Brandon Hagel Signs Eight-Year, $52 Million Extension With the Tampa Bay Lightning
Photo credit: The Athletic
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that forward Brandon Hagel has signed an eight-year, $52 million contract extension, beginning in the 2024-25 season. At only 24 years old, this contract looks to be an admirable one for years to come.
Since being dealt to the reigning Stanley Cup champions at the time from Chicago just over a year ago, Hagel has fit in perfectly. He joined them late in the 2021 season, just in time for the playoffs. He totaled six points through all four rounds, two of which were goals, to help them reach the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row. Despite losing to the Colorado Avalanche that year, Brandon Hagel and the Lightning were not on a slippery slope by any means. Hagel returned for his first full season as a member of Tampa Bay in October 2022, looking to build on the personal success he had in Chicago. The creative yet feisty forward played in all but one regular season game and earned a career-high in goals, assists, and points. He became a member of the 30-goal club, and racked up 34 assists, for a total of 64 points.
Brandon Hagel was a bright spot on a bad Chicago Blackhawks team for three seasons before becoming the main piece in a trade deadline move that earned the Blackhawks two first-round draft picks. Hagel’s value has only increased since he’s been in Tampa Bay, and rightfully so. The team puts more faith in him as time goes on. Tampa locked up yet another player in its forward core for an extremely reasonable and deserved amount of money. Still just 24 years old, Brandon Hagel can cement himself as an integral part of the Lightning’s future success and continue his personal triumphs along the way.
