McDonagh has spent parts of five seasons with the Lightning after he was obtained from the New York Rangers on Feb. 26, 2018. He registered 20 goals, 99 points and a plus-74 rating in 267 regular-season games during his time with Tampa Bay. including 26 points in 71 matches during the 2021-22 campaign. McDonagh also had 85 shots, 137 blocks and 96 hits. He was an important defender for the team during three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, but became a salary-cap casualty for the Bolts this offseason. McDonagh will fit in nicely as a top-four defender for Nashville.

It is a tough decision for the Lightning because McDonagh has been such an important player for the team since his arrival. He has been superb during Tampa Bay's three straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final. Tampa Bay wants to bring back some key pending UFAs, including Ondrej Palat and Nick Paul, so some tough calls need to be made to shed some salary. McDonagh still has four seasons left on his current contract that includes a full no-trade clause and a cap hit of $6.75 million, so he has plenty of control over the situation. 

McDonagh had a goal and five points in 23 playoff games. He averaged 22:26 minutes in the playoffs, including an average of 22:58 minutes in the Stanley Cup Final in spite of the injury.

McDonagh went into Wednesday's Stanley Cup Final series opener without a point in seven straight contests. He has one goal, four helpers, 25 shots, 54 blocks and 31 hits in 18 games this postseason. McDonagh continues to lead the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs in blocked shots among skaters.