For the Tampa Bay Lightning, the path to the Stanley Cup runs through Miami. After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Florida Panthers for the past two seasons, the team urgently needs a solution.
The Lightning made significant strides during the offseason, enhancing their 5×5 play and securing top free agent Jake Guentzel with a long-term contract. ESPN celebrated the team’s fan experience, ranking it #1, and the New York Times recognized the Lightning as having the second-best front office in the NHL. Yet, despite these improvements, the Lightning were once again ousted in the first round of the playoffs.
Although the Lightning finished the season with a better record than the previous year, they struggled against the depth of the Florida Panthers, which effectively muted their top two lines and power play. They are still missing a critical piece to elevate them to true Stanley Cup contention.
That key player might be Jonathan Huberdeau of the Calgary Flames. Huberdeau spent his entire career in Miami before being traded to Calgary in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk. A trade that supposedly sparked some choice words for GM Bill Zito from Huberdeau. Since the trade, Huberdeau’s performance has been limited (55 goals, 114 assists in 241 games over three seasons), mainly due to his supporting cast in Calgary. However, the challenge lies in the Lightning’s financial situation; with only $6.9 million in cap space and Huberdeau’s cap hit at $10.5 million, according to Puckpedia, how can this trade be executed?
The Flames need veteran depth. They have developed promising players and boast over $27 million in cap space. They either need to get players to take the pressure off of Huberdeau or give him a center and winger who make them one of the best lines in the NHL. Since his contract has a no-move clause, Huberdeau must agree to a trade.
The Lightning have no first-round draft picks for the next three years, so they must consider trading a core player or two to pull this trade off. They could consider trading Anthony Cirelli and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Cirelli, who centers the second line and contributes to both power play and penalty kill, has a physical playing style. Bjorkstrand’s situation would need to agree to a trade with Calgary because he has a modified no-trade clause, but a sign-and-trade deal may be feasible. Both players could thrive in Calgary, and trading them would save the Lightning $11.65 million against the salary cap. Additionally, the Bolts could request Calgary to retain $5 million of Huberdeau’s $10.5 million salary.
This trade would give the Lightning $13.4 million in cap space for the 25-26 season, which would help them sign free agent Yanni Gourde to a long-term deal and find another veteran right-handed defender.
This trade could represent a win-win for both organizations, offering the Lightning a chance to overcome the Panthers. With all major pieces in place for next season, the Lightning must act to improve their team. Are they just one key element away from reclaiming their status as a Stanley Cup contender?
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