One longtime Tampa Bay Lightning player will be sticking around as another has left. The Lightning inked defenseman Victor Hedman to a 4-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8 million.
Hedman had a strong bounceback season in 2023-24. In 78 games, he had 13 goals and 63 assists for 76 points. He also finished in sixth place in the Norris Trophy voting, receiving four second-place votes. It’s the ninth season in a row that he has received votes.
In 15 seasons and 1,052 regular season games, he has 156 goals and 576 assists for 728 points.
The Lightning’s top defenseman and alternate captain is one of the franchise’s most decorated players. The six-time all-star has taken home the Norris Trophy, the award for the NHL’s top defenseman. He also was a finalist for the award in six straight seasons from 2016-17 to 2021-22. Hedman was also key to the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, receiving the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP when they won the first Cup in 2020.
With the departure of Steven Stamkos in free agency, Hedman is the most likely candidate to be the next captain of the Lightning.
