The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a much quieter off-season this year than they did last summer. It is understandable, as they entered this off-season with limited cap space. However, they still improved their overall depth, which was a clear need.
One intriguing move the Lightning made was signing forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.55 million. After the Toronto Maple Leafs did not send Holmberg a qualifying offer, he hit the market as an unrestricted free agent (UFA), and the Lightning then scooped him up.
When noting that the Lightning needed to improve their bottom six, bringing in a forward like Holmberg has the potential to be a strong move for them. This is especially so when noting that they signed him at such an affordable cap hit.
Holmberg demonstrated during his days with the Maple Leafs that he can be an impactful bottom-six forward due to his solid defensive play and speed. As a result, he will now provide the Lightning with another interesting option for their penalty kill. Furthermore, he also offers versatility, as he can play both on the wing and down the middle.
When noting that Holmberg is only entering his fourth NHL season and is just 26 years old, there is reason to believe that he still can hit another level. Perhaps joining the Bolts will help him do just that.
Overall, it is hard not to like this low-risk move for the Lightning. It is going to be intriguing to see how much of an impact Holmberg will make in Tampa Bay from here. In 68 games this past season with the Maple Leafs, he scored seven goals and set new career highs with 12 assists and 19 points.
NHL News: Lightning Lose Goalie To Oilers
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> are losing one of their depth goaltenders.
Photo Credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images