Paul Bissonnette Identifies Perfect Trade Fit for Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning have built one of the NHL’s most balanced teams, a roster shaped by experience, talent, and a proven understanding of what wins in the postseason. Their core is stacked with future Hall of Famers at nearly every position, a luxury few teams in the league can match.

Because of that star power, Tampa’s yearly challenge isn’t finding elite talent. It’s finding the right support. When your top-end players tilt the ice every night, the margin between winning and losing often comes down to who fills out the bottom of the lineup.

Stanley Cup teams aren’t just built on goals and highlights. They’re built on gritty, hungry players who forecheck relentlessly, win puck battles, and drag teammates into the fight. These are the players who don’t always show up on the scoresheet but quietly drive winning hockey.

Why One Player Screams “Lightning Hockey”

That’s where Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois has made his mark. BriseBois has become known for consistently uncovering value, turning second, third, and fourth-line additions into immediate contributors. Even without high draft picks or cap flexibility, Tampa somehow keeps finding players who fit the culture and elevate the team.

Kiefer Sherwood’s career progression is so damn cool.

Undrafted in 2013 then grinds it in the USHL and has a solid NCAA career. First NHL season kinda stinks in 2019, so he has to become an AHL menace and then finally gets his 2nd NHL break at 28 and runs with it.

19-21-40… pic.twitter.com/PtmEaATLuM
— Mike Bartner (@MikeBartner) October 14, 2025

During a recent episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, host Paul Bissonnette floated a name he believes screams “Tampa Bay.”

“Sherwood makes nothing for what he does,” Bissonnette said. “To me, that reeks of like a Tampa trade, you know, a guy making no money. They always like bringing in the guys with no money and then end up getting him fitting in the culture and then giving him a nice deal after this year.”

That player is Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood, and the appeal is easy to understand. Sherwood has carved out a reputation as one of the league’s most effective energy players. He skates hard, finishes every check, and plays with an edge that wears teams down over 60 minutes.

He’s also chipped in offensively, scoring double-digit goals the last three seasons while ranking among league leaders in hits. Sherwood even broke the NHL record for most hits in a season since they began tracking it with 462 hits in 2024-25. That blend of physicality and timely offense is exactly what contenders covet.

OMG, KIEFER SHERWOOD 😱 pic.twitter.com/eVTgQYNh43
— NHL (@NHL) October 27, 2025

A Perfect Fit for Tampa’s Cap Puzzle

Even better? His contract. Sherwood is making just $1.5 million this season, one of the best bargains in the NHL for what he brings nightly. From a pure value standpoint, he’s the kind of player Tampa has targeted time and again. Sherwood is in the final year of his two-year, $3 million contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Cap space is currently tight for both the Lightning and Canucks. The Lightning sit with just over $3 million available, while Vancouver actually has less, hovering around $2 million. Still, underestimating BriseBois’ creativity would be a mistake. If Sherwood is a player Tampa truly believes in, the math will find a way to work.

In the end, this is what the Lightning do. They identify undervalued pieces, plug them into a winning environment, and let the culture do the rest. If Sherwood ends up in a different shade of blue and white, it wouldn’t be surprising at all.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!