According to a report from Tampa Bay Lightning insider Joe Smith, the team has signed forward Brayden Point to a massive eight year contract worth a whopping $9.5 million per season.
Check it out:
UPDATE: The Lightning have officially confirmed the deal now.
The contract doesn't come into effect until the 2022-23 season meaning that Point is officially under contract in Tampa Bay for the next nine seasons!
The 25 year old forward has been an absolute revelation for the Lightning the past few seasons and has effectively stolen the top line center position from captain Steven Stamkos. He put up 23 goals and 48 points in 56 regular season games with the Lightning this season and 14 goals and 23 points in 23 playoff games to earn serious Conn Smythe Trophy consideration, as well. In short: The guy is a stud.
Still, that's a lot of money and a lot of term to commit to one player. Throw in the fact that Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevksy are signed to similar deals and the Lightning have nearly $30 million committed to just three players on their roster for a long, long, looooong time.
