The Tampa Bay Lightning should have the bulk of their projected $13.17MM in cap space available when free agency kicks off. Tampa Bay is planning to let wingers Oliver Bjorkstrand and Corey Perry hit the open market, general manager Julien BriseBois shared with reporters including NHL.com’s Benjamin Pierce following the 2026 NHL Draft. BriseBois added that the Lightning remain in negotiations with defenseman Declan Carlile – the only Group-Six UFA on the NHL roster.
This news will, most notably, face the 41-year-old Perry with the question of retirement once again. The veteran winger has survived on year-by-year contracts since 2023. A trio of deals led him through tenures with the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings before a return to Tampa Bay at the 2026 Trade Deadline. He remains a productive scorer, finishing the 2025-26 season with 17 goals and 37 points in 72 games – his highest scoring since a 40-point campaign in 2021-22.
Then again, Perry is also reaching his golden years as one of just three players age-40 or older still active in the NHL. His peers are split on their future – with defenseman Brent Burns re-signing with the Colorado Avalanche while legendary scorer Alex Ovechkin is weighing retirement. Perry sits between the two, likely still capable of playing out another contract but faced with the task of finding it on the open market. He would be a depth addition wherever he ends up, capable of rivaling 20 goals and playing chippy hockey. Perry’s last contract carried a $2MM cap hit, a mark he could continue to hover on his next deal.
While Perry weighs retirement, the Lightning will face much tougher questions in how to replace Bjorkstrand. The 30 year old remained a productive piece of the Lightning offense last season. He finished the year with 12 goals and 32 points, scored while in a third-line role in the lineup. That scoring stretched out what seemed to be a shaky fit in the Tampa Bay lineup since the Lightning acquired Bjorkstrand at the 2025 Trade Deadline. Prior to his Florida move, Bjorkstrand had posted four consecutive seasons of at least 40 points, including a career-high 59 points in 2023-24.
With that scoring streak coming to an end, a change of scenery only seems right as Bjorkstrand considers a deal that could carry him through the rest of his career. He will offer a nice bit of depth scoring and power-play upside on the open market – having averaged 21 goals and 48 points per 82 games played across his 11 seasons in the NHL. Coming off an annual $5.4MM cap hit, Bjorkstrand could find his way into the $6MM mark as part of a shallow free agent class. That number would eat up nearly half of Tampa Bay’s available cap space and should come with a promotion to second-line minutes, something the Bolts can’t provide.
How Tampa Bay responds to Bjorkstrand’s move could be telling. Young forward Conor Geekie played admirably through a demotion to the AHL early into the season. That perseverance could be rewarded with a full-time, third-line role similar to the one Geekie filled in his rookie 2024-25 season. Tampa Bay could also use their savings to seek out one of the many big fish on the trade market. They may be priced out of Jason Robertson‘s desired contract but could fit the deal of a veteran like Dylan Larkin or Rickard Rakell. Tampa Bay could also try to land a franchise-altering move by acquiring a young star like Matthew Knies. Any major addition would force a shakeup of the lineup – though it’d be one Tampa Bay could weather thanks to the depth provided by Geekie, Dominic James, and Gage Goncalves.
While the offense is in flux, defenseman Carlile should be nicely rewarded for standing up to NHL minutes this season. Carlile was able to appear in 42 games with the Lightning, amid a string of injured defenders. He scored three points and 40 penalty minutes in those appearances, often from a third-pair and defense-oriented role. Carlile has also posted 27 points in 71 AHL games over the last two seasons. His next deal is not likely to shift Tampa Bay’s summer budgeting – but it should reward the 26 year old with a chance to compete for the seventh-defenseman role after a smooth break into the NHL.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.
