TAMPA, Fla. _ The Lightning made one more move before the NHL trade deadline Monday, adding forward Barclay Goodrow and a third-round draft pick from San Jose.
Tampa Bay gave up an AHL player and a first-rounder for the 26-year-old. The team was at the league's 50-contract limit, so it could not add another player without giving someone up. The Lightning sent Anthony Greco to San Jose, after trading Danick Martel to Florida for Greco on Thursday.
The Lightning are left without a pick in the first round for the second year in a row. They have two in the third, fourth and six rounds. This new third-round pick was previously acquired from the Flyers by San Jose.
The Sharks have had a down year, but Goodrow has been a strong defensive center for them. He figures to slot in on the bottom six, perhaps as a third-line center. Goodrow draws penalties at a rate of .83 penalties per 60 minutes played, per evolving-hockey.com.
This trade may be as much about what Goodrow can do for the Lightning next year.
Like Blake Coleman, who the Lightning acquired from New Jersey last Sunday, Goodrow has another year on his contract with a low salary cap hit. General manager Julien BriseBois said that was part of Coleman's appeal.
Goodrow is in the first year of a two-year contract that pays $925,000 annually. That low salary could help when the Lightning have to re-sign pending restricted free agents Anthony Cirelli, Erik Cernak, Mikhail Sergachev and Mathieu Joseph this summer.
Adding up its moves before the deadline, the Lightning added depth with two forwards with affordable salaries for another year and a veteran defenseman in Zach Bogosian. That last move was a signing, not a trade. They gave up two firsts, Nolan Foote and Danick Martel, who has played nine NHL games over two seasons.
Also on Monday, the Lightning re-assigned Cameron Gaunce and Mitchell Stephens to the AHL. After adding depth on the blue line by signing Zach Bogosian, the team doesn't need Gaunce as a seventh defenseman.
This move also makes both eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Anyone who is not on an AHL roster at the 3 p.m. deadline would not be eligible for the league's playoffs. They can still be recalled, but NHL teams will only have three recalls for the rest of the regular season.
