Tampa Bay’s great summer continues to roll right along. TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweets this morning that the Lightning have come to terms with restricted free agent Steve Downie on a two-year deal.
RFA Steve Downie has agreed to terms on two-year, $3.7M deal with Tampa. Cap hit is $1.85M.
Downie is penciled in to be the right wing on the second line providing support for either Steven Stamkos or Vincent Lecavalier either by means of scoring in front or playing the role of bodyguard. If Downie has indeed turned a corner in his career, paying him under $2 million a year for the next two seasons is one heck of a bargain given what he can provide on the ice in the forms of goal-scoring ability and physical force on a team that can use that presence up front. If Downie falls back on old, bad habits, however, the Lightning and Steve Yzerman are going to have an overpriced headache on their hands.