The Tampa Bay Lightning took a big step forward defensively last season, thanks in part to the stability of defenseman Ryan McDonagh. When McDonagh was traded to Nashville in 2022, the Lightning struggled to maintain their defensive identity. Since rejoining the team, McDonagh’s focus has been on returning to the championship-caliber defense that helped them win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Now entering the final year of his seven-year, $6.75 million AAV contract, the veteran defenseman is coming off a season in which he led the NHL with a plus-43 rating. He also helped elevate the play of Erik Cernak, with the duo regularly handling the toughest assignments against some of the top players in the league. McDonagh has made it clear he wants to finish his career in Tampa Bay. “I have a ton of hunger still in me in wanting to win, and this is a great place for me to have that chance,” McDonagh said at the end of the season. “We’ll see what happens. But this is an unbelievable organization, city. There’s nowhere else I’d want to be for the rest of my career. “Whether it happens or not, we’ll see. But it’s a great chance to win every year, a team that’s always gonna be going for it and a great, great group of guys that care for one another, and that’s all you want to be a part of.” Following the NHL Draft, general manager Julien BriseBois shared that he met with McDonagh after the season and informed him that extension talks would likely happen next year. “The expectation is that we would like to keep Ryan. He would like to stay,” said BriseBois. “At some point we're going to address that. It won't be this offseason. I already met with Ryan and told him that. We're going to wait, probably let the season play out, and figure out where we are as a team, and make sure we allocate the right dollars to the right players in due time.” BriseBois noted that the contracts of Oliver Bjorkstrand, Mitchell Chaffee and J.J. Moser will also be up at the end of next season. The message echoes what we heard after former captain Steven Stamkos signed with the Nashville Predators last summer: the money is being allocated to the younger players first. In June, the Lightning made a key move by locking up Yanni Gourde, who's contract was set to expire on July 1. The 33-year-old forward could have explored free agency, but after returning to Tampa at the NHL Trade Deadline in March, his heart was set on staying. Gourde signed a six-year deal with a $2.33 million AAV, one that positions him to finish his career with the Lightning. In the past, BriseBois has made an attempt to retain veteran leaders like Stamkos and Alex Killorn on long-term, low-AAV deals. We could see a similar situation play out with McDonagh, but as he enters the sixteenth season of his career, the length of any future deal may hinge on how much longer he wants to keep playing. Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
