TAMPA BAY - The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent forward Zemgus Girgensons to a three-year contract worth an AAV of $850,000, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.
The 30-year-old Girgensons skated in 63 regular season games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24, posting eight goals and 14 points while averaging 11.33 hits per 60 minutes, the highest among all Buffalo skaters. A native of Riga, Latvia, Girgensons has served as an alternate captain for each of the past three seasons and has played in 688 career NHL games, all with the Sabres, recording 89 goals and 188 points. An NHL All-Star in 2015, he departs Buffalo ranking second among all skaters in Sabres franchise history for hits (1,239) and 10th for games played.
Internationally, Girgensons has represented Latvia in multiple tournaments, including the IIHF’s Under-18 Men’s World Championship, World Junior Championship and Men’s World Championship.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Girgensons was drafted by the Sabres in the first round, 14th overall, of the 2012 NHL Draft.
