Lightning sign J.J. Moser to eight-year extension
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman J.J. Moser to an eight-year contract extension at a cap hit of $6.75 million.
J.J. Moser is a Bolt for EIGHT more years‼️ 🗞️ tbl.co/12-27moser
There’s currently no reports on any no-trade or no-move clauses on the contract, or how the salary structure will work over the course of the contract. The final seven years of the contract are unrestricted free agent years, so it’s possible that Moser has some form of a no-trade or no-move clause during those years.
Moser was in the final year of a two-year contract with a $3.375 million cap hit, and was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the season. The new deal locks him up at 6.49% of the salary cap until he’s 34.
Moser currently enters next season with the 43rd highest cap hit among blueliners. He has no direct cap hit comparables, but Brady Skjei, Neal Pionk, Vladislav Gavrikov and Jake Walman are on the higher end of his comparables at $7 million per year, while Hampus Lindholm, Justin Faulk, Torey Krug, Colton Parayko and Dmitri Orlov are on the lower end at $6.5 million.
With Moser signed, the Lightning now have four defensemen locked up until at least 2029. Victor Hedman has an $8 million cap hit until 2029, Ryan McDonagh has one more year left on his contract before a new three-year deal at $4.1 million per year starts, and Erik Cernak makes $5.2 million a year until 2031.
Moser is currently producing at his usual rate with three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 34 games, a 28-point pace over 82 games. However, he’s become better known for his defensive game this year, as his -0.183 5v5 regularized adjusted plus-minus expected goals against per 60 minutes is fourth among defensemen this season.
Moser is in his second season with the Lightning after he was acquired from the now-Utah Mammoth in the 2024 offseason as part of the return for Mikhail Sergachev.