Lightning extend Brandon Hagel, adding to an already electric core

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a smart move on Tuesday as the team announced they had extended Brandon Hagel on an eight-year contract extension that will kick in at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Lightning extend Brandon Hagel, adding to an already electric core

The Lightning are trying to keep their championship window open as long as possible. Signing Brandon Hagel to a massive contract extension helps make that possible.

Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois got things right signing Hagel to a deal that carries an AAV of $6.5 million. With the way the salary cap is moving and considering Hagel is only 24 years old, this could very well be a steal.

Hagel played in his first full season with the Bolts this past season and during that time he registered 64 points including 30 goals. The former 2016 6th round pick has come a long way since being drafted by Buffalo and signing with Chicago in 2019.

Tampa Bay traded for Hagel at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline and since then he has become a staple in their top six, someone who could be a major factor in their core.

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The Lightning might be running out of assets to trade away. They might not have many prospects or draft picks, but they do still have a well structured team with players like Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Nicholas Paul, Brandon Hagel , Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak and Andrei Vasilevskiy signed for the foreseeable future.

While Hagel has not won a championship with the Lightning, there is a good chance this contract extension could net him a Stanley Cup ring before all is said and done.

The Lightning kick off their season on October 10 when they host the Nashville Predators. Hagel should be in the lineup on the final year of a three year $4.5 million contract he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in Aug of 2021.