Lightning Fan Favorite Willing To Take Pay Cut To Stay With the Team
Yanni Gourde wants to keep wearing the Lightning jersey as free agency nears. The 33-year-old spoke up after his team’s quick exit from the playoffs. “It was a lot of…

Yanni Gourde wants to keep wearing the Lightning jersey as free agency nears. The 33-year-old spoke up after his team's quick exit from the playoffs.
"It was a lot of fun playing here, playing for the Bolts fans and being with the guys around this locker room," said Gourde to the Tampa Bay Times. "I enjoyed all of it. We love it here, and we're hoping to get something done, for sure."
His last deal paid $5.17 million per year. Now, he'll need to take less money to fit under the team's tight budget limits.
The Lightning brought him back at the March deadline. They sent two first-round picks to Seattle, getting both him and Oliver Bjorkstrand in return. His return hit a snag after surgery for a sports hernia in January. He played just once before the trade and spent weeks getting back into shape.
Coach Jon Cooper tried him in different spots. Sometimes Gourde played on the third line, other times he skated with stars Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.
In Game 1 against Florida, he broke his finger. The injury clearly affected his ability to create plays and shoot as the Panthers knocked Tampa out in round one.
Back in 2020 and 2021, Gourde helped win two Stanley Cups. His third line scored big goals and brought fire to playoff games.
The Gourde family would often visit Tampa even after being traded. With his wife Marie and daughters Emma and Demi, he's set on making Tampa their forever home.
GM Julien BriseBois puts signing Gourde at the top of his list. They'll talk money when free agency starts.