The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to make some moves this offseason after coming up short in the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again. While many teams were finished conducting their business on the first day of free agency late last night, the Lightning were not, as they agreed to a deal with a former first-round pick in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday in an effort to shore up their forward depth.
The latest free agent signing Tampa Bay’s front office made saw them agree to a deal with Jakob Pelletier. The No. 26 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Pelletier has struggled to find his footing so far with both the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers, as the latter team let him hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. The Lightning opted to move quickly to secure his signature, as they picked him up on a three-year contract.
“Jakob Pelletier: 3 years. Tampa Bay,” Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported in a post on X.
Lightning decide to take a flier on Jakob Pelletier
Pelletier has quite a bit of upside given his first-round status, but he hasn’t enjoyed much success in the NHL to this point. Last season, Pelletier racked up seven goals and 12 assists over 49 games with the Flames and Flyers, but that still isn’t the sort of production you’d expect from a former first-round pick. As a result, the Lightning are going to tread cautiously with Pelletier.
While the financial terms of this deal have yet to be revealed, this likely isn’t a major investment from Tampa Bay, giving them a path out if Pelletier struggles. At only 24 years old, though, he still has time to find his way, and the Lightning are giving him a shot to do so with this multi-year deal. Now, the team will head back into the free agent market as they look to continue to strengthen their roster.
