Lightning Lock In Crozier as Blue Line Takes Shape

A year ago, at this time, the Tampa Bay Lightning were making significant changes to their defense, which, after finishing ranked 22nd in the National Hockey League in the 2023-24 season, needed those alterations.

The team made an easy decision to trade for veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who had spent four seasons (2018-2022) with the club through its most successful era in team history.

The Lightning also made the very difficult decision to trade young (and promising) defenseman Mikhail Sergachev due to it needing salary cap space to acquire forward Jake Guentzel.

The moves paid off more handsomely than anyone had the right to envision last autumn.

“On the defensive side of things,” veteran Lightning coach Jon Cooper said recently upon reflecting on this past season, “we really improved in that area.”

Tampa Bay improved seismically to fourth overall in goals scored against and sixth on the penalty kill, so making bold moves this off-season wouldn’t be prudent.

“We have a really good hockey team,” Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois said following this season. “And we’re going to have a really good hockey team again next year.

“I really enjoyed this season’s team.”

With massive changes not being in his mindset with this team, BriseBois has taken a surgical approach to improving the team so far this offseason. That approach continued on Friday with the re-signing of defenseman Max Crozier.

Crozier signed a three-year deal with the team for a total of $2,510,000 ($775,000 annual salary cap hit).

“We have other (players) coming in from (American Hockey League affiliate) Syracuse, who are going to be pushing for a roster spot next fall,” BriseBois said. “We haven’t had that in a while.

“That is exciting as an organization because now we have guys who can add depth, and do so not just in the short term, but for many years to come.”

Crozier is a guy who BriseBois was referencing.

The 25-year-old had by far the best season of his three-year career with the Crunch this year. He was plus-16 in 52 games and accumulated 34 points (nine goals and 25 assists).

Crozier’s signing not only adds depth in a player who has 13 games of NHL experience, but his salary cap figure is friendly to the team in leaving it with flexibility moving forward.

The Lightning still maintain $3,480,001 in salary cap space with the ever-important re-signing of young forward Gage Goncalves still needing to be completed.

Tampa Bay has six defensemen under contract (Victor Hedman, McDonagh, Erik Cernak, J.J. Moser, Darren Raddysh, and Emil Lilleberg). It is difficult to envision any of those valuable and/or promising young players being moved.

What is hanging in the air though following Crozier’s signing is where it leaves defenseman Nick Perbix, whose contract has expired.

The 26-year-old had a solid season this past winter, but statistically, it wasn’t as good as the 29-year-old Raddysh. Conversely, as compared to Crozier’s numbers, Perbix’s numbers have plateaued over his three seasons.

Also, Perbix spent the least amount of time on the ice (less than 15 minutes per game) this season of his career.

With Perbix’s salary cap hit of over $1.1 million last season, the team may see more potential in a rising Crozier as its seventh defenseman, all the while saving invaluable cap space.

BriseBois also recently inked 30-year-old Crunch defenseman Steven Santini to a two-year contract.

Santini has strung together four consecutive comparable seasons, albeit, in the minor leagues.

Tampa Bay will carry eight defensemen on its 2025-26 roster.

“We’re going to do everything we can to have as strong of a roster as possible,” BriseBois said. “All of the guys who are here, I like.

“There is a possibility for all of them to come back. But the odds of them all coming back are small.”