After an early playoff exit, the expectation is that the Tampa Bay Lightning will be looking to make some moves this summer. One area they should try to improve is their blueline, and they are being linked to a notable defenseman.
According to The Fourth Period, the Lightning are one of the teams currently linked to San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro.
Ferraro, 26, has been the subject of trade speculation for quite some time, and it is only continuing with the summer here. It is understandable, as the Sharks are rebuilding, and the left-shot defenseman is entering the final season of his contract. Thus, the Sharks very well could look to move him if he is not willing to sign a contract extension this summer.
When looking at the Lightning's defense, they certainly would benefit by bringing in a reliable blueliner like Ferraro. His gritty style of play and willingness to block shots undoubtedly make him a valuable player. Due to this, he could be a nice pickup for a Lightning club that could use a boost on defense. He also has a very reasonable $3.25 million cap hit, which certainly adds to his appeal.
Ferraro appeared in 78 games this past season with the Sharks, where he had five goals, 17 points, 125 blocks, and 150 hits. He is simply the kind of hard-nosed defenseman that could thrive playing for a contender, so it makes sense that he is reportedly on the Lightning's radar.
Lightning continue to check boxes with offseason signings
The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to shape their roster early into the offseason. On Sunday, they signed forward Jack Finley to a three-year contract extension. The deal is set to start out as a two-way contract for the 2025-26 season, and convert to a one-way deal in the final two years.
Finley, 22, appeared in 40 games for the Syracuse Crunch this season and recorded a career-high 14 goals while ranking sixth among Crunch skaters for points with 28. In total he has played 161 AHL games, all with the Crunch, registering 39 goals, 81 points and 10 power-play goals.
Finley was originally taken in the second round, 57th overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut on Jan. 14 against the Boston Bruins, where he registered 8:25 of ice time and was a +1.
The Finley signing comes days after the Lightning announced the extension of Max Crozier on Friday. Crozier, a right-shot defenseman who was an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, could be in line to take over duties from Nick Perbix.
Perbix will become an unrestricted free agent if unsigned by July 1. The only remaining arbitration-eligible restricted free agent left for the Lightning is forward Gage Goncalves.
