Nick Perbix signed a two-year, $2.25 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. It has an average annual value of $1.125 million.
The 24-year-old defenseman signed a one-year, entry-level contract with Tampa Bay on March 31, 2022, following his senior season at St. Cloud State. He has eight points (three goals, five assists) and is averaging 15:26 in ice time in 29 games as an NHL rookie this season. His three goals are tied with Ian Cole for second among Lightning defensemen and in the NHL with Marcus Björk (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Nils Lundkvist (Dallas Stars) among first-year players at the position.
“First of all, he’s a great kid,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told the team website. “He’s [one of] these kids that want to learn. He’s still got his eyes wide open. You can tell he’s still taking in being a part of the NHL as everyday life. There’s a little naivete with him and it’s great to see, but he works. Those kids that want to learn and want to work, you like to have them around, and that’s what he’s been for us.”
Selected by Tampa Bay in the sixth round (No. 169) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Perbix had 89 points (22 goals, 67 assists) in 135 games during his four seasons at St. Cloud State. In 31 games last season, Perbix led St. Cloud State in assists (25), was second in points (31) and third in blocked shots (38) to earn selection to the All-National Collegiate Hockey Conference First Team.
The native of Elk River, Minnesota, also represented the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and had one assist in four games.
With his entry-level contract with Tampa Bay not starting until this season, Perbix finished last season on an amateur tryout agreement with Syracuse of the American Hockey League and had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 12 games. He began this season with Syracuse and played two AHL games before being called up to make his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 18. Perbix got his first NHL point with an assist against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 26 and scored his first NHL goal against the Buffalo Sabers on Nov. 5.
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