Yanni Gourde signs six-year contract extension with Tampa Bay

Yanni Gourde is a familiar name to Québécois.

The Lightning player, who spent a few years in Seattle, returned to Tampa Bay last season via the trade market.

And it looks like he’s here to stay.

The feisty forward signed a six-year extension with the Lightning, a deal that will pay him $2.33 million per season.

We agree that’s not a lot of money annually for a guy who plays as big as he does. We know that Gourde gives his all every night, that he can play an important role in a team and that he’s already proven himself in the NHL.

We’re talking about a great contract for the Lightning – and for the player. Gourde will get money, he’ll secure his future, he’ll live in Florida – which is attractive because it’s warm during the winter -… and the club will be able to count on a quality player at a good price in the coming years.

Heeeeere’s Yanni!

We have signed forward Yanni Gourde to a six-year contract worth an AAV of $2.33 million.

: https://t.co /EKMGH8oAaZ pic.twitter.com/7y1M08XOqy

– Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 2, 2025

You might say that the contract could possibly age badly because Yanni Gourde is 33.

He’ll be 39 at the end of his contract.

But on the other hand, at that age, it’s far from being a super-risky gamble. If Gourde is too injured to play in year 5 or 6 of his contract, the Lightning can put him on the long-term injured list.

And at the extreme, if Gourde is still able to play and really isn’t producing as much as he’d like, his salary won’t have a huge impact on the payroll because we know that the cap is going to go up in the next few years.

A good deal, then, for both parties. #Win-win.

And that’s typical Lightning, by the way: sign a guy at a low price over several years to build the club. If it works out…

Extension

Remember that Yanni Gourde had the best seasons of his career in Tampa Bay before being drafted by the Kraken in the expansion draft.

He won two Stanley Cups there… and to see the Lightning bring back a guy who’s already had success in town and then put him on a long-term contract makes sense.