Well, there will be no arbitration hearings this summer for the Tampa Bay Lightning (unless, of course, Julien BriseBois pulls off some sort of trade). The Bolts headed into the off-season with one restricted free agent that had arbitration rights, and on Tuesday, they agreed to a contract with that player. Max Groshev is now under contract for another two seasons as he agrees to a two-year, two-way deal with the Lightning.
Groshev was selected in the third round of the 2020 draft and has developed into one of the more intriguing prospects in the system. After spending his first season-and-a-half with the Syracuse Crunch as a forward, he converted to defense midway through last season. In his first full season as a blueliner, the 24-year-old posted 21 points (3 goals, 18) assists, and made his NHL debut.
The #10 prospect in our most recent Top 25 Under 25, Groshev made his NHL debut against Montreal on December 28th and picked up his first NHL point, an assist, in 13:30 of ice time. He played another 9:57 against Utah a month later without getting on the scoresheet.
According to PuckPedia the two-year deal carries an $875,000 AAV at the NHL level with his base salary at $850,000 next season and $900,000 in 2027-28. At the end of the deal, he will still be a RFA. While it’s not a big gap at the NHL level between the two seasons, if Groshev is in the AHL in 2027-28 he’ll see his salary jump from $200,000 to $750,000. The Lightning like to include those types of bumps in contracts to make it less enticing for other teams to claim players off of waivers. (If our math is right, Groshev will not be waiver-exempt next season).
One thing that Groshev brings to the blueline that not many of the defenders in the system have is his ability to skate. Not only can he bring it out of his own zone and through the neutral zone, he can do it at a pace that drives the other team back. More and more teams are relying on defenders being one-player breakout units and Groshev has that ability.
He is still learning the nuances of defending in his own zone, but that should come with experience. Depending on what else happens in Tampa this summer, the blueline might be a little crowded (especially on the left side of the ice), so it is likely that he starts the season in Syracuse and continue to hone his defensive game. However, he didn’t look too out of place in his limited time in the NHL and should be one of the top players on the recall list should the Lightning need help at some point in the season.
Groshev wasn’t the only signing Mr. BriseBois made on Tuesday, as the club also announced that Nick Abruzzese signed a one-year deal. The forward had a strong season with the Crunch as he posted 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 56 games in his first season in Syracuse. The New York native signed a two-way deal that will pay him $850,000 at the NHL level and $250,000 in the AHL, with a guarantee of $400,000.
Official Press Release for Groshev:
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Max Groshev to a two-year, two-way contract, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.
Groshev, 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, played in two games for the Lightning last season, making his NHL debut on December 28 versus Montreal, recording his first NHL assist and point, while logging 13:03 in ice time with a plus-1 rating. He skated in 58 games with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League last season, tallying three goals and 21 points. Groshev ranked third among Crunch defensemen for assists (18), points and plus/minus with a plus-16 rating. He also played in four Calder Cup Playoff games and recorded one assist.
The native of Agryz, Russia has appeared in 181 career AHL games, all with the Crunch, notching 20 goals and 65 points. Groshev has also skated in 14 career Calder Cup Playoff games and registered two assists.
Groshev, 24, was selected by Tampa Bay in the third round, 85th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft.
