The Tampa Bay Lightning brought Austin Watson to their training camp and preseason on a PTO, allowing him the chance to make an impression and potentially earn an NHL deal. It appears he has done exactly that, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Lightning “will be signing” Watson “to a one-year, one-way deal.”
The 31-year-old veteran forward has played in 482 career games and is no stranger to the Atlantic Division. Watson has tormented the Atlantic’s teams for the past three seasons as a member of the Ottawa Senators, 254 penalty minutes, 478 hits, and 37 points across 176 games in Canada’s capital.
Watson’s last contract was worth a $1.5M AAV, but it’s likely that this deal with the Lightning will come in at a lower cap charge. The Lightning will have some cap space to play with, as PuckPedia notes that once Andrei Vasilevskiy and Logan Brown hit long-term injured reserve, the team will add over $10M in cap space.
A recent report out of Lightning practice from Tampa Bay Times reporter Eduardo A. Encina places Watson outside head coach Jon Cooper’s regular lineup.
That’s understandable, though, as Watson could very well end up a better fit as an enforcer-type presence who is a scratch some nights than an everyday starter.
Looking at how Watson has earned this contract from the Lightning, it’s possible that his impactful preseason performances motivated Tampa Bay management to extend their relationship with the player beyond just a PTO.
Per Natural Stat Trick, Watson has played in three preseason games for Tampa, scoring one goal and one assist. He’s also tallied 22 penalty minutes, fighting twice against Florida Panthers defenseman Casey Fitzgerald.
In addition to those concrete contributions, Encina has reported that Watson “has been a seamless fit” into the Tampa Bay Locker room, adding that he brings an “enforcer” element the team lost when it traded Patrick Maroon to the Minnesota Wild in the offseason.
Although Watson may not receive a nightly role in Tampa Bay the same way he did in Ottawa, it’s still a positive development for his career that he’s reportedly turned this PTO agreement into an NHL contract with the Lightning.
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