Coming out of the holiday break, the Tampa Bay Lightning are having to again face their in-state rival the Florida Panthers. But prior to the game, they have received some positive news. It is being reported by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman that general manager Julien Briesbois is getting close to extending defenseman JJ Moser’s contract.
It is being reported that his extension is going to come in at 8 years with an average annual value of 6.75 million per season. That is a massive amount of money but Moser is definitely deserving of a huge deal like that.
JJ Moser is closing in on an 8 year $6.75M AAV extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning per @FriedgeHNIC. pic.twitter.com/9fe7Lph020
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 27, 2025
Moser is a former second-round pick in 2021 from the Arizona Coyotes who are now the Utah Mammoth. But Moser was then traded in June 2024 from Utah to Tampa Bay that saw the Lightning trade defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and two draft picks in exchange for him.
And Moser has been nothing but consistent and steady on the backend for Tampa Bay. So far this year, Moser has played in 34 games and has tallied 3 goals and 9 assists. Moser is averaging about 21:42 TOI per game so far this year, especially with the injuries that the Lightning have on their blue line.
Moser is playing top line defensive minutes with Darren Raddysh which means he usually plays against top opponents. Moser is just a guy that has been very reliable since the trade and he gets better every game.
Moser being able to hold the fort down without Victor Hedman and others earned him the extension
If the Lightning were fully healthy on the backend and had the likes of Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak available to them, Moser would be able to play top 4 minutes instead of top 2 minutes. But with these guys being out and being on IR, it gives more of an opportunity to Moser.
Nov 8, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) and Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) battle for the puck in the second period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
It also speaks volumes that Moser is only 25 years old and is getting a massive extension and head coach Jon Cooper just trusts his young blueliner that much. Moser is very relied on in Tampa to help keep their blueline stable and help keep opponents to the outside.
Moser is very deserving of this extension and it locks him in with the Lightning through 2033 which gives the coaching staff more time to keep developing him. He is already becoming a great player for Tampa Bay but he can become even better with each passing year.
Briesbois did a good job with this extension. Locking in his young phenom while he had some time on his hands as the holiday break wrapped up and how good the kid has been playing, well done on both sides.