Alex Killorn, Pat Maroon, Corey Perry, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ross Colton all say goodbye to Tampa.
Make no mistake about it, General manager Julien Brisebois did everything within his reach to keep the Lightning’s core together. In the end, the logistics of the NHL’s flat salary cap led to the departure of key members and forced them to let other veteran free agents sign with other teams.
The Lightning said goodbye to unrestricted free agent and the organization’s most tenured player, Alex Killorn, who signed a 4-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Killorn was drafted by the Bolts in 2007, made his debut five years later and recorded 466 points in 805 games.
"This is where I grew up as a person. Eleven years to play with one team, to win two cups, it means everything. Tampa is my home, it's going to remain that way. I'm going to college I guess for 4 years and hopefully I'll be back,” Killorn told 95.3 WDAE Thursday.
Killorn famously rode his jet ski through the bay, hoisting up the Stanley Cup during their 2020 celebratory boat parade.
"I hope that's how I'm always remembered. The guy with a jet ski and beers in the back, in a Rays jersey with the Stanley Cup in the Bay. I'd like to be known as that guy going forward.”
In addition to Killorn departing, Pat Maroon was traded to Minnesota, Corey Perry to Chicago, Ross Colton Colorado and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare most recently signed with the Seattle Kraken.
"I’ve been with Pat Maroon,” said Killorn. He's still in town, I've been skating with him. Obviously, its been kinda tough for him the past couple weeks but both of us have been going through it. It’s just the way it is. Our former teammates have been super supportive.”
General Manager Julien BriseBois knew going into this offseason that they’d have very limited cap space available and in trying to build the best team possible, they would have to let some of the Lightning’s key locker room guys go.
“Pat Maroon was a fan-favorite. A favorite for all of us, coaches, management, a big personality, brought a lot of character to our team, stood up for his teammates, got us into the fight, got us engaged in games and made it fun to come to the rink,” BriseBois told WDAE.
For BriseBois keeping the core players together was the key to putting the Lightning back in contention for another Stanley Cup. Stamkos, Point, Kucherov, Hagel, Cirelli, Paul, Hedman, Sergachev and Cernak are all confirmed to return.
"Our returning players are working on getting better too. They still have enough of a runway to attempt to get better. Players that have that mindset are contagious. Kucherov has been here like six days a week,” said BriseBois
“They're going to make for a very competitive team next season and a team that, I believe, can compete for the Stanley Cup. So I'm trying to use the cap space that's available to us to surround those guys and give them give them the best chance of winning hockey games.”
A team that saw an early exit to Toronto in April got younger, faster and potentially more energized with a full offseason for the first time in 3 years and new roster additions.
Together, the five departing players combined for 12 Stanley Cup final appearances and seven rings.