The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ross Colton agreed to a two-year contract, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The pact will pay the forward $1 million next season and $1.25 million in 2022-23, Friedman adds.
Colton was a restricted free agent with a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for next Monday.
The New Jersey-born center, who turns 25 in September, scored the lone and eventual Stanley Cup-clinching goal during the second period of the Lightning's Game 5 victory over the Montreal Canadiens last month.
Colton recorded nine goals and three assists in 30 regular-season games as a rookie in 2021 before contributing four markers and two helpers over 23 postseason contests. He's been in Tampa Bay's system since 2018-19. The club drafted him 118th overall in 2016.
The Lightning are now nearly $7 million over the salary cap, but they're allowed to surpass it to that degree because Brent Seabrook is stashed on the long-term injured reserve.
With Colton signed at $1.125M per @FriedgeHNIC, #TBLightning are $6.865M over Cap with 22 Players on Projected Roster (13F/7D/2G).
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) August 9, 2021
Can exceed cap by up to $6.875M w/ Seabrook on LTIR, leaving them $9,045 of Cap Space potentially available.https://t.co/ZSSicftRcw
Seabrook ended his career due to injury in March. The Chicago Blackhawks traded his contract to the Lightning for forward Tyler Johnson and a 2023 second-round pick in late July.
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