The Tampa Bay Lightning are preparing for what should be a busy off-season for them. While they had a strong regular-season in 2024-25, they struggled in the playoffs, losing in the first round in just five games to the Florida Panthers. As a result, the Lightning now have decisions to make when it comes to their roster this summer.
The Lightning are entering the off-season with multiple pending free agents. Among the most notable is defenseman Nick Perbix, and the Lightning now must decide if they want to keep him around or let him walk.
Perbix, 26, played in 74 regular-season games this season with the Lightning, posting six goals, 19 points, 50 hits, and a plus-8 rating. During the playoffs, he recorded one assist and an even plus/minus rating in five games. Overall, the Elk River, Minnesota native had a decent campaign, so the Lightning could look to re-sign him.
Perbix has been a solid part of the Lightning's blueline over the last three seasons, too. In 220 games with the Lightning over that span, he has recorded 13 goals, 50 assists, 63 points, and a plus-27 rating. Overall, he has worked well in a bottom-pairing role for the Lightning, so it would be understandable if they were open to bringing him back.
However, at the same time, the Lightning are heading into the summer with limited cap space, and other players like Yanni Gourde and Gage Goncalves also have expired deals. As a result, the Lightning will need to decide if Perbix is one of the players they hope to extend.
If Perbix becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, there should be a decent amount of interest in him. Teams are always on the hunt for big right-shot defenseman, so it will be intriguing to see what happens with him from here.
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