Tampa Bay Lightning: 3 Players With Expiring Contracts

With the off-season almost completed, it feels right to take a preview into next year's. In this segment, we will be looking at three players from each team who have expiring contracts. Both restricted and unrestricted free agents are eligible for discussion.

In this piece, we will be looking at the Tampa Bay Lightning. This was a hard off-season for the team, as a bunch of their key players had expiring deals and they didn't have the cap space to bring them back. Next summer, thankfully, should be a lot easier for them to navigate through.

Ondrej Palat LW (UFA): Ondrej Palat has played his entire 551-game career with the Lightning. He's not only been a very solid offensive player for them, but he also excels defensively. As a result of this, he often is utilized on the penalty kill and power play. In 55 games this past season, he scored 15 goals and had 46 points. If he puts up another season like that, he should be able to get a nice contract, whether it's back with Tampa or from the open market.

Mathieu Joseph RW (RFA): This could be a big year for Mathieu Joseph. With the team's plethora of departures, Joseph is expected to have a larger role with them this season. Playing bottom-six minutes last season, he scored 12 goals and recorded 19 points in 56 games. If he's given more changes on the power play, he could be able to hit the 20-goal plateau over an 82-game schedule.

Pat Maroon LW (UFA): Pat Maroon, a back-to-back-to-back Stanley Cup winner, also has an expiring contract after this season. Since joining the Lightning for the 2019-20 season, he's worked very well on the fourth-line. Not only is an intimidating presence on the ice because of his physical play, but he also provides decent depth scoring. In 55 games last season, he scored four goals and had 18 points. It will be interesting to see if Tampa Bay decides to re-sign him.