Confirmed Signing with Link: [TBL] Lightning re-sign F Nick Paul (7 years, $3.15M AAV)

[Hockeyholic]

The money is fine.

Term is a bit much for a non top six player.

 

[Winston Wolf]

Don't like long term contracts in general for players in this tier, but I personally think Nick Paul is worth it. And $3.15M will be the cost of a few tanks of gas in a few years anyways.

 

[CaptainBenn]

very nice signing, dude was a menace during the playoffs

toronto fans shitting on the bolts in this thread are funny
would much rather have this guy than a soft ass player like nylander whos allergic to the boards, physical contact and becomes invisible during the playoffs

 

[Reddwit]

Ehh, he’ll only ever be overpaid by like $1M. Good deal.

 

[armani]

Superb deal for Big Dick Nick and Tampa. We saw him grow as a player first hand in Ottawa, he has been this good for the past few seasons and is any coach’s dream. Ideal bottom 6 player, miss him in Ottawa, happy for him on his new deal with one of the best teams in the league.

 

[CupsOverCash]

He was good for us in the playoffs. He's big and has some skill to his game. I like it as a Lightning fan that he's back. I just hope we can bring back palat. We will need to trade someone to do it. I think he's too important to our team to lose.

 

[VanJack]

Seems a tad rich, but Paul was a force for the Bolts in these playoffs. And they acquired him from the Sens for Mathieu Joseph and a 2024 fourth rounder. Peanuts really. Ottawa may have 'seller's remorse' on this guy.

 

[Sky04]

7 years for a 3rd liner?? Goodluck.

Right that's what they said about Killorn, 2 cups later...

 

[The Expert]

Seems like a pretty fair deal for both sides.

 

[DFC]

very nice signing, dude was a menace during the playoffs

toronto fans shitting on the bolts in this thread are funny
would much rather have this guy than a soft ass player like nylander whos allergic to the boards, physical contact and becomes invisible

Is that really happening? Considering what he did to them in Game 7?

 

[Crazy Monkey]

Hell of a player, even with Ottawa. Good for Tampa for getting him signed. Wanted him in Toronto

 

[My3Sons]

Does Paul stay as a bottom six guy or is there more potential to become a middle six guy?

 

[DaBolts]

The money is fine.

Term is a bit much for a non top six player.

You get one series right in 3 years and now you're our GM. Come'on man!

Does Paul stay as a bottom six guy or is there more potential to become a middle six guy?

He will bounce between the 2nd and 3rd lines depending on matchups. THAT"S why we wanted him.

 

[My3Sons]

You get one series right in 3 years and now you're our GM. Come'on man!


He will bounce between the 2nd and 3rd lines depending on matchups. THAT"S why we wanted him.

That's a good signing if that is how it plays out. As a middle six guy it's a good value contract. As a bottom six guy it's probably only an average value contract. I know TB has to still carefully watch its cap so props to them if he fits that profile.

 

[Stammertime91]

How is it possible that someone posting on a hockey message board can't add the numbers 18 and 14 together?

Lmfao damn did em dirty

 

[FinnLightning26]

I f***ing love Big Dick Nick and I f***ing love this deal. Who cares what he's making in seven years? We'll be rebuilding then anyway.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Seems a tad rich, but Paul was a force for the Bolts in these playoffs. And they acquired him from the Sens for Mathieu Joseph and a 2024 fourth rounder. Peanuts really. Ottawa may have 'seller's remorse' on this guy.

Sens and Remorse, name a more iconic duo.

 

[Shocker]

Lots of years to bring the caphit down, very likely will never finish the deal in Tampa, but who knows.

 

[DFC]

Does Paul stay as a bottom six guy or is there more potential to become a middle six guy?

IMO there's still some potential. Whether or not he can reach it with any consistency is another story, but he sure as hell looked like a top-sixer on a lot of nights in TB. He was legitimately our best player in at least 3 or 4 games.

I feel like we will use him up and down the line up, similar to how we use Killorn. I don't see him spending much time on 4th line, but probably most of his time in the mid-6 with a couple of looks with the top line. Like, I don't think --

Paul - Stamkos - Kucherov
Palat - Point - X

--is a stretch at all, and allows us to spread our better talents around the line up.

 

[My3Sons]

IMO there's still some potential. Whether or not he can reach it with any consistency is another story, but he sure as hell looked like a top-sixer on a lot of nights in TB. He was legitimately our best player in at least 3 or 4 games.

I feel like we will use him up and down the line up, similar to how we use Killorn. I don't see him spending much time on 4th line, but probably most of his time in the mid-6 with a couple of looks with the top line. Like, I don't think --

Paul - Stamkos - Kucherov
Palat - Point - X

--is a stretch at all, and allows us to spread our better talents around the line up.

Then that’s a good contract. Always nice to see a team and player agree to something both are happy with.

 

[DFC]

Then that’s a good contract. Always nice to see a team and player agree to something both are happy with.

And I'm not saying he will be a staple in the top-six or anything. I think we signed him to be a 3rd liner, but if you look at the way he was used--just his TOI even--and you can see his role increased almost by the day from the moment he got here. So he will get the opportunity to be more than a 3rd liner. Just a matter of whether or not he can be consistent with it, now that he won't be playing for a pay raise any time soon.

 

[PAZ]

This is a steal imo. Maybe a year too long, but it won’t be expensive to dump if he plays drop off the last year or two.

Hoping the Avs can sign Lehkonen to a similar contract, as Paul is a great comparable.

 

[Hoek]

Seems a tad rich, but Paul was a force for the Bolts in these playoffs. And they acquired him from the Sens for Mathieu Joseph and a 2024 fourth rounder. Peanuts really. Ottawa may have 'seller's remorse' on this guy.

To be fair Joseph lit it up in his stint in Ottawa post trade. Small sample size though.

 

[Bounces R Way]

The one strong playoff run into a mega contract special. An oldie but a goodie.

I like Paul at that price. It's certainly not without risk however. Players of his caliber drop off the face of the earth all the time, especially if there's injuries involved. That's what makes 7 years an eyebrow raiser.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

It's contracts like these that make Tampa Bay perennial cup contenders. Very smart signing.