By Michael Wax
For the second consecutive season, we at The Bolt Report will have an offseason tracker to keep track of signing, trades, and draft news. Keep it here for all your Lightning coverage, and Go Bolts!
APRIL 20
F Niko Huuhtanen → TB (ELC)
Officially broken by The Bolt Report on June 20, forward Niko Huuhtanen signing his ELC was the first domino of the Lightning's offseason.
Huuhtanen was drafted by the Lightning as the last pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft (224th overall). After a season with the Everett Silvertips of the OHL where he was 2nd in goals and 4th in points on the team, Huuhtanen made his way to Jukurit Mikkeli of SM-Liiga. As a 19-year-old, he lead the team in goals (17), was 3rd in points (30), and won Rookie of the Year. He followed that up with a team-leading 46 points in 2023-24, also tying for 2nd in goal scoring (19),
Huuhtanen made his way to North America and signed a PTO with the Syracuse Crunch, playing in three playoff games as of the writing of this section and being held scoreless.
MAY 16
F Mitchell Chaffee → TB (2-year, $1.60 million [$800K AAV])
What a story Mitchell Chaffee turned out to be. Signed to a two-way deal by the Lightning last summer, Chaffee was one of the breakout players for the Lightning's AHL affiliate with 12 goals and 14 assists in 36 games. Called up on December 12, Chaffee earned his way into the Lightning's starting lineup and rewarded the team with seven points in 30 games, providing some much-needed depth on the 3rd line.
Chaffee also played in all five playoff games. Scheduled to be a Group 6 UFA on July 1, this re-signing marked the Lightning's first of the current roster.
MAY 21
D Ryan McDonagh → TB (TRADE)
An absolute stunner of a trade. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh returns to Tampa after two years in Nashville, with the Lightning also adding a 2024 4th round pick in exchange for a 2025 2nd and a 2024 7th.
For our full coverage of the trade, check it out here.
MAY 22
D Dyllan Gill→ TB (ELC)
The second ELC signing of the offseason, Dyllan Gill was the Lightning's final pick of the 2023 draft (223rd overall), in the pick that was acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for pending UFA Barclay Goodrow. Gill spent four years with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, compiling 15 goals and 74 assists for 89 points in 185 games over those four seasons. Gill was sidelined for the majority of the 2023-24 season with an upper-body injury after nine points in 12 games.
Only 20 years old entering next season, Gill could challenge for a spot on Syracuse's defensive core and if all goes well, will be an impact player early.
JUNE 6
D Declan Carlile → TB (2-year, $1.55 million [$775K AAV])
And under the radar name, Declan Carlile has been one of the more underrated defensemen for the Syracuse Crunch over the past two seasons. This past year, he put up seven goals and 27 points in 61 games, while adding five points in eight playoff games. Aside from the traded Jack Thompson, Carlile led all defenseman in goals and was second in points.
Carlile played in one game for the Lightning during the 2023-24 season, partnering with Darren Raddysh and playing 11:27 in a 4-1 win over the Wild on Jan. 4. At a time where the lightning defense was struggling, Carlile’s play impressed specifically for somebody making their NHL debut.
Expect Carlile to get a few games here and there over the next two seasons for the Lightning, adding a much-needed two-way game to a lightning defense core that needs it.
JUNE 10
F WALTTERI MERELÄ —> SC BERN
In what could be described as the Lightning’s first loss of the off-season, forward Waltteri Merelä signed overseas with SC Burns of the National League in Switzerland. Merelä was originally signed by the Lightning out of SM-liiga in Finland in the summer of 2023 and made the opening night roster for Tampa after an impressive rookie showcase and preseason.
Merelä would play 19 games for the Lightning, putting up one goal in a depth role while spending the majority of the season in the AHL with Syracuse. With Syracuse, Merelä had 15 goals and 34 points in 55 games, and added three goals in eight playoff games, one of which was an overtime winner against the Rochester Americans.
Since Merelä is still a restricted free agent, the Lightning would be able to extend a qualifying offer before July 1 to retain his rights, similarly to what they did with 2023 departure Simon Ryfors. However, it seems unlikely that Merelä will return the Lightning organization at any point.
JUNE 29
D Mikhail Sergachev → UTAH (TRADE)
A little more than a month ago, the Lightning made a stunning tray to re-acquire Ryan McDonagh from the Nashville Predators. In their first of two draft trades, the Lightning traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah in exchange for defenseman JJ Moser, prospect Conor Geekie, a second round pick in 2025, and pick 199 in the 2024 draft.
For our full coverage of the trade, check it out here.
F Tanner Jeannot → LA (TRADE)
Just minutes after the Sergachev trade, the Lightning opened up even more cap space by trading forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2025 second round pick and pick number 118 in the 2024 draft.
For our full coverage of the trade, check it out here.
JUNE 30/JULY 1
F Jake Guentzel → TB (TRADE, 7x$9M EXTENSION)
A day after acquiring Jake Guentzel's rights from the Carolina Hurricanes, the Lightning signed the 29-year-old winger to a 7-year, $63M contract.
Guentzel is both a regular season and playoff performer, and has Stanley Cup experience as well. A proven top-6 option, the Lightning could put him with Kucherov or Cirelli and watch him thrive.
For our full coverage of the trade and signing, check it out here.
JULY 1
F Steven Stamkos —> NSH (FA)
it’ll be a new era in Tampa Bay.
Stephen Stamkos, the captain and longtime face of the Lightning franchise, felt routinely disrespected throughout the Lightning negotiating process and signed with the Nashville Predators on a four year deal paying $8 million annually.
Stamkos was drafted first overall by the Lightning in the 2008 entry draft, spending 16 seasons with the Lightning, complied 555 goals and 1137 points.
Stamkos, 34, was the Lightning’s all-time leader in games, played, goals, power, play goals, and points, while ranking second in assists. He’s the only player in franchise history to eclipse 500 goals, and the only player to reach the 1000 point marker.
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