The Tampa Bay Lightning kept their core together by locking in Brayden Point to an eight-year extension.
The Tampa Bay Lightning just don't lose.
The reigning Stanley Cup champions locked one of their core pieces in for nearly another decade on Wednesday afternoon, agreeing to terms with forward, Brayden Point on an eight-year deal worth an average annual value of $9.5 million.
Point, who was a third-round pick of the Lightning's in 2014, has one year left on his current contract at a cap hit of $6.75 million.
Despite the exorbitant dollar figure, Point's new deal may still be one of the biggest bargains in the league. The 25-year-old is a truly elite player, a top-line centre who can score, drive play, and defend all at an extremely high level. Having him under contract for the next eight years at a sub-$10 million cap hit is the type of wizardry one can only expect from Julien Brisebois, and yet it is still as shocking as ever that he managed to get it done.
Point has been one of the key driving forces behind the Lightning's back-to-back Cup wins of the past two years. In 67 career postseason games, Point has racked up an astounding 73 points, placing him among the NHL's elite group of players who elevate their already elite games when faced with the biggest moments.
He's one of the best players in the league. And he'll be a member of the Lightning until 2030.
Although Tampa Bay has lost a number of key contributors this offseason such as Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman, keeping Point in town for the foreseeable future keeps the Lightning's window open for as he allows it.