The Tampa Bay Times

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The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning Draft Review:

The Tampa Bay Lightning only had 2 late draft picks this past summer, and the draft was held prior to the hiring of new general manager Geoff Smith. The results were as unspectacular as you’d expect.

141 OA - Mitchell Miller
Miller is a smaller defenceman with limited upside. He plays a steady, unspectacular defensive game, with very little offensive involvement. Miller will spend another season playing junior hockey in Sweden. While he is unlikely to develop into an EHEC regular, the Lightning are hoping he can develop into an AHL regular in the future.

144 OA - Yegor Sokolov
Sokolov is a hulking winger who developed later than many. Already 20, the Lightning drafted him hoping he’d be able to make the immediate jump to the AHL. New GM Geoff Smith however saw an opportunity, and traded Sokolov to Colorado as part of the deal to bring in rugged winger Dalton Smith, to fill a void left by departing free agents.
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Rough start in Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay Lightning started the season on a 5 game road trip that finished with a dismal 1-4 record. The defending Stanley Cup finalists are now back in the sunshine state for their home opener on Saturday evening against state rivals, the Florida Panthers.

The vaunted Lightning offense managed only 9 goals in 5 games, with perennial 40-goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuk registering 1 measly assist. Prized free agent signing Carey Price has struggled between the pipes, with a saves percentage of only 85.96 and a 4.01 GAA. Captain Sidney Crosby addressed the media: "It's been a tough start to the season, especially with Covid and all, but that's no excuse for our performance".

GM Geoff Smith was quoted saying "it's early in the season, but if the level of play doesn't improve, heads are going to roll". Rumours abound that Smith is looking at moving Ilya Kovalchuk's $9M contract, as the veteran is going to be a free agent next summer.
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The slow start in Tampa Bay is starting to cost people their jobs.

Offseason acquisitions Sami Vatanen (trade with Florida) and Ryan Martindale (trade with NJ) were dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Logan Shaw and Lane Zablocki. A pair of 5th round picks also head to Denver.

The offensively-gifted Vatanen had disappointed on the second line, and while serviceable, Martindale was being paid too much to be a 4th line centre. Shaw and Zablocki are both more defensively-oriented forwards that are hoping to help shore up the Lightning defense, which has one of the worst goals against averages in the league.

Rumour has it that Evgeni Svechnikov and Matthew Beattie are in the doghouse as well, with GM Geoff Smith looking to upgrade his top 6.
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Tampa Bay Lightning quarter season report.

A rough start to the season in Tampa appears to have finally turned the corner, with the Lightning going 3-1-1 in their last 5 games. The top line of Marian Gaborik, Sidney Crosby and Ilya Kovalchuk has been on fire, combining for 10 goals and 11 assists in that stretch. The Lightning are still below .500, with a 9-10-1 record, but after a 4-7-0 start, that doesn't seem so bad.

The slow start led to the departure of Sami Vatanen and Ryan Martindale in a deal with Colorado that saw defensive forward Logan Shaw and young centre Lane Zablocki join the team.

The biggest disappointment so far this season has been the inconsistency of Carey Price, who in spite of having won 9 games, has a saves percentage of only 86.45%, among the leagues worst for starting goalies. Backups haven't been any better, with Brandon Halverson being demoted to Syracuse after giving up 14 goals in 3 appearances. Filip Larsson was promoted, and has only played one game so far, a 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In spite of the poor goaltending, the defense has performed well so far this season, led by veterans Cam Fowler and Victor Hedman. Early season acquisition Carl Sneep has provided a stabilizing presence, playing with (relative) youngsters Alex Coulombe and Ronald Knot on different occasions.

The next part of the season kicks off tonight with a home and home against state rivals, the division leading Florida Panthers. Carey Price is expected to get the start, having gone unbeaten in his last 4 starts.
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Syracuse Crunch Report:

The Syracuse Crunch are off to a pretty terrible start, going 6-13-1 in their first 20 games. The team is comprised largely of career minor leaguers, and previously mid to late round draft picks.

The only bright spot has been the performance of the top line of Axel Holmstrom, Nathan Walker, and Morten Ask. The 24 year old Holmstrom is trying to earn a shot with the big club, and his 29 points in 20 games is making a case for a mid-season callup. Offseason signing Walker has 21 points, and the 40 year old Norwegian Ask has 20 points, also in 20 games.

