that gave relief to even the most cap-strapped teams. By 2027-28, the cap will be at $113.5 million — a nearly 30 percent increase from the $88 million this past season. That minimizes the edge the Hurricanes expected to have this summer, both in the free-agent market and on the trade market. Look, for example, at the reports that pending free agent Mitch Marner could land in Vegas. That would have been highly unlikely without the $7.5 million increase in the cap for the coming season. Further, teams in the Golden Knights' position otherwise would have had to move out players to make room, creating a market for cap-robust teams such as Carolina to poach talent at discounted prices. Instead, once free agency begins on Tuesday, expect prices to be astronomical. Advertisement Look at the RFA deal signed by defenseman Kevin Bahl. The 25-year-old, now with his third organization since being drafted in the second round by Arizona in 2018, inked a six-year, $32.1 million contract extension with the Flames. That $5.35 million annual cap hit is just a shade over $1 million more than Jaccob Slavin will cost for the next eight years. There will be opportunities for the Hurricanes to use their nearly $27 million in cap space when free agency opens, but the pool of players isn't particularly deep. Further, the prices — as exhibited with Bahl's deal — are destined to be high. People in the Hurricanes' front office acknowledged the challenges of this year's free agent market, and the sense is that the cost will be wild given the supply and demand. The other means for Carolina to improve its roster is through trades. When a potential generational player such as Gavin McKenna, the overwhelmingly likely No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, is available, middling teams often will do everything they can to rush to the bottom of the standings so they can have the best chance of landing at the top of the draft board. But the Hurricanes again landed in a unique situation. Every team, other than the Pittsburgh Penguins, is trying to improve this summer. 'It's been a difficult year to get some of these things done, because almost every team in the league right now is looking to get better,' GM Eric Tulsky said Friday after the first round of the draft. 'Most years, you have a few teams who are deep into rebuilds or starting rebuilds and are willing to move some of their veterans for picks.' That wasn't the case at the draft, when few veterans were traded. The biggest deal was for defenseman Noah Dobson, who moved from the New York Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens. Carolina was among the teams that inquired about Dobson, a right-handed blueliner who would have slotted nicely next to Slavin on the top pairing. Advertisement Islanders GM Mathieu Darche initially asked for NHL players in return for Dobson but pivoted to accepting bids for future assets, and accepted Montreal's offer of the Nos. 16 and 17 picks plus prospect Emil Heineman. Carolina is willing to offer up draft capital — it has five first-round picks in the next three drafts after getting two surplus selections from Dallas, in 2026 and 2028 — to improve, but the opportunities to land players of Dobson's caliber are fewer and farther between this season than in past years, due to all the aforementioned reasons. All of this is to say that fans might be disappointed at how unchanged the Hurricanes' roster will be by the end of Tuesday, or even at the start of training camp. There might not be any big additions, and by the beginning of the 2025-26 season, there may be oodles of cap space on Carolina's ledger. But the Hurricanes' position will improve with time. Teams likely will spend this summer, burning up available money in a bloated free-agent market and again putting themselves in a precarious position. And some that thought they were a player or two away from being playoff contenders quickly will learn they weren't as close as believed in the opening weeks and months of the season. McKenna and the No. 1 overall pick will look more appetizing with each loss. And that's when Carolina might again move its chips — and cap space — to the middle of the table to add the high-end talent they've pursued in each of the last two seasons. While available cap space, draft capital and the draw of playing for a contender are all available to Tulsky and the Hurricanes' front office, their biggest weapon right now might be the thing fans possess the least: patience.
