The Lightning have signed franchise defenseman Victor Hedman
to a four-year contract extension value $8M per season, the staff announced. The deal kicks in starting in 2025-26 and can maintain him in Tampa by means of 2028-29.
Hedman and the Lightning have been headed towards unrestricted free company subsequent summer time, a destiny each certainly wished to keep away from after watching longtime captain Steven Stamkos depart for the Predators.
Notably, Hedman’s extension is the very same size and complete worth as Stamkos’ deal in Nashville. The brand new deal is a slight elevate 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, can be 38 years previous when his contract runs out.
Hedman, drafted second total 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 by which he recorded 85 objectives, 289 assists, 374 factors and a +117 ranking whereas averaging 24:34 throughout 428 video games performed.
Two years in the past, nonetheless, it appeared like Hedman’s decline might need began early. 2022-23 was a tough marketing campaign for him on either side of the puck, along with his 0.64 factors per sport checking in as his worst offensive displaying 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 objectives, 63 assists) in 78 video games with a +13 ranking. 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 can 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 up to now two days. They discovered Stamkos’ pricier however youthful alternative, 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 rivalry anytime quickly, doing properly to replenish their roster with youthful and, in some circumstances, more cost effective expertise. However holding Hedman round was all the time a precedence, and he turns into the overwhelming favourite to succeed Stamkos as captain this season.
Hedman’s marginal improve on his present deal means the transfer doesn’t have a lot of an impression on their long-term wage cap image. They do nonetheless have one big-ticket merchandise to test off their record this summer time. Moser stays an unsigned RFA, they usually’d certainly choose to get him inked to a brand new deal earlier than he can file for arbitration. It shouldn’t be too large of a problem, because the Lightning nonetheless have $6.65M in projected cap house 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 Point all locked up by means of the top of the last decade.