Signing John Carlson Headlines Tampa Bay Lightning’s Busy Week
Key takeaways
- Sports Money Signing John Carlson Headlines Tampa Bay Lightning’s Busy Week By Tom Layberger,
- Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
- It may not be that dramatic for general manager Julien BriseBois and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have averaged 101 points the past four seasons and are coming off a 50-win campaign.
Sports Money Signing John Carlson Headlines Tampa Bay Lightning’s Busy Week By Tom Layberger,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about college football and sports in the Tampa Bay region.Follow Author Jul 02, 2026, 05:08pm EDTJul 02, 2026, 05:38pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Summary After losing Darren Raddysh, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien Brise Bois needed to bolster the blue line and did in a big way with the signing of John Carlson to a two-year deal at $8.5 million per. The team also signed forwards Ilya Mikheyev and Jeffrey Viel, while it traded forward Nick Paul to Toronto for young goaltender Dennis Hildeby, securing a new backup for Andrei Vasilevskiy. BriseBois highlighted the importance of maintaining cap flexibility for potential future moves while not expressing urgency on extending Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov.
EDMONTON — John Carlson of the Washington Capitals in action against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on January 24, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Leila Devlin/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe email arrived as the clock struck midnight and as the end of the July 1 free agency frenzy turned into a new day, one that many teams hope signals the dawn of a new era.