The Tampa Bay Lightning made a little splash today with some news. They announce that they have signed a good, young player, taking him off the free agent market. Jakob Pelletier, signs with the organization. The 24-year-old has 86 NHL games under his belt. It is a three-year contract, with the first season being a two-way deal, but the last two years are one-way. The salaries over the three years are $775K, $850K, and $900K, respectively.
Jakob Pelletier signed a 3 year deal with the @TBLightning at 775K first season (2 way), 850K second season (one way) and 900K the 3rd season (one way).
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) July 2, 2025
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Tampa Bay Lightning Signs Free Agent Jakob Pelletier to Contract
The Quebec native is a former first round pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Despite still not having played much in the NHL to this point, he still remains someone who has potential. Pelletier had a trying 2023-24 season. Back in September of that season, he sustained a shoulder injury, and was not cleared to play again until January. Moreover, he again missed nearly two weeks in February with an injury. All told Pelletier got into 31 professional games in 2023-24, split between the AHL affiliate Calgary Wranglers and Flames. Furthermore, when he has been healthy, he has been very successful at the AHL level. In 139 career AHL games, he has totaled 130 points. Good enough to earn him callups over the past three seasons for the Flames. However, he was able to stick with the Flyers last year after a trade deadline acquisition. He had eight points in 25 contests to end the 2024-25 campaign.
What Does This Signing Mean for the Tampa Bay Lightning Organization
Needless to say, the Lightning organization would love to see a deal like this turn into great value. They have long been known for giving up draft picks to stay competitive. And with the success their group has had, who can blame them. Pelletier still provides plenty of potential. Furthermore, he has showed his scoring touch at the junior and AHL levels. Once he finds a role that suits him, and gets confidence from the coaches to stick with it, there’s a good chance he can become a consistently producer NHL as well. That’s definitely what the Lightning are banking on.
Main photo credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun-USA TODAY NETWORK
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