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Thoughts on Gourde's long-term extension with the Lightning? |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on Yanni Gourde's six-year, $5.166 AAV contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Todd Cordell
I think this is a really solid deal for the Lightning.
Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov et all get the headlines but Gourde has quietly been extremely productive for them.
Since the beginning of last season, Gourde ranks tied for 15th in 5v5 scoring with 54 points. Some of the many notables Gourde has out-produced during that period include Phil Kessel, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Sasha Barkov, Leon Draisaitl, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Sidney Crosby.
His on-ice impact has also been really good. With Gourde on the ice at 5v5, the Lightning have controlled a larger share of the shot attempts and expected goals than without him. In terms of actual goals, Gourde is tied for the league-lead with a ludicrous +36 differential (73 for, 37 against). He is definitely a player worth investing in.
James Tanner
It's probably a reasonable deal. Gourde is 26 and he scored almost 70 points last year. He had a bit high shooting percentage and PDO, so I'm not sure he can keep up the high pace, but he scores a lot at 5v5 and appears to be a really good player.
I think there's some risk in paying a player who comes out of nowhere to score 70 points at age 25 on a long term deal, I would probably have wanted more of a track record of success before committing for so much, but if he's even 80% of what he was last year going forward it's probably a fine contract.
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