The Tampa Bay Lightning parted ways with a 2027 third-round pick for a prospect that didn’t seem inclined to sign with the team that drafted him. The last time they picked up a forward that didn’t want to play for the Chicago Blackhawks, it turned out pretty well as Dominic James was one of their best rookies last season. The timeline for Jack Pridham might be a little longer, but the Bolts added an intriguing talent to their prospect pool as the former Kitchener Ranger turned University of Denver Pioneer has a definite set of skills they can use.
| Name | Jack Pridham |
| Position | Right Wing |
| Age (as of October 1, 2026) | 20 (but turns 21 on October 8) |
| Height/Weight | 6’2″, 185 lbs. |
| Expected 2026-27 Team | University of Denver |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2024, 3rd (92) |
| Previous Rankings | Not Applicable |
| JustinG. Ranking | 12 |
| Final Rank | 7 |
Stats:
Our Thoughts:
As we’ve written many times in the past, for a team like the Lightning that aggressively deals their top draft collateral for players that help in the present, the need to secure talent outside of the draft is an absolute necessity. Trading for players who aren’t inclined to sign with the team that drafted them is one avenue to procure that talent. Such is the case with Jack Pridham.
After as sensational season with the Kitchener Rangers, it was readily apparent that Pridham wasn’t going to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that held his draft rights. Either he would re-enter the draft or announce a commitment to a college program. Either way Chicago was over a bit of a barrel, so they were probably more than happy to accept a 2027 third-round pick from the Lightning when Julien BriseBois came a-callin’.
The Lightning would have been extremely familiar with Pridham’s play as he was the Butch Cassidy to Sam O’Reilly’s Sundance Kid in Kitchener as the Rangers rampaged their way through the OHL and Memorial Cup playoffs. Pridham finished his age 20 season in Kitchener with a career-high 90 points (46 goals, 44 assists). He added another 17 points (2 goals, 15 assists) in 18 playoff games. If not for O’Reilly’s dominance, a case could have been made for Pridham to finish as a playoff MVP.
Shortly after the trade was announced, news dropped that Pridham would be heading to the University of Denver for the 2026-27 season. The Pioneers get a top-scorer in the CHL and Pridham gets to continue to develop with NCAA champions. Not a bad trade-off for both sides. Meanwhile, the Lightning retain his rights while he is in school, which honestly shouldn’t be for too many seasons.
Along with his strong two-way play, Pridham ups the skating ability of Lightning prospects. He uses that speed to attack the net off of the rush, but he is also willing to burst into the zone and circle back to find teammates open on the second wave of attack a la Brayden Point. He can distribute the puck as well as he can shoot it and doesn’t mind hanging around the front of the net to bang in rebounds.
At 6’2″ he has a long reach and is sturdy on the puck. Pridham can use his size to shield the puck from defenders before skating around them. Defensively, he isn’t going out of his way to hit players, but he also won’t lose too many battles along the boards.
The change of organizations should benefit Pridham fairly well. Chicago is loaded with top-end talent at the forward position and there is a good chance that a player with Pridham’s skill could get lost in the shuffle. With the Lightning there should be a lot clearer of a path to the NHL once he decides to turn pro. If he can continue the production he had in Kitchener while he’s in Denver and then eventually in Syracuse, it won’t be a long wait for him to make his Lightning debut. As a right-handed shot who can make use of the minutes on the power play and penalty kill, he would be a very versatile forward for the Bolts.
Right now, he is likely a middle-six forward that can score a few goals while playing strong defense and killing penalties. Along with O’Reilly, he was one of the top penalty-killers in the CHL with six short-handed goals in the regular season. For more on his PK prowess, feel free to go back and listen to Andrew Merrigan and Justin Born talk about him on this Backchecking the Bolts podcast from shortly after the Memorial Cup victory by the Rangers.
Your Thoughts:
His highest ranking was 3rd while the most votes (11.6%) came in at the 5th and 9th spots. There was a wide range of votes from the 4th spot to the 13th.
“Excited to see O’Reilly, Pridham, and Czata in action. Starting to lose faith in some of the older prospects”
“I like the pickup of Pridham as he played with O’Reilly in Kitchener. Has a good shot and has high motor.”
“Pridham has a lot of offensive upside and is a wait and see.”
“Obviously Pridham alongside O’Reilly is the most intriguing because he was already putting up impressive numbers, but when you attach him with SOR their tandem is reminiscent of Cirelli/Hagel. It’s hard not to make those comparisons with the Championships won, the penalty kill chemistry, and the numbers they put up.”
Highlight Videos:
Attack with speed and commit to the move, that’s the best way to score in the shootout and on penalty shots. Pridham didn’t do anything overly fancy, but a nice little wiggle with stick right before the shot had the goaltender committed, leaving room to put the puck past him.
When you score 40+ goals in a season, no shot is a bad shot. A long-range slapshot from just off the boards usually doesn’t have a high expected goals number, but the shot is really good and the goaltender never saw it.
He ended the play with a nice, quick one-timer, but his first shot came off the rush following a turnover. After the goaltender made the save, Pridham circled back to a shooting spot and was ready for the pass from his teammate.
Not only can he score, but he can set his teammates up as well. Here he demonstrates some nice edge work as he reversed direction behind the net to create a little space before he spied his teammate who had stepped up on the play.
Sure, this was from a couple of seasons ago, but who doesn’t love a good Michigan goal?
