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Lightning Round: Tampa Bay have reportedly made a long-term, lower-AAV contract offer to Alex Killorn

Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning via their Twitter (@TBLightning)

As Elliotte Friedman mentioned in latest episode of 32 Thoughts, the Tampa Bay Lightning have reportedly made a long-term, lower-AAV contract offer to forward Alex Killorn, whose seven year contract with an AAV of $4,450,000 is set to expire this offseason. According to Friedman though, this is going to be a complicated task to do as there’s a big demand for a 33-year-old forward, who recorded his career high with 27 goals and 64 points in 82 games during the 2022-23 regular season.

Being drafted during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Killorn is currently the longest-tenured player in the Lightning organization amongst current roster. He played in 805 career regular season games, scoring 198 goals and 466 points during his time in the Lightning jersey. He also participated in 140 playoff games, helping the team to win two Stanley Cups in 2020 in 2021.

Last month, after the Lightning’s season abruptly ended with the loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs, Killorn mentioned that he wants to stay in Tampa, admitting that he still isn’t sure what is going to happen [Tampa Bay Sports]

“I love playing here,” he said Tuesday. “I love everything about Tampa. I love it. I don’t want to leave. You just have to look at all the angles, for sure, to make sure that you make the right decision.”

“All season, it has been something that I’ve thought about,” Killorn said. “You’re always thinking about your future, and luckily I thought I had a great year. But yeah, going forward, I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I know my agent and Julien will for sure be in talks, and hopefully something can be figured out. We haven’t talked enough about it yet.”

The Lightning’s general manager Julien BriseBois also made re-signing of Killorn as one of his priorities, but the Lightning’s current situation makes that very hard to achieve. Tampa Bay have $450,000 in projected cap space for the next season with only 17 players under the contract. They also have $6,875,000 in cap relief with Brent Seabrook on long-term injury reserve. Besides Alex Killorn, who is set to become an UFA on June 1, the Lightning also have Ross Colton and Tanner Jeannot on expiring contracts, who are pending RFAs with arbitration rights.

According to JF Plante of Le Droit, the Syracuse Crunch’s head coach Benoit Groulx might leave his position for an opening spot as the Arizona Coyotes assistant coach [Pro Hockey Rumors]

Plante cites Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny’s current assistant coach opening as a possible landing spot for Groulx, and should such a move materialize that would be a significant and highly valuable addition to the Coyotes organization.

The Lightning’s beat writer Chris Krenn ranking his 10 best Lightning’s goals of the season.

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