Five potential forwards as a one year rentals for the Tampa Bay Lightning

With salary cap realities looming for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the ability to go out and make a major splash is next to impossible. While guys like Alex DeBrincat,  Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Timo Meier will be hitting the market, these are not the guys that Julien BriseBois will be looking at for 2023-24.

Realistically, Tampa will look at slightly older talent that can be signed for $3,000,000 or under to fill the bottom six forwards or add depth to the blue line.

Moreso, with Brandon Hagel needing a new deal after the 2023-24 season, JBB will probably be looking for an Ian Cole like deal that lasts only one year.

The following are five players that are forwards that are unrestricted free agents for the 2023 offseason that would fit the bill as a one-year rental for the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning Rentals: Kyle Okposo

• Buffalo Sabres
• 2022-23 – 11 goals, 17 assists
• Age – 35
• 2022-23 Cap Hit  – $6,000,000

If you want a contract that symbolizes Buffalo’s incompetence over the past decade, the six million per year they gave Kyle Okposo for the past seven seasons is a good place to start. He never topped 50 points while in Buffalo, and only three times did he top 40 points.

Now that his $6,000,000 is off the books, there is next to zero chance Okposo gets that kind of money heading into 2023.

But even though he didn’t live up to the big deal, he still adds value as a fourth-line player if you can get him for $1,000,000.

He spent the bulk of the season paired with Zemgus Girgensons and Peyton Krebs, and while on the ice during 5 v 5 play this past season, Okposo’s lines actually had a positive expected goal share and scoring chances share (both just a tick over 50%).

Where Okposo’s lines failed in 2022-23 was a lack of pure scoring and a combined shooting percentage of just 6.21%.

He’s marginal at faceoffs, tallying just a 46% percentage, but he also drew 18 penalties on the season and has been on Buffalo’s penalty kill these past two seasons.

While Buffalo is improving, Okposo might want to join a Cup contender now and Tampa Bay might be the place for him to do that.

Tampa Bay Lightning Rentals: Evgeni Dadonov

• Dallas Stars
• 2022-23 – 7 goals, 26 assists
• Age – 34
• 2022-23 Cap Hit  – $5,000,000

After his 2019-2020 season, where he posted 47 points in 69 games with the Florida Panthers, Dadonov signed a three-year, five million-per-year deal with the Ottawa Senators.

After a lackluster 2021 campaign, Dadonov was traded to Vegas. One year later, he was traded to Anaheim, who traded him to Montreal, who shipped him to Dallas at the trade deadline this season.

Since arriving in Dallas, Dadonov finished the regular season with 15 points in 23 games, and so far in the playoffs, he has eight points in 12 games.

He’s not necessarily a physical forward that JBB seems to prefer, but depending on how the line combinations shape out, Tampa may still need a skilled bottom-six guy.

Dadonov won’t command $5,000,000 this offseason, though this post-season run may up his price a little bit higher than Tampa would want to pay.

Tampa Bay Lightning Rentals: Ryan Donato

• Seattle Kraken
• 2022-23 – 14 goals, 13 assists
• Age – 27
• 2022-23 Cap Hit  – $1,200,000

If you want someone who is younger than 30, Ryan Donato might be the best bet for a one-year rental. He signed a one-year deal with Seattle in the offseason, and that’s after coming off a one-year deal with Seattle.

At 27 points for $1,200,00, Donato is adequately priced and had great underlying numbers this season while paired with Daniel Sprong for the bulk of the year. Donato was on the ice for 42 5 v 5 goals while only surrendering 24 goals. His expected goal share was slightly more rooted in reality but was still on the plus side.

Donato had 69 hits while averaging just over 11 minutes per game. He also drew 18 penalties with that ice time.

If Ross Colton does leave, Donato had just five fewer 5 v 5 shots than Colton this past season and created just as many rebounds. Colton had an individual expected goal every 59 minutes, while Donato had one every 66 minutes.

So while going from Colton to Donato might be a slight dip, for this price, it may be a reality.

Tampa Bay Lightning Rentals: Jonathan Drouin

• Montreal Canadiens
• 2022-23 – 2 goals, 27 assists
• Age – 28
• 2022-23 Cap Hit  – $5,500,000

Do you want to make a deal with the devil?

Now before you take your pitchforks out, allow me to stress that this is the type of move that works in NHL 23 but has zero chance of working out in real life.

But if you want someone under 30 that has high-end talent and is more than just a grinder, and is available for a one-year deal, that list gets very small very quickly.

We fully understand that Drouin is a locker-room cancer that Jon Cooper had to run out of town once, and given his time in Montreal, it doesn’t seem like what has ailed him maturity-wise has been fixed.

Drouin was still on pace for a 41-point season, and there is enough offensive upside that someone will kick the tires on Drouin, but it is doubtful he can convince anyone to commit to a long-term deal with him.

His final cap hit will probably come in around $2,500,000, possibly less, and depending on league-wide interest, it’s possible he will have to take a one-year deal.

Will it work out? Of course not.

But if you want to make a deal with the devil…