After a quiet Day 1 of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning were very active on Day 2, making trades that added more draft picks and, maybe even more importantly, gave the team much-needed room on its 2024-25 salary cap. In total, the Lightning traded away two players and drafted seven new prospects into the organization.
The trades allowed the Lightning $11.15 million in cap space, which presumably will allow them to re-sign Steven Stamkos and extend defenseman Victor Hedman. However, insider Elliotte Friedman wrote on Saturday (June 29) that Stamkos is likely headed to free agency (with agent Don Meehan confirming that being the likely scenario) and Hedman to a contract extension on the first day he is eligible on July 1. He also wrote that the believed new priority target is Jake Guentzel, coming off a 30-goal season for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes.
General manager Julien Brisebois verified the Stamkos news on Saturday afternoon in his post-draft news conference.
That prediction became true on Sunday (June 30) when the Lightning completed a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes to get the rights to Guentzel in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft with the idea that the two sides have a deal to work out.
So, while everyone holds their breath until the smoke clears the air, let’s look at what happened over the weekend and how it will impact the organization.
Two Major Trades
The first announced trade sent ripples throughout the hockey world. The Lightning announced they acquired defenseman J.J. Moser, forward Conor Geekie, a seventh-round pick (199th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft, and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.
In addition to clearing cap space and adding some draft capital, the team also added two players who could be instrumental in keeping the team playoff contenders for a longer period of time.
Geekie, the 11th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, skated in 55 games between the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos and Wenatchee Wild this season, logging 43 goals and 99 points to rank 10th among WHL skaters for goals and 11th for points. The 6-foot-4 194-pound forward represented Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he recorded two goals and three points in five games before making his professional debut with the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners and skating in two Calder Cup Playoff contests. He will likely start the season with the Lighting’ AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
Moser, 24, played in 80 games with the Arizona Coyotes this season, recording five goals and 26 points to rank second among Coyotes defensemen for points and assists (21), and tied for second in goals. He averaged 20:34 time on ice per game, blocked 112 shots, and logged 21 takeaways, all of which were the second-most among Arizona defensemen.
The second trade, announced shortly after the Sergachev trade, had the Lightning acquiring a fourth-round pick (118th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Tanner Jeannot. The Lightning acquired Jeannot in February 2024 as they sent Nashville Predators defenseman Cal Foote, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Seven Picks on Day 2
After the trades were finalized, the Lightning had two picks in the fourth round, one pick each in the fifth and sixth rounds, and three picks in the seventh round.
Round 4 – 118th Overall – Jan Golicic (D)
The 6-foot-6, 198-pound defenseman from the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) Gatineau Olympiques recorded 29 points (three goals, 26 assists) in 65 games with Gatineau this season. A native of Jesenice, Slovenia, Jan Golicic is the first Slovenian player drafted by Tampa Bay in franchise history. He has been described as a player with good size and physicality with great upside—a nice shutdown blueliner.
Round 4 – 128th Overall – Hagen Burrows (F)
The 18-year-old forward recorded 59 points (19 goals, 40 assists) in 28 games with Minnetonka this season. He also skated in 25 games with the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Sioux City Musketeers, scoring nine goals and adding 13 assists for 22 points. A native of Orono, Minnesota, Hagen Burrows is committed to playing college hockey at the University of Denver. He has been described as a prospect with many tools, and if he works on his skating, he could develop into a top-six forward.
Round 5 – 149th Overall – Joona Saarelainen (F)
A native of Mikkeli, Finland, Joona Saarelanien recorded 13 goals and 36 points in 41 games this season as an alternate captain with KalPa of the Finnish Junior League. The 5-foot-9, 183-pound center represented Finland as an alternate captain in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship and tallied three goals and four points in five games. His scouting report states that he plays with a high motor and is sturdier than his size suggests, although there will have to be some physical development if he wants to make it to the NHL.
Round 6 – 181st Overall – Kaden Pitre (F)
Kaden Pitre, 18, registered ten goals and 30 points in 35 games during his second Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season with the Flint Firebirds in 2023-24. A native of Stouffville, Ontario, the 5-foot-11, 168-pound center ranked ninth among Flint forwards for scoring this season. Scouting reports on Pitre state that he adds more layers of deception and inside drives, not unlike how his older brother and linemate, Coulson, successfully did this season; he could become a big OHL scorer and put himself on the pathway to becoming a versatile bottom-six forward.
Round 7 – 195th Overall – Joe Connor (F)
The 5-foot-10, 174-pound forward recorded 31 goals and 60 points in 50 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL this season, ranking tied for fourth in scoring among all Lumberjacks skaters.
Related: Steven Stamkos’ Impact on the Growth of Hockey in Tampa
Joe Connor led Muskegon in shorthanded points this season with one goal and three assists while ranking third for power-play goals with nine. He was in his second year of draft eligibility but will have to improve his all-around skill set and high motor skills to make the NHL.
Round 7 – 199th Overall – Noah Steen (F)
Noah Steen scored 14 goals and tallied 17 points in 40 games with Mora IK of HockeyAllsvenskan this season. He also appeared in 12 qualification games for Mora IK and registered one goal and five points. A native of Oslo, Norway, he is the first player from Norway to be drafted in Lightning history. He led the HockeyAllsvenskan team with the most goals by a Junior (14). He is a physical player who skates with a bit of an edge but has good two-way skills.
Round 7 – 206th Overall – Harrison Meneghin (G)
Harrison Meneghin, 19, appeared in 53 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League in 2023-24, posting a record of 27-20-5 with three shutouts, a goals-against average of 2.59, and a save percentage of .919. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound netminder was named to the WHL’s First All-Star Team this season. Not on the prospect radar, his play this season got him noticed and led to being picked by the Lightning.
While the Lightning did not do all that much to improve their prospect system, they did make some strides in getting ready for free agency to put together a team to make a deep playoff run in 2024-25 and allow Julien BriseBois to send a message to the rest of the league that the Lightning will do whatever it takes to get another Stanley Cup.
