The Lightning could look to keep this defenseman around.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are entering the 2026-27 season with multiple pending free agents. Among them is defensmean Charle-Edouard D'Astous, as he is entering the final season of his contract.
The Lightning quietly signed D'Astous last summer. While this move did not get a ton of attention when it was first announced, it is clear that the Lightning made a good decision bringing him.
D'Astous ended up becoming a solid part of the Lightning's defensive group this past season. In 70 games with the Bolts, he posted seven goals, 23 assists, 29 points, 96 hits, and 112 penalty minutes. With numbers like these, he gave the Lightning a nice mix of offense and grit on the point.
With how well D'Astous played last season, it is fair to wonder if the Lightning could look to sign him to a contract extension before next summer. The 28-year-old defenseman fit in very nicely on the Lightning's blueline and could be worth keeping around on a short-term deal because of it.
The Lightning may want to see what D'Astous can do at the start of his second NHL season before potentially signing him to a contract extension. If he impresses again this season, it would not be surprising if the Lightning worked hard to keep him around.
