The Tampa Bay Lightning have had an eventful offseason that has seen several notable changes to their roster. While they have added some solid talent to their group, they would benefit by bringing in one more winger to their top nine.

The Lightning’s middle six could use a boost. Due to their current cap situation, they are not in a position to bring in a big-name forward through the trade market. Instead, if they hope to add to their depth, they will need to go bargain shopping. Because of this, one player on the free-agent market who could be a strong addition to their group is Max Pacioretty.

Pacioretty spent this past season with the Washington Capitals, where he had four goals to go along with 23 points in 47 regular-season games. While his numbers were down compared to previous years, he still produced decent offense. Because of this, he would have the potential to be a nice addition to the Lightning’s second or third line.

There is reason to believe Pacioretty could get his offense up a bit more if given the chance to play in 2024-25. The New Canaan, Connecticut native has had some spectacular seasons and could thrive playing with Lightning stars like Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman, and Jake Guentzel.

Nevertheless, with the Lightning’s offense needing a bit more depth, bringing in Pacioretty on a cheap one-year deal could make sense for both parties.