NHL News: Brandon Hagel Signs an Eight-Year Contract Extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Up next
Author

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Brandon Hagel to an eight-year contract extension with an AAV of $6.5 million.

Hagel is under contract for $1.5 million for this season.

Puck Pedia: Breakdown of Hagel’s extension. He has a no-movement in years three and four and then it becomes a 16-team no-trade clause for the final four seasons.

2024-25: $1.82 million salary and a $7.18 million signing bonus
2025-26: $2.5 million salary and a $6.5 million signing bonus
2026-27: $6.75 million
2027-28: $5.45 million
2028-29: $4.45 million salary and a $1 million signing bonus
2029-30: $4.45 million salary and a $1 million signing bonus
2030-31: $4.45 million salary and a $1 million signing bonus
2031-32: $4.45 million salary and a $1 million signing bonus

Thoughts from the media

Cap Friendly: When Hagel’s contract kicks in for the 2024-25 season, the Lightning will now have 16 players under contract at a projected $74.94 million cap hit – 10 forwards, four defensemen, and two goalies.

The salary cap for 2024-25 is projected to be at $87.5 million.

Steven Stamkos will be a UFA after this season.

Chris Krenn: “Last year, Hagel became the 11th player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a single season & ranked second in the NHL with 92 takeaways, a new franchise record.”

Chris Krenn: “With Hagel extended, the #Bolts now have 8 players under contract beyond the 2025-26 season – Cernak, Cirelli, Hagel, Kucherov, Paul, Point, Sergachev, Vasilevskiy. Have to think other players on the current roster will be there as well, with Hedman & Stamkos feeling like locks.”

Ben Pope: “What an insane ascension for Hagel after nearly giving up on hockey just 5 years ago. Quietly one of the best stories in the NHL today.”

Charlie O’Connor: “I guess that Hagel contract is a bet on Tampa’s part that the salary cap goes up dramatically & AAVs for quality mid-tier players go through the roof? Maybe I just didn’t see enough of him last year, but my view of Hagel is that he’s good but not “give him 8 years now!!!” good.”

Justin Bourne: “Hagel’s career earning’s prior to this are ~$3.7m, gotta imagine a pretty happy day putting pen to paper on a 52 million dollar deal! The players the Bolts have locked up for years are mostly hard-nosed, skilled workers … they’re gonna stay relevant in the Atlantic for awhile.”

Michael Augello: “Hagel is a former #Sabres draft pick that made his mark in Chicago and scored 30 goals for the Lightning last season. He is only 24 and gets long-term security at $6.5M AAV x 8 years. After signing Sergachev/Cirelli/Paul/Cernak last summer, TBL are reallocating cap space, which may mean that a veteran like Stamkos will either be taking a team-friendly deal when his contract expires next summer or he goes elsewhere like Palat and Killorn did.”