TAMPA, Fla. — Well, we knew the back-to-back Stanley Cup championship dream team wouldn't likely stay completely intact after this season.
On Saturday, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced it would be getting a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft in exchange for forward Barclay Goodrow.
The news came from vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois.
Goodrow is one of several Lightning players who became free agents this offseason. The Lightning do not have salary cap space to bring all of those players back without freeing up money elsewhere.
Goodrow was acquired through a trade before the 2020 NHL season.
Outside of salary cap challenges, the Lightning need to take the upcoming expansion draft into consideration. The Seattle Kraken recently entered the NHL scene in need of building a currently empty roster. To do that, they'll get to select one player from each NHL team, excluding the Vegas Golden Knights.
In a previous interview, BriseBois made it clear he expects the team to continue to be a Stanley Cup contender regardless of who takes the ice for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Hopefully the stars align again for us, just like they did the past two years, and we can go on another magical run and bring back the Cup one more time," he said.
- New catch-and-release measures issued for Tampa Bay due to red tide
- Experts explain how red tide is different this year compared to 2018
- Deputies: Man crashes through St. Pete-Clearwater fencing before boarding Coast Guard aircraft
- Florida among 4 states fueling latest COVID-19 wave as new cases nearly double
- A Frank Conversation: New podcast explores race, religion, politics and more
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter