Each summer, The Athletic ranks every NHL team’s contracts — highlighting the best deals, the worst, and everything in between. This year, the Tampa Bay Lightning claimed the top spot.
The Athletic highlighted the pairing of Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli as a major strength for the Lightning. Hagel posted a 90-point season, while Cirelli set career highs and became the first player in franchise history to be named a Selke Trophy finalist. Both are expected to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“Both players saw their market value shoot up $3 million per year relative to last season, a huge jump that obviously added a lot of surplus value given how much term both players have left. Combined, the duo’s unexpected ascent added $40 million to Tampa Bay’s bottom line.”
The Athletic also credited the improvement of Erik Cernak and the strength of Andrei Vasilevskiy. Last summer, GM Julien BriseBois made bold changes that sent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah. His eight-year, $68 million contract was set to expire at the end of the 2030-31 season. The move freed up space for the Lightning to bring in J.J. Moser and Conor Geekie.
Between forwards Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Hagel and Cirelli, the Lightning are paying $40.8 million for $58.5 million of value.