Forward prospects Adam Mascherin and Max Zimmer have shown the biggest improvements since the start of the season, but both are still a long way from cracking the NHL roster.

On defense, there is little worth noting, though veteran Jamie Oleksiak has been a workhorse, logging almost 30 minutes a game.

It looks to be a long season for the Crunch, and giving a lack of draft picks in the coming years, it could be a while before there's much to cheer for in Syracuse.
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Morten Ask has played six seasons in the AHL, all past the age of 30. How in the hell has he not Vopatized?
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Maybe he's part viking?
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Roman was born in the wrong country I guess.
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Lightning winning streak hits 7!

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 last night to extend their winning streak to 7 games.

Backup goalie Filip Larsson registered his first career win. Ilya Kovalchuk led the offense with a goal and an assist, and Steven Stamkos scored again to become the third player on the team to hit the 10 goal mark already.

The Lightning haven't lost since acquiring Logan Shaw and Lane Zablocki from Colorado earlier in November. While Shaw's presence has had a big influence, Zablocki has been a healthy scratch the last 3 games.

The Syracuse Crunch were less fortunate, getting bombed 9-0 by the Grand Rapids Griffins. Backup goalie Dayton Rasmussen gave up all 9 goals on 31 shots in his second appearance of the season.
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You're welcome ;)

Vatanen and Martindale have both since been traded lol
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Lightning just keep rolling

After a slow start to the season, the Lightning have gone 11-4 in their last 15 games. Coincidentally, that's how long Logan Shaw has been with the team. Ilya Kovalchuk and Sidney Crosby have led the way offensively, registering 17 (9-8) and 15 (5-10) points respectively. The defense and goaltending have stabilized, with Carey Price registering 8 wins, and rookie Filip Larsson getting 3 wins.

At the other end of the spectrum, Lane Zablocki was demoted to Syracuse after the acquisition of Oscar Klefbom on waivers. Zablocki was acquired in the Shaw trade, but failed to register a point in his 8 games. Matthew Beattie has also been a healthy scratch for 4 of the last 8 games.

The Lightning currently sit 2nd in the Southeast division and 4th in the Eastern conference, with 2 games remaining (at San Jose and Colorado) before a brief Christmas break.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning Mid Season Report:

The Lightning played their 41st game of the season last night, a close 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Lightning are currently 22-18-1, sitting a comfortable 5th in the Eastern conference, in spite of starting the season 4-7-0.

Positives:
The offense. The Bolts have scored 139 goals (3.4 per game), led by Sidney Crosby and Ilya Kovalchuk, each with 20 goals. The powerplay has been clicking well, with a 21.4% rating. Only 3 regular players aren't in double digits for points as of yet.

The defense. In spite of a rough start, the defense has improved steadily throughout the season. Viktor Hedman and Cam Fowler have been solid all season, and Alex Coulombe has steadily improved, playing well with both Carl Sneep and Dustin Byfuglien.

Discipline. Nine regular skaters have taken 4 or less minor penalties this season, most notably top line d-man Fowler, who has taken only 2 minor penalties in 41 games, and averages more than 26 minutes of ice time per game. Crosby's 47 penalty minutes leads the team by a good margin, and he is the only player in the top 100 most penalized players in the league.

Negatives:
Goaltending. Carey Price has been inconsistent at best. His .877 saves percentage (23rd ranked of goalies with at least 20 games played) is not what one wants from a top-rated goalie. Rookie backups Filip Larsson and Brandon Halverson haven't fared any better, though Larsson has been able to win a few games thanks to the teams solid defense.

Penalty killing. In spite of the solid defense, the Lightning have one of the worst penalty kills in the league at 77.6%. The team's good discipline has helped to negate this, but coach Vinny Lecavalier is working hard to improve the penatly kill.

