The Tampa Bay Lightning have added to their forward depth.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Lightning have signed former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year, $3.1 million contract. Starting next season, Holmberg will carry a $1.55 million cap hit for the Lightning.
Holmberg was not given a qualifying offer by the Maple Leafs and hit the market as an unrestricted free agent (UFA) because of it. Now, he is heading to Tampa Bay, where he should give the Lightning's forward group a nice boost.
Holmberg posted seven goals, 19 points, 46 hits, and a plus-4 rating in 68 games this past season with the Maple Leafs. With numbers like these, the 26-year-old forward should slot in nicely in the Lightning's bottom six. This is especially so when noting that he can play both down the middle and on the wing.
Due to his solid two-way play, Holmberg also got some time on the Maple Leafs' penalty kill and power play. Thus, he could help the Lightning in these areas as well if needed.
In 159 career NHL games over three NHL seasons, Holmberg has recorded 19 goals, 30 assists, 49 points, and a plus-15 rating.
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