The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Anthony Cirelli to an eight-year extension worth $6.25 million per season, the club announced Wednesday.
Cirelli’s deal comes as the Lightning lock up the next wave of their core long-term, the team also inking defenders Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak to eight-year extensions on Wednesday.
Drafted in the third round (72nd overall) by the Bolts back in 2015, Cirelli has grown into a pivotal piece for the perennial contender, and one of the game’s elite two-way talents.
Flirting with the 20-goal plateau and earning Selke Trophy votes as a rookie, Cirelli put up a career-best 44 points through 68 games in his sophomore season, which he finished off by helping the Bolts claim the 2020 Stanley Cup. The Etobicoke, Ont., native averaged 20 minutes a night during that 2020 Cup run, fourth-most among all Bolts forwards.
Coming off a second Cup run in 2021, Cirelli posted 43 points for Tampa Bay this past season, and finished among the top five vote-getters for the Selke Trophy for the second time in his career.
The 24-year-old has one year remaining on his current deal, which will pay him $4.8 million in 2022-23, before his new, eight-year deal at $6.25 million per season will kick in.