Outlook:
The Lightning are comfortably in a playoff spot, but with half the season still to play, they need to keep up the consistency they've shown since their 7 game winning streak in mid-November. Challenging for another Stanley Cup isn't out of the question, but there's room for improvement if they want to reach that lofty goal.
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Syracuse Crunch mid season report:

It's been a long half season so far in Syracuse. The Crunch have only managed a 12-28-1 record, and sit 28th out of 30 AHL teams. Outside of the top line of Axel Holstrom, Nathan Walker and Max Zimmer, the team has struggled to score goals. The 3 have combined for 55% of the teams goals (68/124) and only 3 teams have scored less goals than the Crunch. Like the pro team, discipline has been strong in Syracuse, with no players in the league's top 50 for penalty minutes.

There have been a few bright spots, most notably the development of rugged centre Adam Mascherin. The former 2nd round pick of the Rangers was signed as a free agent in the offseason, and has already become the team's #2 centre. Unfortunately, he was injured on New Year's Eve and is expected to miss at least a month.

Centres Damien Giroux and Tyler Madden have seen steady improvement throughout the season, and while neither is likely to play much, if any, EHEC games, they're turning into solid AHL players.

Defensively, hulking veteran Jamieson Oleksiak has been carrying the load, averaging 30 minutes a game. Unfortunately, it goes downhill pretty quick from there, with a mix of career minor leaguers and borderline prospects.

Goaltending has been largely split between Filip Larsson (now the Lightning's backup) and Brandon Halverson. Neither has been spectacular, but they haven't received much help either.

It's going to be a long few years in Syracuse, as the Lightning organization is bereft of draft picks and prospects for the coming years.
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Lightning add Kirkland.

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a rare deal with divisional (and state) rivals, the Florida Panthers. The Lightning acquired playmaker Justin Kirkland and depth forward Logan MacMillan, along with the Panther's 2nd pick this year in exchange for Dalton Smith, Matthew Beattie and Tampa's 2nd pick in 2023.

Kirkland was acquired to fill in a top 6 spot, and will be looked at to set up Steven Stamkos and Evgeni Svechnikov. He had 35 points in 49 games for Florida. MacMillan was basically a throw in for salary cap reasons, and will likely be put on waivers prior to being sent to Syracuse.

GM Geoff Smith is hoping that adding a 2nd round pick this year will help stock the cupboard that is bereft of prospect at the moment.

The loss of Smith's solid defensive play is a bit of a concern, but the Lightning have reportedly made a contract offer to free agent Philippe Gogulla. The veteran German forward is a solid hitter with limited offensive ability, who could play a 4th line and penalty killing role if he agrees to the terms. Beattie was unimpressive with only 17 points in 39 games this season, and was frequently in coach Vinny Lecavalier's doghouse.
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Lightning sign Gogulla

The Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to terms with free agent forward Philippe Gogulla. The hard hitting German signed a pro-rated $600k, 1 year deal. Gogulla last played for the New York Islanders in 2019-20, registering 6-9-15 in 78 games.

GM Geoff Smith: "We wanted to add some depth after the departure of Dalton Smith (traded to Florida earlier this week), and Philippe is a great addition to our bottom 6 forward group."

The Lightning demoted defenseman Jake Gardiner to Syracuse and bought out Ben Hanowski to make room for Gogulla. Gardiner has not played a game all season.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Shakeup in Tampa Bay!

The Lightning have shocked the EHEC world by dealing all time leading goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuk to the LA Kings. GM Geoff Smith announced the deal, stating that after careful consideration, he thought that this move was in the best long-term interest of the team. While the Lightning lost in the Cup finals last season, they have been plagued by inconsistent play, leaving them sitting in 6th in the Eastern conference.

The Lightning also sent defensemen Ronald Knot and Oscar Klefbom to Los Angeles, in return for young centre Kyle Connor, defensemen Jacob Larsson and David Fischer, prospect Thimo Nickl and LA's 1st pick in the 2022 entry draft.

Kovalchuk was coming to the end of a contract paying him the league max, $9.0M this year, and is expected to be testing the free agent market after the season. His 34 goals led the Lightning this season. Knot and Klefbom played regular, but limited roles, and neither were expected to be back next season as well.

Connor has had an off year in LA, registering only 26 points in 56 games, a far cry from the 59 points he had last season. Larsson is expected to take on a top 4 role on the blueline, easing some of the burden on veteran Dustin Byfuglien. Veteran Fischer was included in the deal for salary cap reasons only, and likely won't see much icetime, if any. Nickl, a 19 year old Austrian, was drafted 60th overall last summer and is playing in the OHL this year, registering 48 points in 58 games..

