There have been plenty of trades in recent memory that have had an impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning, both good and bad. The 2018 trade to get JT Miller and Ryan McDonagh from the New York Rangers has aged particularly well. On the flip side, there are some trades, like last year’s deal to send Tanner Jeannot to Tampa, that have not panned out as planned. What year, though, saw moves that altered the Lightning’s future the most? That seemed like an interesting question to ponder in lieu of the trade deadline. After some careful consideration, the year 2022 (both the 2021–22 season and the 2022 off-season) has undoubtedly had the biggest impact on the Lightning’s future. Moreover, its impact is far from fully played out.
Brandon Hagel Joins the Team
As the 2022 trade deadline approached, the Lightning made quite a splash on March 18 by dealing with the Chicago Blackhawks. The team sent prospects Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, as well as the team’s 2023 and 2024 first-round picks, to the Blackhawks in exchange for Brandon Hagel. It is hard to imagine now, but there was considerable debate amongst Lightning fans on whether or not this was a good move. At the time, Hagel played very well for the Blackhawks and had 21 goals on the season. Plus, he was young and on a cheap contract (which does not expire until this offseason). It made sense why there was such a high price for him, but some fans were concerned. It was only Hagel’s second full season in the league, and if this breakout was a fluke, then it could cause serious trouble for the franchise. It did not help when Hagel came to the Lightning and proceeded to hit post after post.
During the 22 regular-season games he played with the Lightning, he scored four goals and recorded three assists. The playoffs were a similar story, as he only had two goals and four assists over 23 games. Quite a few fans were upset. They reasoned that the team would have made it to the Stanley Cup Final without him, and if he played better (or the team dealt for a better player), they could have won the Cup. They were frustrated that so many assets had seemingly been wasted, and the team would be stuck with the forward for another two seasons. That story has largely been forgotten. It speaks volumes about what Hagel has done in his time since the Lightning.
In that first season, the signs of his potential were all there, and he was playing well (in spite of how it appears when looking at the stats), but he struggled with his finishing. He just needed more time to adjust to a new environment, and most fans understood that. Given time to flourish, Hagel is now one of the most important pieces of the Lightning’s future. During the 2022–23 season, he had 30 goals and a total of 64 points, all while earning a $1.5 million annual average salary. This season, he has 22 goals and 60 points, and he will undoubtedly beat his previous career high from last season. Hagel is signed to a contract extension that will kick in next year and keep him with the team through the 2031–32 season. Given that he is 25 and still on an upward trajectory, the $6,500,000 annual average salary could look like a steal in a few years. The cost seemed high at the moment, but down the road, Hagel will be the face of the franchise, and it looks like that trade was worth every penny.
Nick Paul is Acquired From Ottawa
Just two days after acquiring Hagel, the Lightning traded with the Ottawa Senators to get Nick Paul. This felt more in line with the kinds of trades the Lightning had been making the previous few seasons. The Lightning had become known for making moves to get solid second or third-line forwards that were overlooked and generally for less than market value. Many figured that the Paul trade was the next such deal. In order to get Paul, the Lightning sent away Mathieu Joseph and a 2024 fourth-round pick. Joseph had shown some promise during his time with the Lightning and put himself in a position to score frequently. He had plenty of great tools, including his speed, but his finishing was not up to par.
At the time, his rookie campaign was still in its best season, and it looked like a change of scenario would be for the best. The same could be said of Paul, who had a different skill set but, similarly, was yet to really find his footing offensively. Paul did not take long to make his presence known in Tampa, and he finished the season with 14 points over 21 games. During the playoffs, he had five goals and four assists. While those numbers are not staggering, they are solid for a depth piece, and he was crucial to helping the Lightning get past the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.
Last season, Paul had 17 goals and 32 total points while appearing in 80 games, which, for what his role was at the time, was pretty good. Now, though, he is in a position to play a larger role on the team as the salary cap has weakened the roster. This season has had some ups and downs for Paul, but overall, he has delivered. He has 17 goals and 17 assists through 64 games, so he should surpass the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. Paul was signed to a new contract with the team over the summer of 2022 and will remain with the team through the 2028–29 season while making an average annual salary of $3.150 million. He undoubtedly is a part of whatever plans management has for the future, and if he can put the puck in the net 20–25 times a season, then the contract will age quite nicely.
