The mix to fill the open spots on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s forward lines just got a little more crowded. Andy Strickland, a reporter for Bally Sports Midwest, has reported that the team has signed Logan Brown to a try-out contract.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the Lightning signed the 6’6″ forward to a one-year, two-way contract last summer. He suffered a hip injury in training camp that kept him out of competition all season long. It was bad enough that he required surgery and didn’t appear in any live action at all. He did skate with the Crunch in the spring, but was never ready to be added back to the active roster. Based on the Tweet from Strickland, it sounds like he has completed his rehab and should be ready to go for training camp.
Still just 26 years-old, the former first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators has struggled to stay healthy enough in order to make an impact at the NHL level. His best season came in 2021-22 where he appeared in 39 games for the St. Louis Blues and registered 4 goals with 11 assists. In 99 games of NHL action with Ottawa and St. Louis he has 7 goals and 19 assists while averaging 10.32 of ice time.
Brown adds a little size to the mix when it comes to competing with Jesse Ylonen, Gage Goncalves, Gabe Fortier, and Lukas Svejkovsky for the 12th and 13th forward roles on the team. The North Carolina born skater would have to earn a contract in camp in order to make the team, but if he does, the Lightning should be able to afford him on a deal around the league minimum.
It was around this time last year that the Lightning signed Austin Watson to a PTO and the rugged forward earned his way to a spot on the roster so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Brown makes the team. With most training camps about a month away from starting, expect to see some more free agents take the PTO route as they try to lock in spots in the league for next season.
