The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed restricted free agent forward Richard Panik to a one-year, two-way deal, per the team. The announcement comes following the signing of free agent forwards Brendan Morrow and RFA Philippe Paradis.
From the team:
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Richard Panik to a one-year, two-way contract today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced.
Panik, 6-foot-1, 208 pounds, played in 50 games with Tampa Bay last season, recording three goals and 13 points. He also played in 13 games with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League in 2013-14. With the Crunch he accumulated three goals and 11 points. Panik also played in two games during the Lightning’s Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series against the Montreal Canadiens during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
A native of Martin, Slovakia, Panik has appeared in 75 career NHL games, all with the Lightning, with eight goals and 22 points. He won the AHL’s Calder Cup Championship with the Norfolk Admirals in 2012. Panik represented his native Slovakia at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and skated in four games.
Panik was drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round, 52nd overall, at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
With Morrow in the fold and all the RFAs now signed to new deals, training camp becomes the next big date on the calendar. The Bolts have 13 forwards on one-way deals now (meaning they make NHL salary in the NHL or if assigned to the AHL) and competition for top-9 spots will be tough.
Panik, like Brett Connolly, is no longer exempt from waivers, so he cannot be sent down to the AHL without risking losing him to another team.
The signings today also put Tampa Bay over the cap, at least temporarily, which is allowed per the CBA during the offseason. The Bolts still have Mattias Ohlund’s LTIR overage to work with heading into the 2014-15 season.
Salary details have not yet become available for the Panik contract.
