TAMPA, Fla. _ A couple of weeks ago, Yanni Gourde said that no player can ever really be secure in the NHL, but the Lightning forward just got a little more security. Gourde signed a six-year extension worth $5.166 million a year.
"I'm very excited," he said Friday. "It gives me a lot of stability for once in my career. It's pretty amazing."
Gourde spent four years playing in the minor leagues, including parts of two seasons in the ECHL. He hasn't had a contract longer than two years before now.
"It's amazing," he said. "It's great to be able to do that for my family. My wife has followed me around for all these professional years. It's nice to finally be somewhere we know we really like and somewhere that's perfect for us."
The 26-year-old center got his first sustained taste of the NHL with 20 games two years ago, then played every game last season. Gourde was the Lightning's fourth-leading scorer last year with 64 points.
He is tied for second through the first 12 games this year, averaging a point a game. Gourde, who was in the final season of his two-year contract, figures that strong start helped get a deal figured out more quickly than expected.
"I wanted to make a good impression," he said. "I was just saying, 'Let's see where it leads me, and whenever they call, we'll be there to answer the phone.' "
Gourde was one of 10 Lightning players whose contracts are up this year (five restricted, five unrestricted), including five of the eight defensemen on the roster. Tampa Bay was projected to have $12 million of cap space next year before Gourde's new contract. That doesn't leave a lot of space to work with.
"We want to keep Yanni on board," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said. "The sooner we know that, the better read we have on our needs going forward."
BriseBois had set a 10-game mark to assess where the team was, then approach Gourde. After 10 games, no urgent team needs had arisen and Gourde was doing what he expected. The deal came together in a matter of days.
Brayden Point is the other big piece for the Lightning, but he will be a restricted free agent. BriseBois and Point's agent, Gerry Johannson, have mutually agreed to talk after the season. BriseBois said that will give both sides a better idea of proper compensation.
"We knew all along it is going to be a challenge," BriseBois said of the looming cap situation. "It's been the reality for the past four years that we have these challenges. It's a good sign because it means we have good players."
