Sheary agrees to multi year deal with Lightning

*Photo from ESPN*

   Some scoring help is going to Florida. The Tampa Bay Lightning and LW Conor Sheary have agreed to a 3 year, $6 million contract, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The addition has been confirmed by the Lightning.

   Sheary said of signing with the Lightning that "I think a lot of guys in the League have Tampa circled, their sustained success has been something I wanted to be a part of. The feeling that they wanted me as much as I wanted them really made the decision easy."

   Over his career, Sheary has played for 3 teams in 8 NHL seasons, debuting in 2015-2016. Sheary has accumulated 120 goals and 132 assists for 252 points, averaging 14:16 of ice time while posting a +8 rating over 531 games in the regular season. Sheary has an additional 7 goals and 16 assists in 72 playoff games.

   The contract for Sheary pays him $2 million annually over all 3 years, running through the 2025-2026 season. Sheary has a $1 million signing bonus for year one and a full no trade clause. He has a modified no trade clause for the other two years in the form of a 16 team trade list.

   Last season, Sheary suited up for the Washington Capitals, his 3rd year in Washington. He scored 15 goals and added 22 assists, posting a +9 rating while playing in all 82 regular season games, averaging 15:46 of ice time.

   Sheary talked about the Lightning's recent success, saying that "I think Tampa itself is a desirable place. The success that Tampa has had over the last number of years, playing against them is always difficult it seems. So to be on that side of it is going to be good. My speed fits in, my game fits in and I think hopefully it'll be a perfect match."

   Breaking into the league as an undrafted free agent, Sheary won back to back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in his first two seasons. He spent 3 years in Pittsburgh before a year and a half with Buffalo, then going back to Pittsburgh before ending up with the Capitals and now the Lightning.

   The addition of Sheary marks the first major addition for the Lightning this offseason, who previously traded Ross Colton to the Colorado Avalanche.