The Lightning signed defenseman Ryan McDonagh to a three-year contract extension. With this, their Stanley Cup window has become clearer.
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed defenseman Ryan McDonagh to a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension on Thursday.
The left-shot defenseman will carry a $4.1-million cap hit from next season through the 2028-29 campaign.
The Lightning keeping McDonagh around, especially at that price, is undoubtedly a good move for the Atlantic Division club. McDonagh is an important part of their blueline due to his strong defensive play and leadership qualities.
McDonagh is now the latest Lightning key player who is signed until at least the 2028-29 season. It paints a clear picture of how long the Lightning's Stanley Cup window could very well be.
Besides McDonagh, Victor Hedman and Nick Paul are two key Lightning players who have contracts that expire after the 2028-29 campaign.
The Lightning also have some other notable players with expiring contracts in the following years. Brayden Point's contract expires following the 2029-30 season, while Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde, and Erik Cernak are all signed until the end of the 2030-31 season.
However, the Lightning also have two big-time stars who are signed for fewer years than McDonagh. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is signed until the end of the 2027-28 season, while Nikita Kucherov is signed through 2026-27.
With all of this, the Lightning have their core locked up for multiple years. They have time to try to capture their third Stanley Cup since 2020, and extending an effective defenseman like McDonagh until 2028-29 should only help their chances.
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