Another pending UFA target for the Leafs could soon be off the market
It appears as though another pending UFA will soon be coming off the market, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman is reporting that an extension between the Tampa Bay Lighting and Nick Paul is on the cusp of being completed.
According to Friedman, the Lightning are expected to announce a deal at some point soon with the term being 7 years and the AAV being in the neighborhood of $3M per season.
The dollar figure is right around where many were expecting him to be, but the 7-year term, if accurate, is certainly something. The 27-year-old has never produced more than 20 points in a season, though he did post 14 points in 21 games as a member of the Lightning.
Paul was a rock for the Bolts during their postseason run, and was even directly responsible for knocking the Leafs off in Game 7 with a pair of goals in the razor close 2-1 win. His production did slow considerably after that however, finishing with just 9 points in 23 playoff games. Still not bad for a bottom six forward.
It was believed that if Paul, a Mississauga, ON native, had made it to market, the Leafs were among the parties interested in his services.
