TAMPA, Fla. — Pierre-Edouard Bellemare had his choice of teams when it came time to decide where he wanted to continue his NHL career this past offseason.
Coming off a second-round ouster following a Presidents’ Trophy-winning season with the Avalanche, the veteran forward heard from at least eight playoff teams as he entered free agency.
Though the Lightning weren’t initially in the mix, Bellemare didn’t have to give the idea of playing with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions much thought.