The Tampa Bay Lightning are prioritizing Jake Guentzel in free agency after creating ample cap space with a pair of trades Saturday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The Bolts dealt Mikhail Sergachev to Utah and Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles during the second day of the draft and now have $16.5 million in financial flexibility, per Cap Friendly.

The newfound money could also be used on retaining captain and unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Friday he's unsure the two sides will be able to come to an agreement before the market opens July 1.

Guentzel is expected to be among the most pursued players this signing period. The Carolina Hurricanes, who acquired the winger prior to March's trade deadline, have been negotiating an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million with Guentzel, Friedman notes.

The Hurricanes are the only team who can sign Guentzel to an eighth year.

Guentzel registered 30 goals and 77 points in 67 games split with Carolina and Pittsburgh this past season. He's a two-time 40-goal-scorer and an established playoff performer. Guentzel won the Stanley Cup in 2017 with the Penguins and has 67 points in 69 career postseason contests.

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The Montreal Canadiens drafted center Aatos Koivu out of the Finnish league in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday.

The 18-year-old is the son of Saku Koivu, who played for the Canadiens for 13 seasons and served as the captain of the franchise for 10 years.

Aatos totaled 16 goals and 31 points in 28 games in the U20 SM-Sarja league this past season and appeared in four Liiga games - the top level of professional hockey in Finland - for TPS.

He also represented his country at this spring's IIHF World U18 Championship, where he registered one assist in five games.

Listed at 6-feet and 170 pounds, Aatos finished 27th among all international skaters on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, rising three places from its midterm report.

"(Aatos) Koivu is a strong skater with a stride that will be able to move at an NHL pace," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote in May. "He has good hands and uses his skill to attack at the net. He's not overly physical, but like his father, he's a strong competitor who plays in traffic. Koivu has an excellent shot."

Saku, meanwhile, amassed 191 goals and 641 points in 792 career games with the Canadiens from 1995-2009.

He was diagnosed with cancer prior to the 2001-02 campaign and nearly missed the entire season. Saku returned for the final three games of the regular season and playoffs, memorably receiving an eight-minute standing ovation in his season debut.

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The Vegas Golden Knights traded goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for pick No. 83 and a 2025 third-rounder, the teams announced.

Thompson had requested a trade, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon confirmed.

Vegas used the 83rd selection on the 6-foot-5 Belarusian netminder Pavel Moysevich. He posted a .942 save percentage in 13 KHL games in 2023-24.

Thompson is entering the last year of his contract with a sub-league minimum cap hit of $766,667. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

The 27-year-old owns a lifetime .912 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average in 103 career games.

Thompson appeared in a career-high 46 games in 2023-24, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.70 goals against average. He stopped 6.85 goals above expected, per Evolving-Hockey.

Thompson will likely share the Capitals' crease with fellow lefty goalie Charlie Lindgren in 2024-25. Washington traded veteran netminder Darcy Kuemper earlier in the offseason to the Los Angeles Kings for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

The trade leaves an opening in Vegas' crease behind Adin Hill.

Thompson had a previously scheduled autograph signing at the draft and still honored it despite the trade.

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