Lightning Made Good Move Trading Tough Guy

With the Tampa Bay Lightning being in a salary cap crunch, many expected them to move at least one player this summer. Tanner Jeannot was their most-talked-about trade candidate, and it was entirely understandable.

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Jeannot, 27, had a rough season with the Lightning in 2023-24, posting seven goals, seven assists, and a minus-10 rating in 55 games. Besides his tough season, the 6-foot-2 winger's $2.665 million cap hit made him a clear trade candidate. Thus, it was not shocking when the Lightning dealt him to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick and the 118th overall pick of this year's draft (Jan Golicic).

While the Lightning gave up far more to land Jeannot from the Nashville Predators during the 2022-23 season, they still received a decent return for him. This is especially so when observing the circumstances. Jeannot's high cap hit and low offensive season could have resulted in the Lightning getting far less. Yet, they still managed to pull in a second-round and added an intriguing prospect in Golicic with the fourth-round pick.

Golicic, 18, is a 6-foot-6 defenseman who has been noted for his strong defensive play and physicality. Yet, he also has been praised for his puck-moving ability, so he could blossom into an NHL-caliber defender later down the road. During this past season with the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL, he had three goals and 29 points in 65 games.

Nevertheless, while the Lightning will undoubtedly miss Jeannot's toughness in their lineup, this was a move they needed to make. Jeannot struggled to find his fit with the Lightning, and trading him allowed the Bolts to make summer additions elsewhere. It will be interesting to see if he can bounce back as a member of the Kings from here.

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