Braydon Coburn, Lightning Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Reaction

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Friday that they signed veteran defenseman Braydon Coburn to a three-year contract extension through the 2018-19 season.   

According to ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun, a no-trade clause will be included in Coburn's deal for the first two years of the extension. 

Coburn is in his first full season with the Lightning after being dealt by the Philadelphia Flyers in March of 2015. 

He appeared in only four regular-season games with Tampa Bay, as an injury sidelined him until the playoffs, but he came back at the right time. Coburn helped shore up the Lightning blue line during a run to the Stanley Cup Final, one they would lose to the Chicago Blackhawks. 

In 60 games this season, Coburn has become a solid second pairing defenseman alongside Andrej Sustr. At 6'5", 226 pounds, Coburn and the 6'7" Sustr create an imposing presence on the blue line.

Coburn is not a two-way defenseman, as he has one goal and eight assists this season, but his intensity on the ice is something his teammates covet. 

"He’s a workhorse out there," defenseman Victor Hedman told Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune. "I love the way he prepares himself for battle every night. Great guy, great leader and one tough customer to play against."

He's also not afraid to go to bat for his teammates:

Most importantly, good things happen when he's on the ice, as he's ranked fourth on the team with a plus-eight rating. 

With a new deal in hand, Coburn can now focus on hockey with the Feb. 29 trade deadline looming. There wasn't much surrounding him in terms of possible transactions, but the fact that he was an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season could have sent the Lightning out on the market to gauge interest.

Entrenched in a battle for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Lightning are just five points above the ninth-place New Jersey Devils. Making sure Coburn knows that he is a valued member of the team could encourage him to keep up his solid play and continue contributing to the Lightning's playoff push. 

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com