Andrei Vasilevskiy Signs Extension With Lightning

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

From the NY Post
https://nypost.com/2019/07/29/lightning-sign-andrei-vasilevskiy-to-eight-year-76-million-deal/

 

And the Sporting News
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/andrei-vasilevskiy-inks-8-year-76m-extension-with-lightning/1cit91yfqodmc1h5w86c8vflbi

 

 

The TB Lightning have inked 25 yr old starting netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy to an 8 yr extension (9.5M AAV) AHEAD of his current contract expiring according to both articles above.

Wow.
Talk about going "all in" on a goalie. I thought the Bolts might try working out some sort of short bridge deal while some other contracts came off the books, but they are just saying "We want Vasilevskiy...and will give him 9.5 million reasons a year why he should stay right where he is"

 

This almost certainly means the Bolts will have to go with budget back up goaltending (probably why they signed McBackup and will likely bid adieu to Louie Domingue) for the duration of Vasy's contract as GM Julien Brisbois continues to try and navigate the tricky and treacherous waters of a cap ceiling team.

This deal compares with Bobrovsky's 10M AAV he got from the Florida Panthers, although Bob is 5 yrs older than the Bolts' netminder.
Will the Lightning ultimately regret this deal? Probably later on. I mean, what huge contract like this DOESN'T have regrets later on?
But this just shows, the Bolts understand their window to win is NOW.

Now....about that Brayden Point signing...….