In a much less noteworthy deal, the Lightning also traded 3rd line centre Joe Colborne to Ottawa for forward Erik Karlsson, prospect Ruben Rafkin, and Colorado's 4th pick in 2021.

Colborne had a good start to the season, but struggled recently, with only 4 points in his last 15 games, prompting the move. Rumor has it that Colborne's salary demands for next season led to the move, as Karlsson is expected to be sent to the AHL, while Rafkin isn't expected to be more than a minor league tough guy.
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The deals keep on coming.

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded veterans Dustin Byfuglien and Philippe Gogulla along with minor leaguer John St. Ivany to state rivals the Florida Panthers. In return, the Bolts get young centre Henrik Borgstrom, veteran defenseman Alex Grant, and minor leaguer Noah Carroll.

Borgstrom and Grant are both depth players on team friendly contracts, while Gogulla is a pending UFA, and Byfuglien's contract was a bit of an issue with a rebuild in progress, as he is soon to be 36. Both Carroll and St. Ivany are minor league defensemen, but Carroll has more offensive upside.

In other news, recently acquired Erik Karlsson was claimed off waivers by the LA Kings.
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Tampa Bay Lightning trade deadline report:

In:
Kyle Connor
Ondrej Case
Jacob Larsson
Carter Ashton
Henrik Borgstrom
Alex Grant
David Fischer
Noah Carroll
Thimo Nickl
Ruben Rafkin
Los Angeles 1st pick 2022 and Colorado 4th pick 2021

Out:
Ilya Kovalchuk
Marian Gaborik
Joe Colborne
Ronald Knot
Oscar Klefbom
Dustin Byfuglien
Philippe Gogulla
John St. Ivany
Conditional draft pick (Florida 2nd 2021 or Tampa 3rd 2023)

Highlights:
-Savings of approx $5M in salary cap space
-Average age of players in over 5 years younger than players out
-Loss of top offensive weapons Kovalchuk and Gaborik
-Traded 5 pending UFAs and 1 RFA, none who were likely to return
-All but 1 player acquired (Carter Ashton) under contract for next season
-2 more prospects on the blueline, and an additional 1st round pick
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Tampa Bay Lightning gearing up for playoff push.

After a season plagued with inconsistency and some surprising moves at the trade deadline, the Lightning came on strong at the end of the season, going 11-2-3 in the final 16 games to win the Southeast division.

A few players have benefited greatly from the move to Tampa Bay:
Ondrej Kase has been the most productive of the late season acquisitions, registering 17 points (5G 12A) after coming over from Buffalo in exchange for Marian Gaborik.
Henrik Borgstrom (who incidentally was traded by Tampa last offseason, and reacquired at the deadline) had 8 (3G 5A) points in 19 games after only registering 5 points in 43 games with the Florida Panthers.
Carter Ashton who had just 15 points in 63 games for the lowly Detroit Red Wings, managed 10 points (4G 6A) in 19 games for the Lightning.

Overall, Sidney Crosby led the team with 38 goals and 78 points (as well as 99 PIM). Steven Stamkos was second with 33 goals and 72 points. Evgeni Svechnikov and Ondrej Kase also broke the 20 goal mark, and Logan Shaw registered 19 goals, in spite of playing most of the season on the 3rd line.

Cam Fowler led all defensemen with 45 points (9G 36A) while playing almost 27 minutes per game. Fowler's blueline partner Victor Hedman led the team with 268 hits and 208 takeaways. Youngster Alex Coulombe came on strong this year, finishing with 33 points (4G 29A), largely in the second half of the season.

Carey Price overcame a shaky start to the season to finish with 38 wins, 3rd in the league, behind only Cam Ward (Ottawa) and Evan Sarthou (Montreal). Price also finish with 4 shutouts.

The Lightning now prepare to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Pens took 3 of 4 from Tampa in the regular season, but all the games were played prior to the trade deadline.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning Season Review.

The Tampa Bay Lightning's season ended last night in a heartbreaking game 7 OT loss to the NY Rangers.

