Overview
- Tampa Bay traded a 2027 third-round pick to Chicago to acquire the exclusive signing rights to Jack Pridham, a deal the Lightning announced on Monday.
- The team said Pridham is committed to play in the NCAA next season and that his college will be revealed in the coming days, which removes the need for an immediate NHL contract.
- The move came before a June 1 signing deadline that applied because Pridham played this season in the OHL, a timing that would have otherwise allowed him to re-enter the draft if unsigned.
- Pridham is a 20-year-old right wing who scored 46 goals and 44 assists for 90 points in 65 OHL games this season and helped Kitchener win the Memorial Cup hours before the trade.
- By acquiring his rights while he shifts to college, Tampa Bay gains time to monitor his development and Chicago converts an unsigned prospect into an extra 2027 draft asset.