### Tampa Bay Lightning Reacquire Defenseman Ryan McDonagh
The Tampa Bay Lightning have made swift moves to reshape their roster following their first-round elimination in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Florida Panthers.
On Tuesday, the Lightning completed a trade to bring back a familiar face, defenseman Ryan McDonagh, from the Nashville Predators. According to ESPN’s Kristen Shilton, Tampa Bay sent a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 seventh-round pick to Nashville in exchange for McDonagh and a 2024 fourth-round pick via the Edmonton Oilers.
This marks McDonagh’s second stint with the Lightning. He was initially acquired from the New York Rangers before the 2018 NHL trade deadline in a significant trade that also included J.T. Miller. McDonagh played 4.5 seasons with Tampa Bay, contributing to their back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021, before being traded to the Predators in the 2022 offseason as a salary cap maneuver.
While with the Predators, McDonagh remained a vital part of their defensive lineup, averaging nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game in their first-round series against the Vancouver Canucks in the recent playoffs. Nashville decided to trade him to clear $6.75 million in cap space, a move Tampa Bay capitalized on to reacquire the reliable defenseman.
McDonagh’s return to Tampa Bay strengthens their defense with a player well-versed in their system and playoff-tested, aiming to aid in another deep postseason run.
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