The Lightning have signed franchise defenseman Victor Hedman
to a four-year contract extension value $8M per season, the workforce introduced. The deal kicks in starting in 2025-26 and can hold him in Tampa by 2028-29.
Hedman and the Lightning had been headed towards unrestricted free company subsequent summer season, a destiny each absolutely needed to keep away from after watching longtime captain Steven Stamkos depart for the Predators.
Notably, Hedman’s extension is the very same size and whole worth as Stamkos’ deal in Nashville. The brand new deal is a slight increase on his $7.875M cap hit, which stays in impact for 2024-25 as he performs the ultimate season of the eight-year, $63M extension he signed in Tampa in 2016. Hedman, 33, shall be 38 years previous when his contract runs out.
Hedman, drafted second general in 2009, stays Tampa’s undisputed prime blue liner and is arguably the second-best expertise in franchise historical past behind Stamkos. They don’t win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 with out the 6’7″ Swede, who was topped the Conn Smythe winner the primary time round. He was a Norris finalist in each season from 2016-17 to 2021-22 (successful in 2017-18), a span through which he recorded 85 targets, 289 assists, 374 factors and a +117 score whereas averaging 24:34 throughout 428 video games performed.
Two years in the past, nevertheless, it seemed like Hedman’s decline might need began early. 2022-23 was a tough marketing campaign for him on each side of the puck, together with his 0.64 factors per sport checking in as his worst offensive exhibiting in seven years and his 50.1 xGF% at even power operating surprisingly mediocre regardless of over 60% of his zone begins coming within the offensive finish.
He had a pleasant rebound marketing campaign final season, although, erupting as soon as once more for 76 factors (13 targets, 63 assists) in 78 video games with a +13 score. Hedman has additionally stayed comparatively wholesome as he ages, by no means lacking greater than six video games in a season for the previous 4 years. That’s a superb signal for his or her highest-paid blue liner, who shall be relied upon closely subsequent season to anchor a new-look protection that’s seen Ryan McDonagh
re-acquired after two years away and Mikhail Sergachev
swapped for J.J. Moser in a bigger take care of Utah.
It’s the second big-money transfer from the Lightning prior to now two days. They discovered Stamkos’ pricier however youthful substitute, buying prime free agent left wing Jake Guentzel’s signing rights from the Hurricanes and promptly inking him to a seven-year deal value $9M per season. Clearly, GM Julien BriseBois has no intention of letting the Bolts slip out of championship competition anytime quickly, doing properly to replenish their roster with youthful and, in some circumstances, cheaper expertise. However conserving Hedman round was at all times a precedence, and he turns into the overwhelming favourite to succeed Stamkos as captain this season.
Hedman’s marginal enhance on his present deal means the transfer doesn’t have a lot of an influence on their long-term wage cap image. They do nonetheless have one big-ticket merchandise to examine off their record this summer season. Moser stays an unsigned RFA, they usually’d absolutely favor to get him inked to a brand new deal earlier than he can file for arbitration. It shouldn’t be too huge of a trouble, because the Lightning nonetheless have $6.65M in projected cap area remaining with 5 open roster spots, per CapFriendly.
With Sergachev out and McDonagh and Moser in, Hedman joins Erik Černak as the one Tampa defenseman signed previous 2025-26. They’ve significantly extra long-term stability at ahead, with Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel and Brayden Level all locked up by the top of the last decade.
