Since taking over as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steve Yzerman
has made it a point to control his available cap space by all means necessary.
So, in a world where the bridge deal is slowly dying off, Yzerman has worked
the system to keep his best players under reasonable contracts before signing
them to long-term deals.For the sake of fairness, players on entry-level
contracts like Brayden Point will not be considered for this ranking. If they
 were, he would easily be one of the best contracts on the team. (Brad
Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)

Heading into the 2018-19 season, the Lightning have some of the top talents in
the NHL playing under bridge deals or on contracts that are at, or below, their
 expected market value. While some of the bridge deals will be expiring in the
2019 offseason, there';s no fear of the franchise';s core breaking up with
Yzerman working overtime to sign these players to reasonable long-term
deals.#4: Ondrej Palat

Despite being signed to a $5.3 million contract through the 2021-22 season,
Ondrej Palat is one of those players that you rarely hear complaints about from
 the Lightning fan base. He may not be the flashiest player on the roster, but
he brings that necessary defensive edge that fills a team need perfectly. He is
 a swiss-army knife player, who could be played on the top-line alongside
Steven Stamkos in a supportive role, or on the third line as a grinder
meant to shut-down an opponents offensive threats.

As said best by Gavin Lee of prohockeyrumors after Palat suffered an injury
during the 2017-18 season:

One of Tampa Bay's most consistent two-way players, Palat has received Selke
votes three times in his career as one of the league's best defensive forwards.
 His loss will be felt at both ends of the rink for the Lightning...

While this utility doesn';t come to Tampa Bay at a cheap price, what Palat
brings night in and night out is invaluable to the organization. When he isn';t
 on the ice, the Lightning struggle in their defensive zone and are, simply
put, a worse team overall. Sure, he may not receive an All-Star nomination for
 this play, but there are few players more important to their team than Palat
at his current cap hit.#3: Andrei Vasilevskiy

It';s easy to forget that Andrei Vasileveskiy is still on the bridge deal he
signed back in 2016 after the stellar play in his first year as a full-time
starter in the 2017-18 season. Entering the 2018-19 season, Vasileveskiy will
be making $3.5 million in the final year of that contract - a relative steal
for a goaltender of his caliber and potential.Even if he receives a
significant raise on his next contract, Andrei Vasilevskiy will still be on one
 of the best contracts in Tampa Bay. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers).

However, with only one year left on his contract, Vasilevskiy is due for a big
raise next offseason. Given recent market trends, he will likely cost the
Lightning at least $6 million a year, which is reasonable if he can continue
his Vezina-caliber play. If that continues, there will be few players in the
NHL who are more vital to the success of their team than he will be to Tampa
Bay. On his current contract, though, he simply is one of the best bargains in
the league.#2: Nikita Kucherov

When Nikita Kucherov inked a three-year, $14.3 million bridge deal back in
2016, there was little doubt that the Lightning were getting great value for
their budding star forward. At that time, Kucherov was not only seen as one of
the best players on the Lightning';s roster but he still had room to grow with
the franchise.

Since signing that deal, Kucherov has gone on to establish himself as not only
the Lightning';s top forward, but one of the truly elite talents in the entire
NHL. He was rated as the number one winger by NHL.com this year and is expected
 to be a top nominee for the Hart Trophy as well, all for a $4.76 million cap
hit.

Outraged? Flabbergasted? Happy?

Tell us how you feel about our Top 20 Wings list. #NHLTopPlayers
pic.twitter.com/YUfypWRQmm

- NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 20, 2018

Players who can score 100 points a season are rare, and his newly signed
eight-year, $76 million contract showcases just how valuable those players
are. However, given the current contract climate of the NHL, his $9.5 million
cap hit will be a relative steal should he continue to raise his game and
produce 100 points a year.#1: Victor Hedman

Since the Lightning selected him second overall at the 2009 draft, Victor
Hedman has met or exceeded every expectation placed on him. As a Norris-winning
 defenseman and the definitive top defender on the team, Hedman plays an
invaluable role with the franchise... all for only $7.875 million a year. While
 this is far from a value-signing (he is the fourth highest paid defenseman in
the league, after all) what he brings to the Lightning night in and night out
is worth every penny.Little more needs to be said about Victor Hedman. He is a
Norris winning defender who is on not only the best contract on his team, but
one of the best in all the NHL. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Without Hedman, the Lightning would have a, at best, mediocre defensive core.
Sure, they have talented players like Anton Stralman, Mikhail Sergachev and
Ryan McDonagh on their roster, but Hedman is the glue that holds them all
together. His play anchoring the top defensive pairing for 20 to 25 minutes a
night would be virtually impossible to replace for an entire season.

When you consider everything he brings to the franchise, the eight-year, $64
million contract he signed in 2016 is a relative bargain, especially to a team
in desperate need of his services. Given the improving defensive core around
him, Hedman may even be able to improve his game in the future, meaning that
the best years of his contract may still be in front of him.Yzerman Has Far
More Good Contracts Than Bad

It';s worth noting that the Lightning have many other great players under
reasonable contracts heading into the 2018-19 season. Most notably, Steven
Stamkos and his $8.5 million cap hit is a solid contract given when he was
signed, but his struggles with injuries kept it from being one of the team';s
best. Should he have another healthy, productive season, though, one could
easily say that his cap hit is among the best money spent in the NHL.

Just the fact that one can argue who deserves to be on the Lightning';s best
contract list is a real testament to the work Yzerman has done in Tampa Bay.
While he may not always get it perfect, he still has managed to keep his core
players together despite dealing with the constant cap crunch.

The post Lightning';s Four Best Contracts for 2018-19 appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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