North Bay's Lucas Edmonds has signed a three-year entry level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
See related: Edmonds goes to Lightning
Edmonds was selected in the third round, 86th overall by the Lightning after the Tampa Bay Lightning traded a fourth-round pick (103rd overall, originally CHI) and a sixth-round pick (169th, originally DET) to the Los Angeles Kings for the 86th overall pick.
The 21-year-old overlooked in his first two years of NHL draft eligibility, had a breakout season in 2021-22, exploding for 113 points in his only year of major junior hockey with the Kingston Frontenacs as an overage skilled forward.
Edmonds recently returned from his first development camp with the Lightning. That four day event went from July 11 to 14 in Tampa.
He's aware of what he has to work on if he wants to make the NHL roster this fall.
"The biggest things I think like everybody else I need to continue to get stronger," Edmonds told the media after the NHL draft in Montreal.
"There are a lot of big boys in the league like Victor Hedman so I need to get stronger to play against guys like that and obviously I need to get faster as well to keep up with them and those are the main things but I obviously want to continue to improve everything."
If Edmonds does not make the Lightning at training camp this September he would be expected to play with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch (Lightning affiliate) as he looks to take his scoring talent to the professional ranks.
