The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman J.J. Moser to an eight-year contract extension worth $54 million, with an average annual value of $6.75 million. The deal begins in the 2026-27 season and runs through 2033-34. Moser, a 25-year-old Swiss native, has been a standout performer for the team this season.
Tampa Bay Lightning vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced the signing on Saturday. The extension secures Moser with the Lightning for the long term, starting after his current two-year contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Moser has excelled in 34 games during the 2024-25 season, tallying three goals and nine assists for 12 points while leading all Lightning skaters with a plus-24 rating. This mark ranks third among NHL defensemen and sixth overall among all players. He averages 21:43 of ice time per game, the highest on the team, and has been crucial amid injuries to key defenseman Victor Hedman, who has appeared in only three games since November 8.
Among Lightning defenders, Moser leads in games played, average time on ice, takeaways (14), and blocked shots (43, tied for first). He ranks second in points (tied) and third in assists (9). Over 88 career games with Tampa Bay, Moser has recorded five goals and 21 assists for 26 points, posting a plus-44 rating that ties for fourth-highest among NHL defensemen in that span.
Originally selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the second round (60th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Moser was acquired by the Lightning from the Utah Hockey Club on June 29, 2024, as part of the Mikhail Sergachev trade. He signed a two-year contract with Tampa Bay on July 11, 2024. In 293 career NHL games with Arizona and Tampa Bay, he has 21 goals and 77 assists for 98 points, with a plus-17 rating and 20:15 average ice time.
Moser hails from Biel, Switzerland, and is expected to represent his country at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina.
