6th year center Kevin Lynch(14) signs a one-year two-way deal with Tampa Bay Lightning on the opening day of unrestricted free agency no less after a pair of AHL contracts with affiliate Syracuse Crunch and producing a new best 14 goals and 12 assists last season.
He was actually somehow originally acquired by the team (but there’s barely any mention of it anywhere) in a trade with Vancouver Canucks, who it is unsure how they obtained his rights.
The one-time Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft (#56 overall) was never signed and eventually played his first three campaigns under agreement to ECHL teams, although he was first signed by the Crunch, when he was loaned up from Florida Everblades as a sophomore skater in 2014/2015.
The 6’1″ 207 lbs. forward’s first contract was actually in the upper league to Grand Rapids Griffins after 4 successful years at University Of Michigan, but he spent all his time as a rookie with Toledo Walleye and Evansville Icemen.
Grabbing his first big league deal as a 27-year old has got to be a big deal and there’s little doubt he’ll be doing his best to get on the radar for more.