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Yanni Gourde Seattle Kraken (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Deadline Target: Yanni Gourde

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jack Pallotta | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 4:30 PM ET

With the 2025 Trade Deadline approaching, the Tampa Bay Lightning are shaping up to be buyers again. They have been one of the busiest teams at the deadline over the past few seasons, trading for Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow during their Stanley Cup runs. However, the Lightning recently moved away from adding rentals and acquired long-term pieces like Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul.

This season, the Lightning could be interested in a reunion with center Yanni Gourde. Elliotte Friedman claimed the Lightning would take a look at the Seattle Kraken veteran if he became available on his 32 Thoughts Podcast, despite surgery on a sports hernia back in late January. Would he be a good fit and at what cost?

Disclaimer: The players featured in these articles aren’t always linked to the Lightning but have been made available in some capacity this season. These articles consider whether Tampa Bay should target them and at what cost.

Gourde’s Background

Gourde didn’t step into the NHL after a year of minor league hockey. Rather, he was an undrafted free agent signing by the Lightning many years ago. He worked his way up from the ECHL and the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League to secure a full-time roster spot with the Lightning in 2017-18, scoring 25 goals and registering 64 points in 82 games.

After five incredible seasons and two Stanley Cups with the Lightning, Gourde was selected to be a building block for the NHL’s newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken, at the 2021 Expansion Draft. Gourde has served as an alternate captain for the Kraken since their inaugural season, and even helped the team clinch their first playoff birth in 2022-23. At 33 years old, Gourde is in his sixth and final year of a deal he signed with the Lightning back in 2018.

Gourde Scouting Report

Gourde is a Swiss Army Knife forward who specializes in his defensive play at this stage in his career. He excels in finishing ability and can put pucks in the back of the net on his high-danger scoring opportunities. He likes to go to the front of the net for screens and deflections and is a hard-nosed player despite his smaller frame.

Similar to Kyle Palmieri, another target we looked at, Gourde is a veteran player on an expiring contract. He’s still an effective player late in his career just like Palmieri. With that, why would the Lightning be interested in his services?

Gourde’s Strengths

Gourde’s defensive game makes him intriguing for Tampa Bay. He’s familiar with head coach Jon Cooper and knows some of the players on the roster from the Stanley Cup teams. Gourde ranks first on the Kraken in expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) and high-danger shot attempts against (HDCA/60) via Natural Stat Trick.

Furthermore, despite Seattle not being the most puck-dominant team, Gourde excels off the cycle and forecheck by consistently feeding passes to his defenders up at the blue line. He’s the only Kraken player above a 50% expected goal share this season (xGF%) and is above the league-average forward in offensive zone time at even strength via NHL Edge.

Gourde’s Weaknesses

While Gourde is an excellent defensive forward, his passing and speed have fallen off a cliff late in his career. He ranks in the 52nd percentile of speed burst over 20 miles per hour and the 24th percentile of high danger assists per 60 via All Three Zones. Lastly, he is a veteran on an expiring deal, meaning he’d likely be a pure rental for the Lightning.

What it Would (Likely) Take to Acquire Gourde

General manager Julien BriseBois has $5.22 million in cap space to work with at the trade deadline. Lars Eller has similar value and was re-acquired by the Washington Capitals from the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season. The trade is a perfect comparison because, like Gourde, Eller reunites with a team he spent most of his career with. At 35 years old, Eller is a reliable two-way center for a contender’s bottom six, similar to Gourde.

Tampa Bay acquires: Yanni Gourde (F) – 50% Retained

Seattle acquires: 2026 third-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick

How Both Sides Benefit From the Trade

Lightning

The Lightning acquire a versatile two-way center to bolster their bottom-six forward group. Moreover, Gourde can assist with some secondary scoring and bury the chances he gets. Plus, there is familiarity and mutual interest between the two parties. The Lightning doesn’t have the most assets to work with, but they finally have some cap space to make this deal work at 50% retention.

Kraken

The Kraken likely aren’t making the playoffs for the second-straight season and are set to lose Gourde to free agency this summer. Seattle can retain money on his deal for the rest of the season and recoup some assets for the future. Gourde was a serviceable guy for them upon his arrival to Seattle, but age continues to creep up on him.

Tampa Bay Lightning: In or Out on Gourde?

Without a doubt, Gourde would be a solid addition to the depth up front for the Lightning. The team has been on a hot streak lately, and Tampa Bay looks like a potential contender out of the Eastern Conference. However, with his current injury and age, Gourde presents some risk as a pure rental acquisition. Nevertheless, adding a familiar face would help take the pressure off some of the top stars and potentially replicate that dominant third line from their Stanley Cup runs. Despite being a pure rental, the cost is minimal and that makes a potential deal worth the risk for the Lightning. However, this shouldn’t be their only move at the deadline if they plan to elevate to a true contender.