Do the Lightning Extend Anthony Duclair This Offseason?

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been walking the line of the salary cap this season as the team has locked up nearly all of their major pieces to long-term deals. This doesn't leave a ton of room to add around the edges and has caused Tampa Bay to lose a number of valuable pieces over the past few seasons.

Anthony Duclair, who is a UFA this summer, might be next, even after a strong showing for the Lightning once he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks. The speedy winger scored 16 goals and 27 points in 56 games for the Sharks before finishing the regular season with eight goals and 15 points in 17 games.

Duclair was finishing up a three-year, $3 million AAV deal, and although this is great value for a player like he is, the Florida Panthers, who signed him to that deal, couldn't afford him and dumped him to the Sharks last offseason.

Duclair deserves an even higher AAV after what he showed with the Lightning, but the team will only have about $12 million to spend on 6-7 roster spots, including bringing back Steven Stamkos. If the Lightning want, they should be able to keep Duclair around, but will have to have a number of players on league minimum contracts to make it all work. There's the question of if they are willing to do that and lack depth again.