Lightning ink J.T. Miller to 5-year, $26.25M contract

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward J.T. Miller to a five-year contract worth $26.25 million, the team announced Tuesday.

The deal includes a limited no-trade clause that doesn't kick in until its second year, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.

Signing Miller, Tampa Bay's most prominent restricted free agent, leaves the team with a projected $5.3 million in available cap space, according to CapFriendly.

The 25-year-old was acquired by the Lightning at the trade deadline from the New York Rangers along with defenseman Ryan McDonagh. In 19 games after heading south, Miller recorded 18 points and added eight more in 15 postseason contests.

The extension comes one day after it was reported the Lightning would meet with John Tavares, and could significantly lower the club's chances of luring the superstar without a corresponding move to clear cap space.

While a decision on Miller was among Tampa Bay's top priorities this summer, the front office is far from being clear of potential salary-cap headaches, as Nikita Kucherov will need a new deal and Andrei Vasilevskiy is eligible for an extension after the 2018-19 season.