Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Deadline Target: Mario Ferraro

Ferraro plays most of his minutes with Timothy Liljegren and Jan Rutta while also filling a penalty kill role. He’s a rigid defender who can handle a heavy workload, preferably with an offensive-minded defenseman. With that, why would the Lightning be interested in his services?

Ferraro’s Strengths

Outside of his physicality, there aren’t too many bright spots in Ferraro’s game for his cap hit. His microstats from All Three Zones are inconsistent over the years, but this season, he’s been decent in defensive zone puck retrievals and zone exits. Playing his entire career with a rebuilding Sharks team makes his on-ice stats from Natural Stat Trick challenging to analyze. If Ferraro were to join the Lightning, his numbers would likely improve significantly.

Ferraro’s Weaknesses

For the most part, Ferraro’s weaknesses lie in his offensive game. While never recognized for his offensive abilities, Ferraro is a potential black hole in the attacking zone. He doesn’t excel in offensive microstats like scoring chances or shot assists. He likely won’t activate in the cycle game or off the rush for the Lighting forwards. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay already has stable rush defenders like J.J. Moser and Ryan McDonagh on their roster. However, let’s say the Lightning do target Ferraro at the trade deadline. What would a potential trade look like?

What It Would (Likely) Take To Acquire Ferraro

Today, there’s $3.21 million in cap space for general manager Julien BriseBois to work with at the trade deadline. Here are some players with comparable value to Ferraro, who were traded at previous deadlines. First, the Edmonton Oilers traded William Lagesson, a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-round pick to acquire Brett Kulak a few seasons ago. Both are defensive-minded players on underachieving teams who drew interest around the league.

Then, last season, the Dallas Stars acquired defenseman Chris Tanev in a three-team trade. The Calgary Flames received prospect Artem Grushnikov, a 2024 second-round pick, and a conditional 2026 third-round pick. New Jersey also got a 2026 fourth-round draft pick in the trade. Tanev is another physical shutdown defender with a similar offensive output to Ferraro. With that, below is a hypothetical trade offer for Ferraro.

Tampa Bay acquires: Mario Ferraro (D)

San Jose acquires: 2025 second-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick

How Both Sides Benefit From the Trade

The Lightning take a gamble on a player stuck on a struggling team throughout his career, while the Sharks gain more draft capital to bolster their future. Ferraro would be an upgrade over someone like Emil Lilleberg. After all, he has the experience to step into a top-four role if more injuries occur. The Lightning don’t need defensive help, but Ferraro’s underlying metrics would likely improve greatly from a talented offensive group in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Deadline: In or Out On Ferraro?

Ferraro isn’t an optimal trade target for the Lighting. Despite his physical presence, Ferraro doesn’t provide enough offensively for the Lightning to invest $3.25 million per season in his services. On the other hand, he’s under contract for the 2025-26 season, so he isn’t a pure rental. The Lightning may be able to work with Ferraro over the summer and have him fill McDonagh’s role one day.

Is Ferraro the missing piece to the puzzle for the Lightning to capture the Stanley Cup this season? They already have a log jam on the back end, and while the intention is likely to replace Victor Hedman and McDonagh long-term, Ferraro’s underlying numbers haven’t looked promising in many years. Unlike the Hagel trade, the Lightning can’t rely on data to support a long-term trade deadline acquisition. Therefore, the Lightning shouldn’t touch Ferraro at the deadline.