The season got off to a very slow start for Tampa Bay. Only 6 wins in the first 17 games led to a lot of questions around new GM Geoff Smith, but patience was rewarded, as the team rebounded to be a playoff contender with a 7 game winning streak in mid-November.

Unfortunately, inconsistent play after New Years led to some big changes. The Lightning shipped out several veterans, including future Hall of Famers Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Gaborik. Speculation was that Smith was retooling for a Cup run in 2022 or 2023, but the team went 11-2-3 in their last 16, leading to a division title and a first round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. A hard fought 7 game series resulted in the Lightning winning, leading to the aforementioned 7 game loss to the NY Rangers.

Smith hopes to build on the late season success to challenge for the Cup next season. Rumour has it that a pair of trades have already been arranged, bringing in a pair of top 6 forwards, but details are unconfirmed at the moment.

GM's Highlights:
-Two 7 game winning streaks, in November and March
-Ilya Kovalchuk trade. Dealing the league's all-time goal scoring leader at the trade deadline was huge. The pending UFA was making the league max $9M, making it difficult to stay competitive under the salary cap. Kovalchuk was dealt to Los Angeles along with defensemen Ronald Knot and Oscar Klefbom. The return was young centre Kyle Connor, defensemen Jacob Larsson and David Fischer, prospect Thimo Nickl, and a 1st round draft pick in 2022.
-Acquisition of Evgeni Svechnikov last summer for a 4th round draft pick. Svechnikov had a career year in his 3rd full season, with 48 points (23+25) and another 9 points in the playoffs (4-5).
-Acquisition of Ondrej Kase for Marian Gaborik. Kase registered 17 points (5+12) in 19 games after the trade, and added 12 points (6+6) in 14 playoff games. Gaborik was a pending UFA, and at age 39, getting a return as significant as Kase was huge.

GM's Lowlights:
-The Syracuse Crunch. The team finished 31-48-3, 5th last in the league. A general lack of non-NHL talent has led to a middling AHL team. On the plus side, free agent signing Adam Mascherin and preseason acquisition Elmer Soderblom developed well enough through the season to make their NHL debuts after the trade deadline.
-Questionable trades. The constant search for secondary scoring started with the acquisition of Aapeli Rasanen last summer. Rasanen was traded to Colorado 1 game into the season for Matthew Beattie. Beattie failed to impress, and was later traded to Florida for Justin Kirkland. Kirkland was inconsistent at best, and relegated to intermittent 4th line duty in the playoffs. Rumour has it he's already been traded.
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Habs win Cup, silly season begins in a hurry.

Within hours of the Montreal Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Geoff Smith announced a flurry of trades. "Congrats to the Habs... we're coming for you" he said, before detailing the 4 trades that were arranged during the playoffs, but couldn't be made official until the offseason began.

The first (and biggest) deal, was made with frequent trading partner GM Josh Lewis of the Colorado Avalanche. The Lightning shipped out Justin Kirkland, David Fischer, prospect Thimo Nickl, as well as LA's 1st pick in 2022, and Colorado's 4th pick this summer. In return, the Lightning receive EHEC alltime penalty minute leader Mirko Hoefflin, minor league dman Dimitry Yermoshenko, prospect Hugo Styf and Arizona's 5th pick in 2022.

The Lightning then turned around and shipped Hoefflin, along with their 1st pick in 2022 to Vancouver for forwards Hunter Shinkaruk and Kevin Stenlund.

Yet another 1st pick, this time in 2025, was sent to Winnipeg for two way centre Vladislav Namestnikov.

Finally, TBay sent Philly's 2nd pick in 2021 and TB's 4th pick in 2024 to Arizona for big defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.

