Ryan McDonagh is returning to Tampa Bay, hoping to help the Lightning win the Stanley Cup again after two seasons in Nashville.
The Predators to the Lightning on Tuesday, giving the veteran defenceman a welcome homecoming with the organization he helped to two championships and clearing some salary cap space to add and make changes this off-season.
Tampa Bay reacquired McDonagh less than 22 months after sending him to Nashville as a money move, this time sending a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 seventh-rounder to the Predators for the soon-to-be 35-year-old and Edmonton's fourth-round pick this summer.
鈥淨uite honestly, I didn鈥檛 really see a scenario of me being back in Tampa while on this contract I鈥檓 on, so I guess when I was informed of an opportunity it was hard not to be excited about it,鈥� McDonagh said on a video call with reporters. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a handful of guys on that team still that are proven winners. That core group is a special group, and to be back with them, it鈥檚 hard not to make you believe again that something special can be done once more.鈥�
McDonagh played a key role on the Lightning's Cup runs in 2020 and 鈥�21 and their trip to the final in 鈥�22. They have not won a playoff series since, losing in the first round to Toronto each of the past two years.
Reuniting with McDonagh gives Tampa Bay a top four that also includes '20 playoff MVP Victor Hedman, Erik Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev, who with a broken leg before in the first round.
鈥淭heir wanting to bring me back, it says a lot,鈥� McDonagh said. 鈥淗opefully it shows the group, the guys there that management is trying to do what they can to improve and keep making the team the best they can.鈥�
Coming off a themselves, the Predators now have some more freedom with McDonagh's $6.75 million cap hit in each of the next two seasons off the books.
鈥淭his trade 鈥� allows us to continue to make tweaks and improvements to our team during the off-season,鈥� Nashville general manager Barry Trotz said. "We want to make decisions that help us build on the success we had in the 2023-24 season by giving us as many weapons as we can get, whether it鈥檚 younger players on our roster, more impactful draft choices or salary cap flexibility.鈥�
Cap flexibility is not something Tampa Bay has had a lot of lately, hence trading McDonagh away in the first place, but there's still the matter of with captain and longtime face of the franchise Steven Stamkos, a pending free agent. Stamkos and GM Julien BriseBois have expressed a desire to get a new contract done, but until that happens it's the biggest question facing the organization.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough great things about him and the importance of bringing him back,鈥� McDonagh said. 鈥淗opefully they can find a way to make that happen and we can keep building special memories here in Tampa together.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed.
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AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
