It was a busy weekend for our Tampa Bay Lightning. Following the NHL draft in Las Vegas, a slew of new faces + sad goodbyes is taking hold of Bolts nation.
It seems the long-running drama is over — Steven Stamkos’ storied Bolts career may finally be at an end. Stammer hits the free agency market on Monday, July 1 after not reaching a deal with the team. His future? It remains uncertain.
Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is among the other notable departees, and will hit the ice in Salt Lake City for the NHL’s newest team: the Utah Hockey Club. In return, the Lightning acquired J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, and future draft picks.
In other trade news, forward Tanner Jeannot is also heading west, and will join the Los Angeles Kings.
The Bolts also traded for Carolina Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel. He’s a free agent starting Monday as well, but it’s expected the team will try and sign him long-term.
The best news? There’s only 96 days until hockey season.
