TAMPA — In a much less messy state of affairs, this may have been Jake Guentzel’s second. However the Lightning’s greatest deal to an incoming participant in franchise historical past virtually served as a sidebar to what the group misplaced throughout Monday’s opening of free company.

There isn’t a query followers needs to be excited for Guentzel’s arrival after he signed a seven-year contract with the Lightning value a median annual worth of $9 million, however he could be eternally linked to the participant the group confirmed the door to on the identical day: longtime captain Steven Stamkos.

Guentzel, 29, has all of the instruments to make the Lightning a greater workforce. He has a outstanding knack for locating scoring possibilities across the internet and has meshed with elite expertise, so he ought to match properly on the left wing of Tampa Bay’s high line with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Level.

However it didn’t take lengthy in his first media availability as a Bolt on Monday for Guentzel to get questions in regards to the strain he would possibly endure primarily changing the longtime face of the Lightning franchise. Stamkos finalized an acrimonious break up with the group minutes after free company opened at midday by signing a four-year take care of Nashville with an annual common worth of $8 million.

“Look, he’s a Corridor of Famer, he’s a particular participant,” Guentzel mentioned of Stamkos. “I’ve the utmost respect for the man. He’s simply an unbelievable participant and individual from what I’ve heard. …

“Clearly this chance for me and my household, it was simply powerful to move up. On this hockey recreation, there’s going to be strain wherever you play, so I really feel such as you’ve simply obtained to be sure to take advantage of the chance.”

Guentzel has made essentially the most of his alternatives all through his profession.

He received a Stanley Cup throughout his rookie season in Pittsburgh in 2016-17, main the league with 13 playoff objectives, together with 5 game-winners. He capitalized on his top-line position alongside gamers like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, recording 30 or extra objectives every of the previous three seasons. And he boosted his free-agency inventory when he joined Carolina eventually season’s commerce deadline, averaging 1.47 factors down the stretch, then including 9 factors in 11 playoff video games.

“We really feel in the previous few years, by way of match for what we had been in search of, Jake might be as excessive of the right match as we’re going to search out,” common supervisor Julien BriseBois mentioned. “Extremely aggressive, excessive hockey IQ, excessive stage of talent, competes all around the ice, makes performs all around the ice, has a capability to complete, big-game participant. Like he’s a Bolt who occurred to not have been taking part in for the Bolts prior to now and at present we are able to treatment that.”

As soon as the Lightning pivoted from re-signing Stamkos, Guentzel turned the workforce’s high goal. After buying and selling highest-paid defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and underperforming ahead Tanner Jeannot Saturday and halting conversations to retain Stamkos, Tampa Bay went from a workforce with simply $5.335 million in cap room to at least one with $16.5 million.

After Guentzel and Carolina couldn’t come to an settlement, the Lightning traded for his rights Sunday, finalizing a take care of him three hours earlier than free company opened.

“It’s been positively a little bit little bit of a whirlwind, type of the primary time by this complete course of, however clearly issues simply didn’t work out in Carolina,” Guentzel mentioned. “After which I heard Tampa could be buying and selling for my rights and clearly obtained actually excited, as a result of everybody hears how good of a workforce and the way good of a spot that is.”

Guentzel acquired the biggest wage for an offseason addition in Lightning historical past. The seven-year time period matched the deal the franchise supplied Ryan Malone in the summertime of 2008.

“There’s simply the positives about Tampa and there simply appears to be so a lot of them, dwelling the approach to life, the ambiance within the rink is unbelievable,” Guentzel mentioned. “And if (the cash is) a part of it, too, that’s nice. So there’s simply a variety of issues behind the scenes that you just’re actually excited for. It’s going to be a very enjoyable time.”

BriseBois utilized his newfound cap house and Florida’s favorable tax state of affairs to assemble a contract Guentzel couldn’t refuse. Greater than $53 million of the deal’s complete worth is in signing bonuses, giving him practically 85% of his cash up entrance each season, together with a $12.263 signing bonus this season.

Guentzel will play at a base wage of $1 million in six of the seven years. The contract features a full no-move clause within the first 4 years and a modified clause with a 10-team commerce record for the ultimate three years.

BriseBois was constant in his message all through the offseason that the Lightning have to get higher defensively after rating twenty second within the league in objectives allowed. The acquisition of Guentzel achieves that, giving the workforce a accountable two-way, 5-on-5 participant who can slide into the left wing slot on the primary line.

Guentzel excelled for years in Pittsburgh on the identical line as one of many recreation’s finest playmakers in Crosby. Now he’ll skate with the league’s high playmaking proper wing in Kucherov and former 50-goal scorer Level on a formidable high ahead line.

“These two guys particularly are simply elite gamers on this league, high gamers within the league, and from afar these two guys you attempt to watch extra occasions than anybody,” Guentzel mentioned. “They clearly can rating a variety of objectives and make a variety of performs. …

“I’ve had the expertise of taking part in with good gamers, and if I get the possibility to play with these guys it’s going to be actually enjoyable for me and I can’t wait.”

Different strikes

• The Lightning added one other ahead, signing free agent Zemgus Girgensons to a three-year contract value $850,000 yearly. Girgensons, 30, scored eight objectives and 14 factors in 63 video games with Buffalo final season. At 6-foot-2, 200 kilos, he performs a bodily recreation and may slot in as a bottom-six ahead possibility.

• The 2 gamers the Lightning acquired eventually season’s commerce deadline signed elsewhere. Ahead Anthony Duclair inked a take care of the Islanders (4 years, $3.5 million common annual worth), and defenseman Matt Dumba went to the Stars (two years, $3.75 million). Defenseman Calvin de Haan, who signed a one-year take care of the Lightning final July, moved on to the Avalanche (one 12 months, $800,000).

• The Lightning additionally signed 4 gamers to one-year, two-way contracts: defensemen Tobie Paquette-Bisson, Derrick Pouliot, Steven Santini and ahead Jesse Ylönen. Ylönen, 24, is a former second-round draft choose wh o performed 59 video games with Montreal final 12 months, recording 4 objectives and eight factors. The Canadiens didn’t make him a qualifying provide.

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