Nick Paul has agreed to a seven-year contract worth $22 million to stay with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Phelan Ebenhack/Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning have accomplished one of their top offseason priorities, retaining forward Nick Paul with a seven-year contract worth just over $22 million.
General Manager Julien BriseBois announced deal Friday, three days after saying the club was interested in re-signing Paul and two other key players headed toward free agency — forward Ondrej Palat and defenseman Jan Rutta.
Paul was obtained in a trade from the Ottawa Senators in March. The 27-year-old filled several roles, helping the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive year.
The Colorado Avalanche ended the team’s bid or a third straight title, winning the NHL title in six games.
Paul, who will earn an average of $3.15million under his new contract, had five goals and four assists in his first playoff action. He filled various roles with Brayden Point sidelined by a torn quadriceps muscle for most of a 23-game postseason run.
Paul appeared in 21 games with Tampa Bay during the regular season, finishing with five goals and nine assists. He made his playoff debut against Toronto and scored his first two career postseason goals the Lightning’s 2-1 victory in Game 7 of the first-round series.
Paul, who made $1.35 million last season, also scored two goals against Colorado in the Stanley Cup Final.
A fourth-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars in 2013, Paul spent part of seven seasons with the Senators before being traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for Mattieu Joseph and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft.
He skated in a combined 80 games for the Lightning and Senators, setting career-highs for games, goals (16), assists (16) and points (32). He has 34 goals and 80 points in 248 games since making his NHL debut in February 2016.
SHARKS: San Jose fired coach Bob Boughner and his staff two months after the regular season ended.
The team confirmed the moves Friday, after reports surfaced Boughner and assistants John MacLean and John Madden were informed Thursday night they were being let go. Video coach Dan Darrow also was fired, and the Sharks said no replacements were immediately named.
The organization is still in the middle of a lengthy search for a general manager after Doug Wilson stepped down after nearly two decades on the job. Interim GM Joe Will made these moves.
Boughner, 51, coached the Sharks for the past 2 1/2 seasons after replacing Peter DeBoer in December 2019. They missed out on the playoffs each of the last three years following a run of 14 playoff appearances in 15 seasons, including a trip to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.
STARS: Dallas added Steve Spott and Alain Nasreddine to the coaching staff while re-signing backup goalie Scott Wedgewood on a $2 million, two-year contract.
Spott and Nasreddine will be the assistants to new coach Pete DeBoer. Goaltending coach Jeff Reese and video coach Kelly Forbes are holdovers from former coach Rick Bowness’ staff.
FLYERS: Philadelphia goaltender Ivan Fedotov has been detained in Saint Petersburg, Russia, for an alleged evasion of military service, according to a report from Russian news outlet Fontanka.
Fedotov, 25, signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers on May 7 after leading CSKA Moscow to the Gagarin Cup last season, and the Russian Olympic Committee to a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. CSKA Moscow is owned by the Russian government and its members are officially considered military personnel. In the past, the team was affiliated with the Soviet Army and known as the “Red Army Team.”
According to the report, Fedotov was picked up on Friday by operatives of the Russian criminal investigation department and taken, without restraint, to the military registration and enlistment office. The speculation is that Fedotov terminating his contract with CSKA could be construed as a violation of Article 328 of Russia’s Criminal Code given he is officially considered military personnel. CSKA’s motivation would seem to be to hold onto their top goaltender for next season and maybe beyond.
CANUCKS: Restricted free-agent forward Brock Boeser re-signed with Vancouver, agreeing to three-year deal worth $6.65 million a season.
The 25-year-old right wing from Burnsville, Minnesota, had 23 goals and 23 assists in 71 regular-season games last season.
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