Overview

• The Tampa Bay Lightning traded two conditional first-round picks (2026, 2027), a second-round pick, and forward Michael Eyssimont to acquire Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken.
• The trade was facilitated by the Detroit Red Wings, who retained 25% of Gourde's salary, while Seattle retained 50%, reducing Tampa Bay's cap hit for Gourde to just under $1.3 million.
• Gourde, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with Tampa Bay, recently returned from sports hernia surgery and brings valuable playoff experience to the team.
• Bjorkstrand, a consistent scorer with five 20-goal seasons, adds offensive depth to the Lightning as they prepare for a potential playoff run.
• In a separate move, the Florida Panthers acquired goaltender Vitek Vanecek from the San Jose Sharks to bolster their goaltending depth behind Sergei Bobrovsky.