Lightning sign Victor Hedman to 4-year, $32M extension

Defenseman Victor Hedman is staying with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a four-year, $32 million contract, signed Tuesday.

The contract takes effect in the 2025-26 season.

Retaining Hedman, 33, was key for the Lightning, who saw center Steven Stamkos depart for the Nashville Predators in free agency Monday.

Stamkos, 34, left after general manager Julien BriseBois cleared enough room under the salary cap to keep the long-time face of the franchise but declined to increase the club's previous offer to the club's all-time leading scorer.

With Stamkos set to test free agency, the Lightning used a big chunk of the salary cap created by trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Tanner Jeannot to sign free agent forward Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63 million contract on Monday.

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 NHL draft, Hedman is second in games played (1,052) in Lightning history, 30 behind Stamkos.

In 78 games last season, the six-time All-Star contributed 76 points (13 goals, 63 assists).

Hedman stands third in assists (572) among all players in Lightning history and first among defensemen in goals (156), assists and points (728).

He won Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and '21 and has appeared in 165 postseason games, tallying 117 points (23 goals, 94 assists). He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs in 2020 and the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman in 2017-18.

Also Tuesday, the Lightning announced the signing of defenseman Emil Lilleberg to a two-year, one-way $1.6 million contract extension. It will begin with the 2025-26 season.

Lilleberg, 23, appeared in 37 games last season with five assists.

Information from Field Level Media and The Associated Press was used in this report.