This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman isn’t going anywhere.
Hedman, who has been with Tampa Bay for the first 15 seasons of his NHL career, signed a four-year, $32 million extension on Tuesday to remain with the Lightning through the 2028-29 campaign.
Hedman, 33, racked up 76 points (13 goals, 63 assists) in 78 games last season.
In 1,052 career games, Hedman has amassed 156 goals and 572 assists. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and six-time All-Star who won the Norris Trophy in 2018 as the league’s top defenseman and went home with the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020 as the MVP in the playoffs.
In other moves, Tampa Bay gave Emil Martinsen Lilleberg a two-year, $1.6 million extension while inking free agent Cam Atkinson to a one-year, $900,000 deal.
–Pavel Buchnevich got a new contract from the St. Louis Blues, a six-year, $48 million extension.
Buchnevich, 29, finished with 63 points (27 goals, 36 assists) in 80 games last season, his third with St. Louis. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the New York Rangers (2016-21) and has tallied 162 goals and 239 assists in 517 games during his time in the NHL.
The Blues were also active in the trade market, acquiring forward Radek Faksa from the Dallas Stars for future draft compensation. St. Louis also sent future considerations to the Ottawa Senators, getting forward Mathieu Joseph and a 2025 third-round pick in return.
Corey Schueneman and Adam Jiricek (entry-level contract) also signed with the Blues. Joseph’s brother, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, is reportedly joining the team as well.
–Defenseman Jake Middleton is staying with the Minnesota Wild after signing a four-year, $17.4 million contract extension.
Middleton, 28, played in 80 games in 2023-24, recording seven goals and 18 assists. He has played parts of three seasons with Minnesota after the San Jose Sharks traded him to the Wild in March 2022.
Middleton has notched 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists) in 239 career games with San Jose (2018-22) and Minnesota.
–Forward Victor Olofsson is joining the Vegas Golden Knights on a one-year contract worth $1,075,000.
Olofsson, 28, has spent his entire six-year career with the Buffalo Sabres, tallying 182 points (90 goals, 92 assists) in 314 games.
In just 51 games last season, Olofsson had seven goals and eight assists. He had 20 goals in each of the two previous seasons.
–The Toronto Maples Leafs made some noise, signing free agents Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers and Cedric Pare to one-year deals.
Mermis, 30, played a career-high 47 games for Minnesota last season, collecting three goals and five assists. Myers, 27, played just five games for Tampa Bay in 2023-24, while Pare, 25, has yet to see the ice in an NHL game.
–The Rangers, last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, brought in free agents Casey Fitzgerald and Bo Groulx.
Groulx skated in 45 games for the Anaheim Ducks in 2023-24, while Fitzgerald only spent time in the AHL.
–As they go for back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, the Florida Panthers added MacKenzie Entwistle on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 and are reportedly bringing in Nate Schmidt one a one-year, $800,000 deal.
–The San Jose Sharks, coming off a season in which they had the worst record in the NHL, signed Lucas Carlsson to a two-year contract and Jimmy Schuldt to a one-year deal.
–Field Level Media
