As expected, General Manager Julien BriseBois delivered Christmas just a little bit early this year, as he announced yesterday that the Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Anthony Cirelli to a three-year deal carrying an average annual value of $4.8-million per year. The deal is the same one signed by defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, and represents the final major chess piece to be moved by BriseBois this offseason.
With Cirelli’s contract extension, the Bolts have extended an integral part of their roster. Cirelli is, from any objective perspective, one of the most underrated defensive forwards in the league. The fact that he has also shown a knack for contributing on the offensive side of the puck is a bonus:
Anthony Cirelli, signed *sigh* 3x$4.8M by TB, is an exceptional two-way player at even strength. He plays bigger and tougher minutes that you might think, and has elite defensive impact. pic.twitter.com/pkepoqNwee
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 24, 2020
If and when a move happens, I’ll be here to write about it. On that note, I’d like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who has welcomed me back to the Lightning blog here at HockeyBuzz. It’s hard to believe that my original run started eight years ago; being back on this beat is such a thrill. To those who are celebrating today, Merry Christmas. To those who aren’t, I sincerely hope that you still have the opportunity to spend time with family.
As always, thanks for reading.