On June 22, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported that Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Due to this, there appears to be a good chance that the right-shot defenseman will end up signing elsewhere.
If Perbix does, in fact, end up moving on from the Lightning this off-season, it would not be particularly surprising if the Bolts looked to bring in another right-shot defenseman to replace him. One trade candidate who could make sense for the Lightning because of it is Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jordan Spence.
Spence has been creating chatter as a trade candidate, and he would be a very good player for the Lightning to target. The 24-year-old defenseman has shown good promise early on in his career and has the potential to blossom into a legitimate top-four defenseman. Due to this, he would be a nice replacement for Perbix in the Lightning's roster if acquired.
Spence is coming off a solid 2024-25 season with the Kings, as he set new career highs with four goals, 24 assists, and 28 points in 79 games. With numbers like these, he could be a strong pickup for the Lightning's top four and power play. However, he could also still be a nice upgrade to the Lightning's bottom pairing.
In 180 career NHL games over four seasons, Spence has posted eight goals, 61 points, and a plus-29 rating.
Tampa Bay Linked To Canucks Star
The Tampa Bay Lightning will likely look to improve their forward group this off-season. When looking at their current roster, it is clear that they could use help on the wing, and they are being connected to one of the NHL's top pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) because of it.
According to The Fourth Period, the Lightning are one of the teams linked to Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser with the start of free agency rapidly approaching.
Boeser, 28, will become a UFA on July 1 if he and the Canucks do not agree on a new deal by then. When noting that he is a top-six scoring winger, it makes sense that the Lightning reportedly have him on their radar.
If the Lightning signed Boeser, he would be a clear fit on their second line with Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel. In addition, he would give their power play another weapon to work with, as he is always a threat to put the puck in the net.
Boeser played in 75 games this season with the Canucks, where he recorded 25 goals and 50 points. This was after he set career highs with 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games with Vancouver in 2023-24. With offensive skill like this, he could thrive playing with the Lightning's top stars.
