The Tampa Bay Lightning's season came to an end with their first-round series loss to the Florida Panthers. Now, the Lightning are already getting ready for next season, as they have made a new addition.
The Lightning have announced that they have signed defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season.
D'Astous spent the 2024-25 season in the Swedish Hockey League with Brynas IF and was a major part of their blueline. In 49 games with the SHL squad, he recorded 12 goals, 27 assists, 39 points, 67 penalty minutes, and a plus-26 rating. This is after the 27-year-old defenseman spent the previous two seasons in the Finnish Elite League, posting 24 goals and 69 points in 110 games with the club.
D'Astous previously played at the American Hockey League (AHL) level from 2019-20 to 2021-22. In 23 career AHL games split between the Grand Rapids Griffins and Colorado Eagles, he has two goals, six points, and a plus-3 rating.
With this move, the Lightning have added to their defensive depth. When looking at D'Astous' numbers overseas, it is fair to say that he has the potential to be an impactful player for the Syracuse Crunch next season. It will be interesting to see how he performs next season with the Lightning organization from here.
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