Toronto Sun
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
RICK VAIVE: Don't over-crowd the Leafs bandwagon just yet
Florida Panthers defenceman Gustav Forsling (right) checks Tampa Bay Lightning centre Jake Guentzel during Game 5 of a Stanley Cup first-round playoff series on April 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. Photo by Chris O'Meara / The Associated Press To experience the Maple Leafs winning a series, while sitting with a bunch of hard-core fans, makes you see how much the playoffs mean to this fan base, year after year. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account On Thursday night, I was at the draft party for the Baycrest Pro-Am, a charity hockey tournament in support of the battle against Alzheimer's disease. Game 6 was on TV, and the people were going nuts after the Leafs eliminated Ottawa. My only advice? Don't get too carried away, folks. That's just two series wins in 21 years, and as much as you respect what Ottawa did, they're a team with hardly any playoff experience in eight years. They're just getting their feet wet, yet they just took Toronto to six games. Three of the games were settled in overtime, and there were two other tight ones. Now the Leafs get Florida, a team looking a lot more like Stanley Cup champions than earlier this season. They can hit, in fact I don't think any team finishes their checks as hard as these guys. Toronto does that, too, with its defencemen, but not all the time with forwards. That's a big factor at this time of year. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That hitting mentality is down to Florida's coach, Paul Maurice, but also to his players, who know it's a big part of winning the Cup. What did impress me about the Leafs, even though it looked dicey when Ottawa came back from 2-0 down in Game 6, was how they stayed with it, won faceoffs, killed penalties. And how important was that Auston Matthews power-play goal? Like everyone has been saying, just get pucks on net. I know they have lots of skill with the five forwards, who love to throw it around on the outside while looking for the perfect seam shot. But when you have men in front such as Matthew Knies, you must use their talents. You know Florida is going to do that heavy work in front on its power plays. It was good that William Nylander was able to be around to score two goals. I heard about the pre-game lineup mix-up with his brother Alex. It reminded me of the night at the Gardens in October of 1989, the home opener for the Leafs, when I was playing for the Buffalo Sabres. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On the bench as the anthems were ending, I noticed Gary Leeman's No. 11 had been circled on the game sheet as a starter, but Vince Damphousse, No. 10, was out there in the centre-ice circle. I told our assistant coach, who let the officials know and the Leafs were penalized. Dave Andreychuk scored for us on that power play and we won, 7-1. Writing lineups seem like a such a simple task, but messing them up can happen in the rush before a game. A guy on my son Justin's team, the Cincinatti Cyclones, had to leave an ECHL game this year because his name was not recorded. Let's hope it's the last time a Leafs star is almost left off the guest list. The Toronto Sun welcomes former Toronto captain and three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive to our 2025 Leaf playoff coverage. He played 16 NHL and WHA seasons and is the author of 'Catch 22: My Battles in Hockey and Life.' He can be heard on Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests. Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Editorial Cartoons Toronto & GTA Canada
Fox Sports
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Florida aims to clinch series win against Tampa Bay
Associated Press Florida Panthers (47-31-4, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8, in the Atlantic Division) Tampa, Florida; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lightning -121, Panthers +101; over/under is 5.5 NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Panthers lead series 3-1 BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers look to clinch the first round of the NHL Playoffs over the Tampa Bay Lightning in game five. The teams meet Monday for the ninth time this season. The Panthers won the previous meeting 4-2. Tampa Bay has a 12-15-3 record in Atlantic Division games and a 47-27-8 record overall. The Lightning have gone 46-7-4 when scoring three or more goals. Florida has gone 47-31-4 overall with a 15-13-2 record against the Atlantic Division. The Panthers lead the league serving 10.3 penalty minutes per game. TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Guentzel has 41 goals and 39 assists for the Lightning. Brayden Point has five goals and three assists over the last 10 games. Matthew Tkachuk has 22 goals and 35 assists for the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 4-4-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.7 assists, 3.5 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game. Panthers: 6-4-0, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.5 assists, 4.9 penalties and 14.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Lightning: None listed. Panthers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. recommended
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida aims to clinch series win against Tampa Bay
Florida Panthers (47-31-4, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8, in the Atlantic Division) Tampa, Florida; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lightning -121, Panthers +101; over/under is 5.5 Advertisement NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Panthers lead series 3-1 BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers look to clinch the first round of the NHL Playoffs over the Tampa Bay Lightning in game five. The teams meet Monday for the ninth time this season. The Panthers won the previous meeting 4-2. Tampa Bay has a 12-15-3 record in Atlantic Division games and a 47-27-8 record overall. The Lightning have gone 46-7-4 when scoring three or more goals. Florida has gone 47-31-4 overall with a 15-13-2 record against the Atlantic Division. The Panthers lead the league serving 10.3 penalty minutes per game. TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Guentzel has 41 goals and 39 assists for the Lightning. Brayden Point has five goals and three assists over the last 10 games. Advertisement Matthew Tkachuk has 22 goals and 35 assists for the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 4-4-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.7 assists, 3.5 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game. Panthers: 6-4-0, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.5 assists, 4.9 penalties and 14.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Lightning: None listed. Panthers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
