NHL notebook: Lightning's Victor Hedman gets 4-year extension

 

[July 03, 2024]  Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman isn't going anywhere.

Hedman, who has been with Tampa Bay for the first 15 seasons of his NHL career, signed a four-year, $32 million extension on Tuesday to remain with the Lightning through the 2028-29 campaign.

Hedman, 33, racked up 76 points (13 goals, 63 assists) in 78 games last season.

In 1,052 career games, Hedman has amassed 156 goals and 572 assists. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and six-time All-Star who won the Norris Trophy in 2018 as the league's top defenseman and went home with the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020 as the MVP in the playoffs.

In other moves, Tampa Bay gave Emil Martinsen Lilleberg a two-year, $1.6 million extension while inking free agent Cam Atkinson to a one-year, $900,000 deal.

--Pavel Buchnevich got a new contract from the St. Louis Blues, a six-year, $48 million extension.

Buchnevich, 29, finished with 63 points (27 goals, 36 assists) in 80 games last season, his third with St. Louis. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the New York Rangers (2016-21) and has tallied 162 goals and 239 assists in 517 games in the NHL.

The Blues were also active in the trade market, acquiring forward Radek Faksa from the Dallas Stars for future draft compensation. St. Louis also sent future considerations to the Ottawa Senators, getting forward Mathieu Joseph and a 2025 third-round pick in return.

Corey Schueneman and Adam Jiricek (entry-level contract) also signed with the Blues. Joseph's brother, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, is reportedly joining the team as well.

--Defenseman Jake Middleton is staying with the Minnesota Wild after signing a four-year, $17.4 million contract extension.

Middleton, 28, played in 80 games in 2023-24, recording seven goals and 18 assists. He has played parts of three seasons with Minnesota after the San Jose Sharks traded him to the Wild in March 2022.

Middleton has notched 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists) in 239 career games with San Jose (2018-22) and Minnesota.

--Forward Victor Olofsson is joining the Vegas Golden Knights on a one-year contract worth $1,075,000.

Olofsson, 28, has spent his entire six-year career with the Buffalo Sabres, tallying 182 points (90 goals, 92 assists) in 314 games.

In just 51 games last season, Olofsson had seven goals and eight assists. He had 20-plus goals in each of the two previous seasons.

--The Anaheim Ducks acquired defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick.

Dumoulin, 32, spent just one season with Seattle after 10 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had six goals and 10 assists in 80 games with the Kraken.

--Defenseman Erik Brannstrom signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche that is reportedly worth $900,000.

Brannstrom, 24, has played six NHL seasons, all of which he spent with the Senators. He had 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 76 games for Ottawa in 2023-24.

--Defenseman Sebastian Aho is joining the Pittsburgh Penguins on a two-year, $1.55 million deal.

Aho, 28, has played parts of five NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, collecting 11 goals and 39 assists in 190 games.

--The Toronto Maples Leafs made some noise, signing free agents Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers and Cedric Pare to one-year deals.

Mermis, 30, played a career-high 47 games for Minnesota last season, collecting three goals and five assists. Myers, 27, played just five games for Tampa Bay in 2023-24, while Pare, 25, has yet to see the ice in an NHL game.

--The Rangers, last season's Presidents' Trophy winners, brought in free agents Casey Fitzgerald and Bo Groulx.

Groulx skated in 45 games for the Ducks in 2023-24, while Fitzgerald only spent time in the AHL.

--As they go for back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, the Florida Panthers added MacKenzie Entwistle on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 and are reportedly bringing in Nate Schmidt on a one-year, $800,000 deal.

--The San Jose Sharks, coming off a season in which they had the worst record in the NHL, signed Lucas Carlsson to a two-year contract and Jimmy Schuldt to a one-year deal.

--Field Level Media

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