Lightning sign F Hagel to eight-year, $52M extension
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The Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward Brandon Hagel to an eight-year, $52 million contract extension on Tuesday.
The deal will carry an average annual value of $6.5 million for the 24-year-old, who was previously set to hit restricted free agency next summer.
Hagel had a career-high 30 goals and 64 points in 81 games last season, adding one goal and five points in six playoff games.
The Lightning acquired the winger ahead of the trade deadline in 2022 from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a package that included two first-round picks, Boris Katchouk and Taylor Raddysh.
A sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, Hagel has 64 goals and 132 points in 211 career games with the Blackhawks and Lightning.
The Saskatoon native will earn $1.5 million in 2023-2024, the final year of the three-year, $4.5 million pact signed with Chicago ahead of the 2021-2022 season with his new deal set to kick in 2024-2025.
Hagel joins long-term Lightning
Now signed through the 2031-32 season, Hagel is one of six players on the Lightning locked up through at least the 2028-29 campaign.
Brayden Point, signed through 2029-30, leads that list with a cap hit of $9.5 million, followed by defenceman Mikhail Sergachev at $8.5 million through 2030-31, then Hagel with his new deal and Anthony Cirelli at $6.25 million through 2030-31.
Defenceman Erik Cernak is also signed through 2030-31 at a cap hit of $5.2 million and Nicholas Paul is locked up through 2028-29 on a deal that carries a $3.15 million cap hit.
Star winger Nikita Kucherov is signed through 2026-27 at a $9.5 million cap hit, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is under contract through 2027-28, also at $9.5 million a year.
Extending the contract of captain Steven Stamkos could be next on the to-do list for the Lightning as he is entering the final year of his current contract, carrying a cap hit of $8.5 million. Defenceman Victor Hedman has two years left on his deal at a $7.875 million.