As July 1 approaches, the Lightning’s offseason picture is beginning to take shape. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, defenseman Nick Perbix is set to enter free agency.
Perbix was drafted by the Lightning in the sixth-round of the NHL draft in 2017. Since making his NHL debut in October 2022, Perbix has logged an average of 15:45 minutes per game.
On June 6 the Lightning signed defenseman Max Crozier to a three-year contract worth an AAV of $775,000. Crozier skated in 52 games with the Crunch in 2024-25, recording a career-high nine goals and 34 points with a plus-16 rating. The contract will be two-ways to start before the deal converts to a one-way contract after the 2025-26 season.
We’ve seen this go a number of ways in the past, but Crozier could be in line to step into Perbix’s role. More to come on this, I'm sure.
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