Once upon a time, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a young up-and-coming forward named Jonathan Marchessault that was a bright spot during the 2015-26 season among the bottom six forwards. He left Tampa in 2016 as a free agent after 47 games as a member of the Lightning.
Fast forward to 2023, and Jonathan Marchessault is a Stanley Cup champion and the winner of the Conn Smythe.
So why exactly was Tampa forced to part ways with him, and what would have happened had he stayed?
Let’s explore.
Tampa Bay Lightning: There isn’t room in this town
Tampa originally acquired Marchessault in a trade with Columbus in 2014 in exchange for Matt Taormina and Dana Tyrell.