While I’m sure they’d love to keep everyone, the team will have to move on from certain players in order to make the salary cap work.
The NHL season has officially come to a close. With a long to-do list to tackle before the start of next season, the Lightning have a major task in deciding what to do with upcoming Restricted Free Agent, Ross Colton.
This will be the toughest summer in recent years for Julien BriseBois and company when it comes to cap restraints. While I’m sure they’d love to keep everyone, the team will have to move on from certain players in order to make the salary cap work. One of those players could be New Jersey native, Ross Colton.
The Lightning are in a somewhat tricky position with Colton. He’s scored multiple big-time playoff goals for them, one being the game-winner of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. By the same token, his quality of play and production has decreased a small amount this past year. In the regular season, he had 16 goals and 32 points in 81 games, slightly down from 22 goals and 39 points in 79 games in 2021-22.
Colton is eligible for arbitration this summer. Arbitration is a process that gives players or teams the opportunity to go to a third party in order to figure out the salary amount of their upcoming contract. The NHL is one of just two major U.S. sports leagues to use the arbitration system, with the MLB being the other.
During the process, both the team and player will argue their case. The evidence that is allowed to be presented during these hearings include a player's performance/statistics, injury history, length of service, leadership qualities and contribution to the team's results. If the team and player cannot agree on a contract, both parties must honor the ruling if they want to remain together.
The Lightning have been here before. In 2020, the team decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Carter Verhaeghe, rather than risking arbitration. Verhaeghe went on to sign a two-year, $1M AAV contract with the Florida Panthers, who just finished competing in the Stanley Cup Final.
Tanner Jeannot is also a restricted free agent eligible for arbitration. If veteran Alex Killorn, who is due for a new contract, decides to move on from the Tampa Bay Lightning, both Colton and Jeannot could potentially return.
Re-signing Killorn will likely mean the end is near for one of them in Tampa Bay. Looking at what they gave up to acquire Jeannot at the trade deadline, he will likely be staying put.