Yanni Gourde staying put in Tampa Bay

Today, the Tampa Bay Lightning made all their fans jump for joy when news officially released on NHL.com that Yanni Gourde will be staying in Tampa Bay after signing a six-year $2.33 million AAV deal with the club. 

Yanni Gourde can be defined as the heart and soul of any team that is blessed to have him. His no-quit effort, charismatic attitude, and gritty play allow him to positively contribute towards a Stanley Cup competing roster. Yanni Gourde’s play is infectious on all levels of the ice, so it seemed like a no-brainer for the Bolts to extend the veteran forward. 

During his stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2024-2025 NHL season, Gourde provided one goal and 13 assists for 14 points in 21 games. Moving forward, Gourde figures to play a bottom-six capacity. Gourde’s consistent presence in a bottom-six role for the Bolts will certainly give the squad a more well-rounded play for the 2025-2026 NHL season. 

When one thinks of Yanni Gourde, one will surely remember his memorable contributions to the Lightning’s Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021. Without Gourde on the Bolts during that stretch of time, is it debatable if the Lightning would have still won their Stanley Cups. Gourde’s play alongside forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow back in the day provided the Lightning with a gritty forward line ready to take the battle to any opponent who dares stand in their way. Forwards like Nick Paul, Connor Geekie, and Gage Goncalves are poised to be potential linemates for Yanni Gourde next season. The Lightning are making moves to rekindle the flame of their previous Stanley Cup wins. With Gourde now fully extended, the future is bright once again for Bolts fans. 

While the term on Yanni Gourde’s deal may seem long, it was extremely critical to lock down a player like Yanni Gourde for the foreseeable future. Yanni Gourde is the type of player any contending roster would love to have on their team. Having a player like Gourde will bring volumes of benefit towards the Lightning’s culture. Since his departure from Tampa Bay, the Bolts have struggled to see playoff success. Now, the Lightning have a positive opportunity to turn the page and look towards the future. The Gourde extension helps build a new culture of success in Tampa Bay. Due to his familiarity in the Lightning’s system under the direction of Head Coach Jon Cooper, Gourde is ready to fully acclimate back to Tampa Bay without any issues. Lightning Hockey is shaping to be an exciting spectacle to watch next season.

Additionally, the Gourde extension appears to be team friendly deal. As a result, it allows the Lightning to make more moves during the offseason. Fans should be jumping for joy because now the Lighting can continue bolstering their roster. Per PuckPedia, the Lightning have $3,480,001 remaining in cap space this offseason. Be on the look out for the Bolts to continue being active this summer.

All stats are provided by NHL.com.