TAMPA — The Lightning bolstered their forward depth on Friday by extending Gage Goncalves, a former second-round pick, to a one-year, two-way contract, as announced by the team.
Goncalves, 23, made his NHL debut last season with a brief stint in mid-January, playing two games where he averaged 9:58 of ice time but did not score any points. His re-signing prevented him from becoming a restricted free agent.
In the 2023-24 AHL season, Goncalves excelled for Syracuse, leading the team with 58 points and 45 assists across 69 regular-season games. He continued his strong performance into the Calder Cup playoffs, tallying one goal and six points in seven games. Throughout his three full seasons with the Crunch, Goncalves has maintained an average of 14 goals and 48 points.
Currently, the Lightning have contracts with just 10 NHL forwards for the upcoming season, with efforts underway to secure their captain Steven Stamkos, which would make 11. However, the team’s depth in the forward positions will face challenges, especially considering potential free agency moves by key players like Anthony Duclair, Tyler Motte, and Austin Watson.
Earlier this week, the Lightning signed Gabriel Fortier to a similar one-year, two-way deal but will be without Waltteri Merela next season as he heads to play in Switzerland. Non-roster forwards Cole Koepke and Alex Barre-Boulet are also set to become unrestricted free agents, while Felix Robert may become a restricted free agent.
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