(Photo via NHL.com)
By Jake Ricker
The Tampa Bay Lightning have given qualifying offers to the following Restricted Free Agents (RFAs):
- F Ross Colton
- F Alex Barré-Boulet
- D Cal Foote
- F Boris Katchouk
- F Taylor Raddysh
- D Sean Day
- F Otto Sompi
Ross Colton is already a Lightning legend, scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal against Montreal in Game 5. Even before that goal, Colton had burst onto the NHL scene, scoring nine goals in 30 goals, many of which were at a time where the team was going through a severe scoring drought. Expect Colton to take on a bigger role next season.
After 2 dynamo seasons with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, Alex Barré-Boulet started 2021 by once again dominating in the AHL, and then receiving the callup (along with Colton) to the taxi squad midway through the season. Placed on the first line with Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point, ABB was snakebitten early on by started playing better after scoring his first NHL goal against Columbus. Like Colton, expect ABB to take on a bigger role next season.
Both Colton and Barré-Boulet are arbitration-eligible but should get contracts before a potential hearing.
Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk will also be looking to make the NHL roster as the Bolts will have multiple spots open after losing players like Blake Coleman and Yanni Gourde. They will also likely lose UFA Blake Coleman and David Savard due to the cap situation. The Bolts will need these rookies to make a big impact this year as they look to defend their back-to-back titles.
F Ryan Lohin and D Dom Masin were not given qualifying offers and will become unrestricted free agents.
Drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, Lohin spent three seasons as a solid scorer at the University of Mass-Lowell before splitting two seasons between the AHL and ECHL. Letting him go is a bit of a surprise, especially as he was performing well, but he can re-sign at any time.
Dominik Masin was drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft, so not being qualified is disappointing, to say the least. After five seasons with the Crunch, he spent this past year with Khabarovsk Amur of the KHL. Just like Lohin, he can re-sign at any time, but that seems more unlikely.
Comments