Free Agent Zach Bogosian has reportedly signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Darren Dreger of TSN reported this first Sunday evening. Bogosian was bought out by the Buffalo Sabres a few days ago.
Zach Bogosian has reached an agreement with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 24, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Zach Bogosian
In Bogosian, the Lightning get a tough, veteran defenseman looking for a chance to make an impact in his first chance to compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This season, he scored only one goal and four assists for five points, adding ten minutes in penalties in 19 games. His possession numbers are 44.5 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -3.9.
Those totals are down compared to last season, where he scored three goals, 16 assists for 19 points in 65 games. Over his 12-year NHL career, Bogosian has played for the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo. In that time, he has 53 goals and 141 assists for 194 career points in 636 career games. Atlanta originally drafted in the first round, third overall of the 2008 NHL Draft.
What This Means for the Future
Bogosian made his desire to be traded known publically back in December. He made the request because of the team’s inability to consistently win. Bogosian has been with the Sabres for six years and is clearly looking to find his way to a team that will consistently qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’ll be a UFA after this season and may sign with a team for less than he could command on the open market in order to ensure he plays for a winning team. Whether that team is the Lightning may depend on how well they perform in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were swept last season in round one after having one of the best regular season’s in league history.
