The Tampa Bay Lightning added more veteran leadership this morning as Bolts GM Steve Yzerman announced they had re-signed forward Ryan Callahan to a six year contract. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, but according to several reports, it's worth around $34.8 million which comes out to be about $5.8 million annually. Callahan will also reportedly get a no-trade clause for the first four years.
Callahan was acquired in a trade deadline deal that sent longtime Lightning forward Martin St. Louis to the Rangers. In his 20 games with Tampa this season, Callahan had six goals and 11 points in the regular season. He was a fourth round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and is the former captain of the Rangers. He has 138 goals and 265 points in 470 NHL games. In his post-season games, Callahan has amassed 14 goals and 24 points in 63 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Final with the Rangers in 2012.
Callahan told the media, "I couldn't be happier to be part of the Tampa Bay lightning for the next six years and I am excited for this new chapter of my career". Callahan added, "Tampa Bay has been a great place to live and play from the day I got there. As soon as the season ended I knew it was a place I wanted to be."