Tampa Bay Lightning and Peter Budaj agree on two-year extension
By Will Clewis
The Tampa Bay Lightning and goaltender Peter Budaj have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with a $1.025 million average annual value, bringing the veteran netminder back to Tampa.
After locking up their future starting goaltender last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning are close to securing a veteran netminder to a backup role for a couple of seasons. According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times today, the Lightning and goaltender Peter Budaj have agreed to terms on a two-year extension worth $2.05 million, with a $1.025 average annual value.
The deal is not official, though, as there is a NHL-wide roster freeze in effect through Wednesday, which excludes the Vegas Golden Knights.
Budaj came to Tampa Bay via a trade for Ben Bishop with the Los Angeles Kings at the March 1 trade deadline. Bishop is with a new team in the Dallas Stars now, but Budaj has decided to stick around with the Lightning, for the time being. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this summer and opted to not explore other opportunities available.
Budaj provides the Lightning with a solid backup goaltender behind rising star and current starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was put on the protected list for the expansion draft this Wednesday. Last season, the 34-year-old Czech Republic native played in 60 games for the Lightning and Kings, seven of which were for Tampa Bay, the remainder of which were in the absence of the Kings’ injured starter, Jonathan Quick. He finished 2016-17 with a 30-21-3 record, 2.18 goals against average and .915 save percentage, which are solid numbers considering the situation he was in last season.
Though the two sides have come to an agreement, Budaj’s future with the Tampa Bay Lightning isn’t secure yet. He could still be taken by Vegas, as the protection list won’t change because of the agreement. But with a commitment in place and other available goaltending options for the Golden Knights to look at, it’s unlikely he’ll get swept away.
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Bringing Budaj back is great for the Tampa Bay Lightning going forward, and it’s even better that he and his family enjoy the area as well. There’s more work to be done, as the off-season is still fresh, but coming to terms on a deal with a solid veteran backup is a fine start to the summer session.