The Tampa Bay Lightning's “winning culture” played a large part in one of their top pending UFAs sticking around for the long term with a significantly lower cap hit.
The Lightning re-signed Yanni Gourde to a six-year contract worth $2.33 million per season.
Gourde had an average annual value of $5,166,667 on his six-year contract that expires this summer. The Lightning had less than $6 million in cap space for next season, with 19 of 23 active roster spots filled.
The 33-year-old’s production is also not the same as when he signed his last contract extension in November 2018. He tallied a career-high 25 goals and 64 points in 82 games in 2017-18, his first full season in the NHL. He’s hit 48 points three times since then, but not more. This year, he had 31 points in 57 games.
But Gourde was part of the team's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, and he doesn’t think their competitive window is closed.
“We want to win – I think we’re right there,” Gourde said in Monday’s press conference. “I’m so excited for the future and what’s coming.”
The undrafted center played parts of his first six NHL seasons with the Lightning.
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, the Seattle Kraken claimed him in their expansion draft. Gourde had four years remaining on his expiring six-year contract worth $5.17 million annually.
However, he returned to the Lightning two days before the trade deadline when they acquired him and right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand in a three-team trade with the Kraken and Detroit Red Wings. Tampa GM Julien BriseBois traded Michael Eyssimont, two first-round picks and a second-rounder for the former Kraken forwards.
The Saint-Narcisse, Que., native shared how excited he was to return to the Lightning and that Tampa was always at the top of his list, whether it’s a trade or a contract in free agency.
“I love Tampa,” Gourde said. “That was the biggest thing for me, getting some term… And play in Tampa for the remaining years of my career.”
In 21 regular-season games with the Lightning this season, Gourde recorded one goal and 13 assists while averaging 17 minutes of ice time. In the playoffs, he recorded one helper in five games against the Florida Panthers. Gourde also had six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 36 games with the Kraken this year.
The Lightning made a similar transaction in the 2024 off-season to re-acquire defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Like Gourde, he was a key piece of Tampa’s back-to-back championships.
Although those two players are back in Tampa Bay, the Lightning made a difficult decision last year by letting their longtime captain, Steven Stamkos, hit free agency. The 35-year-old signed with the Nashville Predators instead, while the Lightning traded for the rights to 30-year-old Jake Guentzel and signed him to a seven-year contract worth $9 million annually.
They also traded defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for blueliner J.J. Moser, prospect Conor Geekie, a 2024 seventh-round draft pick and a 2025 second-rounder.
Although the Lightning lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers for the second straight year, they finished second in the Atlantic Division for the first time since 2019-20.
The Lightning also have a core of Brayden Point, Guentzel, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli under contract through at least 2030. Gourde and defenseman Erik Cernak are also part of that group, while captain Victor Hedman and left winger Nick Paul are signed through 2028-29. Superstar right winger Nikita Kucherov still has two seasons left on his contract, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has three years left.
Tampa Bay appears to have the parts in place to continue to strive for the Stanley Cup championship. Now, they just have to execute on that.
“The culture is the same culture that we had when we won,” Gourde said.
Jonathan Tovell contributed to this report.
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