Goncalves signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Lightning on Friday, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.
Goncalves had 13 goals and 58 points in 69 regular-season contests with AHL Syracuse in 2023-24. The 23-year-old also appeared in two regular-season games with Tampa Bay, recording no points, no shots, six PIM and two hits in that span. Goncalves was eligible to become a restricted free agent in July before signing this deal.
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Lightning's Gabriel Fortier: Signs one-year deal
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Fortier signed a one-year, two-way contract with Tampa Bay on Monday.
Fortier generated 13 goals and 26 points in 62 regular-season contests for AHL Syracuse in 2023-24. He also added one goal and four assists in eight minor-league playoff outings. The 24-year-old forward is likely to spend most, if not all, of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL.
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Lightning's Hugo Alnefelt: Returning to Swedish club
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Alnefelt inked a three-year contract with former club HV71 (Sweden) on Tuesday.
Alnefelt is expected to be a restricted free agent this offseason, so the Lightning could retain his NHL rights by giving him a qualifying offer. Having said that, the fact that the backstop signed a three-year deal would certainly seem to indicate he won't be returning to North America. With AHL Syracuse this past season, the 23-year-old Swede went 14-8-4 with a 2.76 GAA and an .893 save percentage. Alnefelt made one appearance for the Bolts back in 2021-22, and that seems likely to be his only NHL outing for his professional career.
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Lightning's Waltteri Merela: Headed to Switzerland
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Merela signed a one-year contract with SC Bern of Switzerland's National League on Monday, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.
Merela is eligible for restricted free agency in July, so Tampa Bay could retain his NHL rights by extending a qualifying offer. The 25-year-old forward produced one goal, 17 shots and 32 hits in 19 regular-season appearances with the Lightning during the 2023-24 campaign. Merela also registered 15 goals and 34 points across 55 regular-season outings for AHL Syracuse this past season before adding three goals in eight playoff contests.
Carlile signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Lightning on Thursday.
Carlile played most of the 2023-24 season with AHL Syracuse, where the defenseman had seven goals and 27 points in 61 regular-season games. He made his NHL debut Jan. 4 versus Minnesota, blocking a pair of shots in 11:27 of ice time. Carlile will likely spend most, if not all, of the 2024-25 campaign in the minors.
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Lightning's Dyllan Gill: Puts pen to paper
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Gill signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Lightning on Tuesday, per CapFriendly.
Gill was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He was limited to nine points over 12 outings with the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, though he produced 57 points in 68 contests in 2022-23. The defenseman will likely make the jump to the pro ranks with AHL Syracuse next season.
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Lightning's Ryan McDonagh: Returning to Bolts
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McDonagh was traded to the Lightning from the Predators along with a 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 second-round selection and 2024 seventh-round pick Tuesday.
McDonagh spent five seasons with the Lightning during his previous stint, logging 267 regular-season games for the club while lifting Lord Stanley's Cup twice during his stay. McDonagh figures to slot into a third pairing for the Lightning. With the acquisition of McDonagh, Tampa Bay is unlikely to re-sign Matt Dumba or Calvin de Haan.
Chaffee agreed to terms on a two-year, $1.6 million contract with Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Chaffee's deal is a one-way contract, which should increase his chances of playing in more than 30 NHL games this upcoming season. During the 2023-24 campaign, the 26-year-old winger notched four goals on 27 shots, three assists and 88 hits while averaging 11:07 of ice time. Even with his new deal in hand, Chaffee is unlikely to challenge for more than a bottom-six role next season.
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Lightning's Niko Huuhtanen: Signs entry-level deal
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Huuhtanen signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Lightning on Tuesday, per CapFriendly.
Huuhtanen posted 46 points over 52 regular-season games with Jukurit of Finland's Liiga in 2023-24. The entry-level deal begins in 2024-25, and he'll likely start that contract as a member of AHL Syracuse. Huuhtanen was a seventh-round pick in 2021.
Lightning's Jonas Johansson: Recovering from quad tear
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Johansson, who was previously listed as being out with a lower-body injury, sustained a quad tear March 30, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports Wednesday.
Johansson finished the campaign with a 12-7-5 record, 3.37 GAA and .890 save percentage across 26 regular-season appearances. He still has one season left on his two-year, $1.55 million contract, so the 28-year-old goaltender will likely remain on the Lightning roster in 2024-25 as the backup netminder behind Andrei Vasilevskiy.
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Lightning's Darren Raddysh: Ends season on injured list
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Raddysh was dealing with a hip pointer when the Bolts were eliminated from the postseason, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports Wednesday.
Raddysh was out of the lineup for Tampa Bay's final two contests due to his hip injury. Unless the 28-year-old Toronto native requires surgery, he should be ready to play when training camp opens in the fall. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so Raddysh may not be back with the Lightning in 2024-25.
Crozier was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Tuesday.
Crozier played in three of the four playoff games for Tampa Bay against the Panthers, recording four shots on goal and five hits. The 24-year-old played in 13 regular-season games, logging two assists and 13 shots on goal. He will look to propel AHL Syracuse to a potential Calder Cup Championship.
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Lightning's Emil Lilleberg: Headed for minors
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Lilleberg was reassigned to AHL Syracuse on Tuesday.
Lilleberg will join up with the Crunch, who are tied 1-1 in a best-of-five series against AHL Rochester. At the NHL level this season, the 23-year-old blueliner played in 37 regular-season games in which he tallied five helpers, 105 hits and 31 shots, though he is still looking for his first NHL goal.
