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Lightning Land Eyssimont From Sharks for Vladislav Namestnikov

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated 3/1/23

As per the Tampa Bay Lighting’s social media account and their official website: “We have acquired forward Michael Eyssimont from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Vladislav Namestnikov.” Tampa retains 50% of Namestnikov’s salary and gains $500K in cap space in the deal.

We have acquired forward Michael Eyssimont from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Vladislav Namestnikov.https://t.co/dTaJDQEfrc
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 2, 2023

Namestnikov is a bottom-six defensive forward. 30 years old, he is a pending unrestricted free agent. while Eyssimont, 26, will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer should the Lightning choose to extend him a qualifying offer. Eyssimont spent right around two months in San Jose, arriving there via a waiver claim from the Winnipeg Jets.

Eyssimont’s a gritty puck hound that can play up and down the lineup in San Jose. He is an arbitration-eligible RFA that the Lightning might choose to extend a qualifying offer to. He shoots at a high volume and isn’t afraid to get physical. It’s not clear if Eyssimont will play for the Lightning or make their roster right away, but he could be a strong depth piece that would offer assistance in the event of an injury.

He has four goals and nine assists in 29 games split between the Winnipeg Jets and the Sharks. He has some really good advanced analytics so this might be an astute move by Tampa.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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