Ryan McDonagh is Sent to Nashville
The salary cap has been a thorn in the side of the Lightning for a while, and the 2022 offseason was no exception. That lack of increases in the salary cap due to COVID meant that the team has had to deal with more of a cap crunch than contenders in years past. In 2022, it was defenseman McDonagh who was forced out. He was a leader on the team and one of the most reliable defenders in the league. McDonagh was one of the most important pieces in getting the Lightning back-to-back Stanley Cups, but his $6.750 million average annual salary made him the odd man out.
The fact that he was so expensive and was signed on a contract that would not expire until he turned 37 meant that Lightning management felt it was best to head in a different direction. Looking back, it is hard to call this move a misstep, but it is certainly one that hurt the team in the immediate future and hampered their ability to contend. While today it looks like there are some more obvious candidates that the Lightning should have traded, hindsight is 20/20, and it seemed to be the move to make. During his time with the Predators, McDonagh has continued to play sound defense, put up big minutes, and have respectable offensive numbers. He is very much the same player that he was with the Lightning.
On the flip side, the Lightning did not get much in return. They received Grant Mismash and Philippe Myers, who was a defenseman with a promising skillset but was having trouble putting his game together. Nothing has really changed, as Myers is down in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. Maybe this move would hurt less if it was not as much of a salary dump and the Lightning got a decent return. Or maybe the Lightning should have moved another player instead. Either way, losing McDonagh is something the Lightning have not been able to move beyond.
Lightning Trade Ahead in the Draft for Lucas Edmonds
During the 2022 draft, the Lightning traded a 4th and 6th-round pick with the Los Angeles Kings in order to obtain a 2nd-round pick for Lucas Edmonds. Every part of this article has been speculative on some level, but this section is especially so. Edmonds was looked at as a bit of a sleeper prospect at the time. Due to his age, scouts were a little skeptical about him, but his talent was around that of a late first-rounder. It made sense for the Lightning to gamble on a prospect like that with their lack of draft capital.
As of now, the jury is still out on whether that move has paid off, but Edmonds certainly has potential. Last season was his first in the AHL, and he had 15 goals and 27 points over 49 games. This season has been much slower for the forward, with only eight points over 32 games, although he has scored in the last two games he has played in. Edmonds still has a long way to go, and it is impossible to predict where he will end up, but that trade in the 2022 draft could be seen as a difference-maker someday. It’s just too soon to make a call, but Edmonds is worth keeping an eye out for Lightning fans.
Other Trades Made
There were a few other less notable trades that were made during 2022. On Feb. 1, 2022, the Lightning sent Alexey Lipanov to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Tye Felhaber. On the same day, the Lightning received Anthony Richard from the Predators for Jimmy Huntington. Neither of these deals moved the needle in either direction for the Lightning, nor were they expected to. On March 21, 2022, the Lightning acquired Riley Nash from the Arizona Coyotes for future considerations. It was not a splashy deal by any means, but there was a thought that Nash could become a respectable depth piece for the Lightning as they attempted to make another run to the Stanley Cup Final.
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That was not really the case, as Nash only figured into 10 regular season games and eight playoff games while being a non-factor in the games he featured in. The cost of the trade was very low, so there was not much lost from the team taking that gamble. Lastly, the Lightning made a trade with the San Jose Sharks on March 21, 2022. They swapped Antoine Morand for Alexei Melnichuk, and there is not anything notable to say about the deal.
Final Thoughts
2022 was a monumental year for the Lightning in terms of trades. They got two players that figure to be part of their core for years to come while simultaneously losing one of their best defensemen. All three of those trades have altered the course of the Lightning’s future and will continue to do so in the years ahead. It is fascinating how just a few phone calls can change the trajectory of a player’s career or the direction that a franchise is heading in. It can also be hard to really tell the impact of a trade until long after it has happened. With all of the moves that teams have made this week and all of the chaos that has unfolded, please keep that in mind. You never really know what’s what until the dust settles.
