If general manager Julien BriseBois’ mid-season promise rings true, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be active before the March 8 trade deadline. The Lightning have been active at the deadline for the last two seasons, acquiring Brandon Hagel and Tanner Jeannot in hopes of adding depth for another run at the Stanley Cup.
The rumors swirling around the Lightning took on a little more interest on Wednesday (Feb 7) when defenseman Mikhail Sergachev had to leave the game on a stretcher after his left leg appeared to bend awkwardly while attempting to make a hit on New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafrenière along the right boards 7 minutes into the second period. On Thursday (Feb 8), the Lightning shared that Sergachev underwent successful surgery to repair a broken fibula and tibia. No timetable for his return has been announced, but he is expected to be placed on the long-term injured reserve list, freeing up over $8 million in cap space.
Here is a look at some of the players the Lightning have reported to be targeting.
Chris Tanev
Multiple reliable sources, including Elliott Friedman on the Feb. 4 32 Thoughts podcast, have reported that the Lightning are interested in acquiring the 34-year-old defenseman. This may have become more of a priority after Sergachev’s injury. Reports have stated that the Calgary Flames are asking for a second-round pick and an asset in return for the veteran blueliner. The Lightning are going to have to decide if Tanev’s age, contract status, and injury history will be worth giving up a player and their 2025 second-round pick to add more veteran depth to their blue line.
Tanev is in the final year of a four-year, $18 million deal signed with the Flames in October 2020. His contract carries an annual average value of $4.5 million, which would not be an issue if Sergachev ends up on the LTIR and the Lighting get the cap relief that comes with it. He has been one of the Flames’ most relied-upon defensemen this season. In 47 games, the right-shot defender has one goal and eight assists while averaging 19:42 of ice time, but his physical play, along with his willingness to block shots and kill penalties, is the skill set he would bring to the Lightning.
Familiar Faces to the Lightning
Per Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic, if the Minnesota Wild opt to sell players, some familiar faces could be targets for the Lightning. Former Bolts Pat Maroon and Zach Bogosian are unrestricted free agents at the end of the season who could be of interest. Bogosian takes on even greater interest for the team with Sergachev’s injury. At 6-foot-2, 220 lbs, he has been a solid defensive presence on a Wild team desperate for stability. He’s also been laying the body, as he is fourth on the team in hits, while the revamped Lightning zone coverage defense will help negate his lack of speed.
Although Maroon is on injured reserve, he was having a good season in Minnesota. After producing some career-low numbers in 2022-23, the former Anaheim Duck is on a 0.33 points-per-game pace compared to a .18 pace in the previous season with the Lightning. He has 16 points in 49 games, is averaging 50 seconds on the power play, and 12:46 in ice time overall.
Another Flames Blueliner?
If Tanev goes somewhere else, another Calgary defenseman the Lightning might be interested in is Noah Hanifin. The 27-year-old has changed his willingness to sign an extension in Calgary multiple times over the past nine months. He is having one of the best seasons of his career, ranked third on a deep Flames defense corps in scoring. His nine goals and 26 points through 50 games have him on pace to crack the 40-point plateau for the second time in the last three years despite a decrease in power-play time.
If Sergachev hits the LTIR, the Lightning will be able to afford his $4.95 million cap hit, which may be attractive to the Flames as it could mean they would not have to retain any of his salary. Hanifin can eat a ton of ice time and is logging the most minutes of his career at 23:33 per game. He’s also seen significant penalty kill time with positive possession control results relative to his teammates.
While the asking price of a first-round pick might be too high for the Lightning, BriseBois may offer other options that would appeal to the Flames. Also, whether Hanifin is traded may depend on whether he signs the offered extension, but it is quite clear that the Flames will not let Hanifin walk away free and clear in the summer.
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With Sergachev’s injury, it will be interesting to see what the Lightning do at the deadline. It was reported that they were already interested in adding another defenseman, but if Sergachev misses the rest of the regular season, the Lightning will have to adjust their expected deadline moves.
