Bolts bolster playoff push with familiar face and fresh firepower
When Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand found out on Wednesday morning that they were being traded from the Seattle Kraken, the forwards weren’t yet sure of the location for their next hockey home.
Their hope, though, was that it would be at AMALIE Arena with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Luckily for them—and for fans hoping to see the Lightning add some depth scoring—Tampa Bay made their wish come true.
Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois on Wednesday shared the players’ excitement after acquiring Gourde and Bjorkstrand.
“They were both really excited,” BriseBois said. “They found out early this morning Seattle time that they were being traded, but they didn’t know where they were going. … But when I called, they both said, ‘We were hoping it was going to be Tampa.’ So that was good to hear. I’m really excited to be bringing them in.”
Tampa Bay acquired the forwards from Seattle along with a fifth-round pick in 2026 in exchange for forward Michael Eyssimont, first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027 (both top-10 protected) as well as Toronto’s second-round pick in 2025 that the Lightning previously acquired from Utah Hockey Club.
Seattle retained 50% of Gourde’s salary, while the Detroit Red Wings will receive a 2025 fourth-round pick from the Lightning for retaining an additional 25% of Gourde’s salary.
After conceding numerous draft picks and a roster player, Tampa Bay’s general manager said his team is focused on being the best it can be. Tampa Bay enters Thursday with a 36-21-4 record, just three points shy of the Atlantic Division lead.
Adding two quality players can help that divisional and playoff push.
“I’d rather have a lineup full of good players than a bank of a ton of draft picks. Because I think ultimately, what we’re trying to do is win hockey games. We want to win a lot of hockey games this season, next season, every season. We’re chasing a championship now this season, but we’re going to be chasing a championship next season and for the foreseeable future,” BriseBois said.
“So, if I can use those picks to help me accomplish those objectives of winning as many hockey games as possible and chasing championships, I think that’s my job to go ahead and get those transactions done and acquire those players.”
Bjorkstrand and Gourde have both played up and down the Kraken lineup, but each have contributed offense in different ways. The Lightning hope adding the forwards will result in a more balanced and consistent offensive attack in Tampa Bay.
What the newest Bolts bring
BriseBois expects the duo to play big roles for the Lightning. The team was targeting players that could play big minutes and be retained beyond this season.
“We’re adding two players that are going to play significant minutes for us, two players that are highly competitive, had success in the postseason in the past, have elevated their game when it matters most. They’re skilled. They can play 200-foot games. They can be used in all sorts of situations. So now, if they average a little over 30 minutes total, well, we’ve upgraded the quality of those 30 minutes of ice time that we’re going to have now on the ice, in terms of performance.”
Gourde entered the NHL with the Lightning in 2015 and played parts of six seasons with the team, scoring 80 goals and 187 points while helping the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. He was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 expansion draft.
Gourde recently recovered from injury and has six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 36 games this season. He scored a career-high 25 goals and 64 points with Tampa Bay in 2017-18. He had 146 points in 271 regular season games with Seattle, and his 219 career penalty minutes are tied for the franchise lead.
“He’s still a really good player. His main quality is his speed, his competitiveness, his relentlessness, his fearlessness,” BriseBois said of Gourde. “He still has all that.”
Bjorkstrand will join the Lightning, his third NHL team. The former 2013 third-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets spent seven seasons in Columbus before being traded to the Kraken ahead of the 2022-23 season. He posted a career-high 59 points in Seattle in 2023-24 and has scored at least 20 goals in five of the past six seasons.
Bjorkstrand had 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points in 61 games with the Kraken this season. The right-shooting, 29-year-old winger’s combination of aggression and offense intrigued the Lightning front office.
“You know what you’re getting,” BriseBois said of Bjorkstrand. “You’re getting a player who’s really, really intelligent, who can play in all situations, has a real 200-foot game, compliments good players because he is a good player himself. And again, that ability to get that shot off, especially for a right shot, we didn’t really have that in our mix at that level. I think it’s gonna be a really good fit for the players we have right now.”
Bjorkstrand is under contract through the 2025-26 season, while Gourde’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season.
The Lightning plan to discuss an extension with Gourde, BriseBois said, also adding his team is better after the trade as they seek an extended postseason run.
“Hopefully we get a nice, long playoff run, but we also get to have him (Bjorkstrand) on our roster next season as well. It’s still early with Yanni, we just got him today, but I know how much he enjoyed his time here. He knows all the good we think of him. So, I think it’s realistic to hope that we’re going to be able to extend him beyond this season as well,” BriseBois said.
“So, it’s a trade where we’re getting I think better today, better tomorrow, and if we can keep Yanni maybe even better going forward as well.”
