Sports BriseBois confident cap-strapped Lightning will sign RFAs Cirelli, Cernak

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Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois accomplished one major piece of offseason business Wednesday by locking down restricted free-agent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, and he's not worried about inking two other key players even as his club sits above the salary cap.

After signing Sergachev to a three-year contract carrying a $4.8-million average annual value, the Lightning are nearly $2 million over the cap, according to CapFriendly. But forward Anthony Cirelli and blue-liner Erik Cernak remain restricted free agents in need of new deals.

Predicting destinations for the top remaining UFAs

NHL free agency opened over a month ago, and though most of the top players signed almost instantly, a handful of intriguing players remain. Below, we predict which teams will sign the top unrestricted free agents. Note: We predicted Mike Hoffman's destination in previous posts. Erik Haula Prediction: San Jose Sharks The Sharks' depth down the middle is lacking. Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl are a strong one-two punch, but the remaining pivots on the depth chart are concerning. Offseason addition Ryan Donato can play center but is better suited for the wing. The other options include Dylan Gambrell, Antti Suomela, Noah Gregor, and Joel Kellman.

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Lightning GM Julien BriseBois cracked the Stanley Cup code, now faces tougher puzzle. The 26-year-old Miller is signed through 2023 at a .25 million cap hit annually. The move opens up cap space for the Lightning , who have 17 players under contract for next season.

"Not keeping them was never something we would seriously consider," BriseBois told The Athletic's Joe Smith regarding the Lightning's remaining RFAs. He added: "There's significant will on our end to make (new deals) happen. They're a big part of why I look at our organization and future with a lot of promise."

Cirelli is coming off a breakout campaign that saw him record 44 points in 68 regular-season games and finish fourth in Selke Trophy voting. Cernak logged more than 20 minutes of ice time per night during Tampa Bay's postseason run to the second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

BriseBois is well aware he'll need to shed some significant salary to sign the pair of 23-year-olds.

"I know I have to move players to make that happen, and I'm confident I'll be able to move the players to create cap space," he said.

How the NHL could make its offseason more exciting like the NBA's

To put it bluntly, the NHL offseason is like watching paint dry compared to the NBA. A typical NBA offseason is filled with ample drama, intrigue, unpredictability, and trades involving multiple star players. The NHL rarely has any of those. For instance, James Harden reportedly just turned down a $50 million per year offer from the Houston Rockets because he wants his team to trade him to the Brooklyn Nets. The NHL equivalent would hypothetically be someone like Jack Eichel demanding a trade to a loaded squad like the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning. That would be crazy. A lot more goes into it, of course.

Getting RFAs Cirelli , Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak signed is a top priority for Tampa Bay this offseason. None of them have arbitration rights. He has great all-around ability and should be in line for a long-term contract once the Lightning clear the necessary cap space to get him signed .

"I feel very confident that Joe Biden will be elected president on Tuesday," Pelosi (D-California) said through her mask at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. "Whatever the end count is on the election that occurs on Tuesday, he will be elected.

BriseBois added: "There's a lot of progress being made. We're working on a bunch of different fronts, there's a lot of balls up in the air. Nothing has materialized yet."

One player the Lightning are apparently keen to move is Tyler Johnson. The team placed the 30-year-old forward and his $5-million cap hit on waivers earlier in the offseason, but he ultimately went unclaimed.

The NHL's salary cap will remain at $81.5 million for the foreseeable future due to revenue losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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