Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos shared a report that the Tampa Bay Lightning could be considering trading Ryan McDonagh, although the defenseman is very eager to remain with the team.
Following the Lightning's elimination in the first round of the playoffs, McDonagh stated how much he loves the team and the city, and that his desire is to remain with the organization was still high.
“I have a ton of hunger still in me in wanting to win, and this is a great place for me to have that chance,” McDonagh said at the end of the season. “We’ll see what happens. But this is an unbelievable organization, city. There’s nowhere else I’d want to be for the rest of my career.
“Whether it happens or not, we’ll see. But it’s a great chance to win every year, a team that’s always gonna be going for it and a great, great group of guys that care for one another, and that’s all you want to be a part of.”
The Lightning traded the 36-year-old in the off-season of 2023 to the Nashville Predators, but after consecutive seasons where the Lightning struggled defensively, the simple fix was to reacquire McDonagh.
The move paid off, as in his first season back, McDonagh scored four goals and 31 points in 82 games, while averaging 20:22 of ice time, but where he really helped the team improve was defensively. The Lightning allowed the third-fewest goals in the NHL and finished with the second-best goal differential.
Because of this, it's surprising that the Lightning would be considering trading him for the second time.
“The expectation is that we would like to keep Ryan. He would like to stay,” said GM Julien BriseBois. “At some point, we're going to address that. It won't be this offseason. I already met with Ryan and told him that. We're going to wait, probably let the season play out, and figure out where we are as a team, and make sure we allocate the right dollars to the right players in due time.”
McDonagh is now eligible for a contract extension, and at his age, it's very common for players to wait until the off-season when they become a free agent to re-sign.
What has thrown a wrench in some plans, and why rumors could have some ground, is because of what happened in the past with Steven Stamkos and that the Lightning will have several UFAs next season. It's a peculiar situation with a lot of importance.
