Let’s finish up day one of free agency with a couple of earlier signings for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Julien BriseBois continued to add to the organizational depth by signing forward Nicholas Abruzzese (one year) and defenseman Simon Lundmark (two years) to two-way deals.
Syracuse Crunch fans are probably familiar with Abruzzese, who has been skating with the Toronto Marlies for the past three seasons. The 5’11”, 183 lbs. center has racked up 143 points (47 goals, 96 assists) in 211 games with the Marlies. The former Harvard captain was a 4th round pick in 2019 by the Maple Leafs and did appear in 11 games in his career with the big club, scoring one goal and adding three assists. He also has a USHL scoring title from his days with the Chicago Steel, an Olympic Gold Medal, and a NCAA championship under his belt. Not bad for a kid from Slate Hill, New York.
At 26, he’s at the point where he still has a chance to prove that he has the skills to play in the NHL, but there is also the chance that he tops out as a very good AHL player. The Crunch need players like that on the roster with both of their top point producers (Conor Sheary and Derrick Pouliot) no longer on the roster. The Lightning have always been an organization that rewards dedication and excellence, so if Abruzzese does produce at the AHL level, he could earn a call-up to the NHL.
According to PuckPedia his NHL salary is at $775,000 and his AHL salary is at $250,000. That’s a pretty handsome payday, and likely to make any team wanting to claim him on waivers think twice.
Not only does Simon Lundmark have the same split in his NHL/AHL salary as Abruzzese, the defenseman also has a two-year deal. The 24-year-old defenseman was a second-round pick in 2019 by the Winnipeg Jets but did not receive a qualifying offer this summer, allowing the Lightning to sign him as an unrestricted free agent.
At 6’2″ and 194 lbs, the right-shot defenseman has decent size, but isn’t the most physical player. He skates well, but isn’t the quickest. He can pass the puck, but can get a little erratic at times. In short, it sounds like he’s a bit of a project. The Crunch and the Lightning have done a pretty good job at improving defensive prospects to the point where they are NHL capable, and their scouting staff saw something in him that made it worth signing him to a two-year deal.
His scouting reports praise his positioning and hockey awareness, two traits that the Lightning like to see in their prospects. He might be a bit of a project, but so was Emil Lilleberg when Tampa Bay signed him after he didn’t receive a qualifying offer.
With Derrick Pouliot moving on to the New York Rangers organization, and the likelihood that Max Crozier spends a significant amount of time in Tampa this year, the Crunch need some experience on the blueline. With 254 games in the AHL, and another 118 in the SHL, Lundmark has that in spades.
