When Ryan McDonagh returned to Tampa Bay, it immediately felt like home again. On Thursday, the Lightning signed the veteran defenseman to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.1 million. The new deal takes McDonagh through the 2028–29 season, allowing him to remain in Tampa Bay long term.
At the end of last season, general manager Julien BriseBois said he planned to hold off on any extension talks with McDonagh until after the 2025-26 season. BriseBois wanted to assess the Lightning’s current roster and determine what needs they had as the trade deadline approached.
McDonagh’s intentions were always to stay in Tampa, so he mentally prepared himself to wait it out. However, a couple of weeks ago, BriseBois’ plans shifted. With several young players stepping in to fill roles this season, the timing opened the door for extension talks.
“I met with Mac a couple of weeks ago. We weren’t discussing his contract, we were talking about the team, his future, and how he saw things,” BriseBois said. “Through that conversation, I got the sense that we might be able to work something out.”
McDonagh vocalized that he wanted a three-year deal, which aligned with BriseBois’ vision for the team moving forward. With McDonagh out of the lineup since Nov. 8 with a lower-body injury, the timing was ideal to work out the details.
“When he got hurt, I said, ‘You know what? This is a good time,’” BriseBois said. “He’s hurt anyway so it’s not like it’s going to be a distraction. I don’t think it’s going to take very long. I don’t want him to wait longer than he has to. It was never about that. So I called his agent just to kind of feel him out, and rather quickly, we were able to come to an agreement.”
It’s been quite a journey for McDonagh, a two-time Stanley Cup champion who played a pivotal role in the Lightning’s back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021. He was traded to Nashville after Tampa Bay’s 2022 Cup Final run when the Lightning were facing a salary cap crunch. After two seasons with the Predators, he returned to Tampa Bay following a trade.
“It’s kind of hard to put into words and think back on how all the twists and turns have happened,” said McDonagh. “We have such amazing runs, you achieve the ultimate pinnacle of success in the sport, not once but twice, and almost a third time. Then you’re thrown a curveball and life takes you in another direction.
“To be back here now and be able to say that I can raise my kids in a place like Tampa Bay, it makes coming to the rink even easier, because you can be the husband and father you envision while still playing a game you truly love.”
The Lightning weren’t the same after McDonagh left, and his return has restored a sense of steadiness to the blue line. Signing him to an extension made sense for a team focused on making another Stanley Cup run.
“There was never a question of bringing Mac back,” BriseBois said. “I knew I wanted to bring him back. He’s one of those rare players who’s going to be able to play into his late 30s and still contribute on the ice and his intangibles are still going to be there for the next few years.”
Last season, McDonagh led the NHL in plus/minus with a plus-43 and picked up right where he left off alongside pairing partner, Erik Cernak. With the new cap increase, he will account for less than 4 percent of the cap in each of the next three years.
McDonagh has also been a steady influence on the younger players in the locker room, who often praise his ability to communicate on the ice. His value to the team extends far beyond what appears on the stat sheet.
“Growing up and seeing him in New York and everything he’s done, I always thought he should be in the Norris Trophy conversation,” said defenseman Darren Raddysh. “It’s not always about the offensive side of the game, it’s more the defensive side.
“I try to take little things from his game to help improve mine defensively. He’s an unbelievable guy, an unbelievable dude, and an unbelievable player. He’s a great dad… anything he does, you can take something from and try to learn as much as possible.”
McDonagh currently ranks second in Lightning franchise history in both plus/minus and blocked shots. Over his career, he has accumulated 2,037 total blocked shots, ranking him third in the NHL.
“To have that belief shown from management means a lot,” McDonagh said. “This place is special in so many ways. You can find plenty of places to live and work in this world, but it’s the people who make a place truly special, and this place has a lot of special people, from the top down.”