The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Slater Koekkoek to a one-year contract worth $865,000. The contract is a raise from his previous one-year contract that paid him $800,000 for 2017-18. Koekkoek also makes the eighth defenseman the Lightning have under contract that is NHL caliber.
There’s a definite question here about whether Koekkoek will find his way into the lineup. It’s possible with the coaching shuffle and Rick Bowness being shown the door that Koekkoek will get something of a fresh start with Todd Richards taking over the defensemen. The league has demonstrated that you need mobile defensemen to be successful.