The Tampa Bay Lightning have added some depth to their offence.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Lightning are acquiring forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Seattle Kraken for first-rounders in 2026 and 2027, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ second-round pick in 2025 and forward Michael Eyssimont.
Gourde, 33, won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Lightning before he was selected as part of Seattle’s expansion draft in 2021.
He returned from sports hernia surgery on Tuesday night, recording an assist in a Kraken loss to the Minnesota Wild. He had previously been out since Jan. 2.
Bjorkstrand, meanwhile, had 16 goals and 37 points over 61 games with Seattle.
The 29-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the Kraken, reaching the 20-goal plateau in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. The longtime Columbus Blue Jacket has found the back of the net 20 times or more in six of the last seven campaigns.
Bjorkstrand has one more season remaining in the five-year deal he inked in 2021.
Gourde is due to become an unrestricted free agent after the season ends.
Known as a defensive-minded centre, Gourde has compiled 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 35 games with the Kraken this season.
Across 580 career contests, Gourde has 132 goals and 200 assists. He’s also produced in the playoffs, with 20 goals and 22 assists in 82 career post-season appearances.
Eyssimont had five goals and 10 points through 57 games this season for Tampa Bay.
Seattle has struggled for much of the season and sits well outside of the Western Conference playoff picture, which prompted the sale of the veteran forwards.
