TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Nikita Kucherov to an eight-year contract extension worth an average of $9.5 million in salary and annual bonuses.
The team announced the deal Tuesday. The 25-year-old would have been a restricted free agent next summer with one year left on a deal that will pay him nearly $4.8 million for the 2018-19 season. Now he is set to stay with the Lightning through the 2026-27 as the team's highest-paid player once the extension kicks in after next year.
"I'm truly grateful to sign this contract extension to keep me in Tampa for another eight seasons," Kucherov said in a statement. "I'd like to thank the Lightning organization and all of the fans for the support since making the Bay Area my home."
The two-time All-Star had 39 goals and 100 points with a plus-15 rating last season. He was third in the NHL in points, sixth in assists and tied for ninth in goals. He averaged 19:49 in ice time to lead all forwards for the Lightning, who lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to Washington.
The deal also means the Lightning have locked up a core group of players younger than 30 years old.
Tampa Bay now has Kucherov, captain Steven Stamkos,
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The Associated Press