GMs comments on new acquisitions:
Hunter Shinkaruk - A pure goalscorer. A 5-time 20+ goal scorer, he will benefit greatly from playing alongside Sidney Crosby.
Vladislav Namestnikov - A great 2 way centre, equally adept at scoring goals and preventing them. A 7-time 20+ goal scorer, he adds depth to an already strong forward group.
Kevin Stenlund - A big, playmaking centre to solidify the 3rd line, and likely to get some PP time as well. Coming off a season where he missed 22 games, he's looking to rebound in a new setting.
Jonas Siegenthaler - A big, hard hitting dman, he'll likely form a shutdown pairing with Carl Sneep. Saw limited ice time with a rebuilding Coyotes team, but still had a career high 12 points in 59 games.
Dmitry Yermoshenko - A career minor leaguer that will help Syracuse not be so bad next season. Seldom used in Lake Erie, he'll likely benefit from more ice time.
Hugo Styf - A project. Young, good size, but a long way from being ready. Had 26 points in 72 games for Halifax in the QMJHL.

The departed:
Mirko Hoefflin - Acquired and traded within 24 hours. A seriously good centre with a seriously bad attitude. He's the EHEC's alltime penalty minute leader.
Justin Kirkland - Acquired from Florida at the end of January, he had 14 points in 30 games, plus 2 more in 10 playoff games. Disappointing play led to him alternating between the 4th line and the pressbox in the playoffs.
David Fischer - Acquired at the deadline from Los Angeles, as part of the Ilya Kovalchuk deal, he played sparingly until the playoffs, when he filled in for the slumping Carl Sneep. He contributed 5 assists in 13 playoff games, and helped shut down the oppositions best players.
Thimo Nickl - Another part of the Ilya Kovalchuk deal. Played for Austria at the World Junior and World Championships, as well as scoring 63 points in 75 games for Erie in the OHL.
Various draft picks (TB1 2022, LA1 2022, TB1 2025, PHI2 2021, COL4 2021, TB4 2024) - GM Geoff Smith has admitted he's mortgaging the future to win now.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning Draft Report.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were very active in the draft, in spite of only having 4 picks going into the draft.

First off, the trades:
The Lightning kicked things off by sending Florida's 2nd pick (49th overall) to Colorado for defensive dman Jared Hauf and a pair of 5th round picks (145 and 147 overall).
Three 1 for 1 draft pick trades followed:
-Tampa's 1st in 2023 to Ottawa for the 25th overall pick
-Nashville's 2nd in 2022 to the Islanders for the 55th overall pick
-Winnipeg's 5th in 2022 to Edmonton for the 146th overall pick

Players drafted:
Danila Klimovich - 25th overall
A low risk, low reward pick, Klimovich is a solid two way player with good offensive abilities. He has the potential to be a 2nd line centre if he develops to his full potential, but will be a good depth forward, even if he doesn't reach that level.

Anton Olsson - 32nd overall
A good stay at home defenseman with a bit of offensive upside. While not as physical as some of his peers, he's very good in his own end and moves the puck well. A potential top-4 dman in the future.

Ethan Del Mastro - 55th overall
A big, physical defenseman, Del Mastro is the prototypical stay at home defenseman. He won't dazzle with the puck, but he'll make life miserable for opposing forwards. He projects as a 3rd pairing defenseman.

Eetu Liukas - 121st overall
A big winger with some offensive skills, Liukas is a long-term project. He has the size, but needs a lot of work if he hopes to reach the big leagues. If he works hard, he could find his way onto a 4th line someday.

Iaroslav Likhachyov - 145th overall
Overlooked in the previous 2 drafts, Likhachyov is the typical Russian winger. He's small, quick and very inconsistent. He has the potential to play in the NHL, but his motivation could hold him back.

Lorenzo Canonica - 146th overall
Like Klimovich, Canonica has some good offensive upside, but has a lot more developing to do. He's small and quick, but will need more time in junior to develop. He's a long shot to make the NHL, but could develop into a solid AHLer.

Isaac Belliveau - 147th overall
An offensive minded defenseman, Belliveau is very adept at moving the puck and providing offense. Unfortunately, his skills in his own end are lacking at the moment. He looks like a potential powerplay specialist, though it's hard to imagine him in the NHL at the moment.

Yusaku Ando - 148th overall
Another small winger with good speed, Ando is likely to be a top 6 forward in the AHL. He has some potential, but is limited by his size, and likely won't play much, if at all, in the NHL.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Free agency frenzy!

Tampa Bay Lightning GM Geoff Smith seems to have gone a bit overboard on the free agents this summer.

In:
Derick Brassard ($1.1m/2yr): A good offensive option who can play centre or the wing, Brassard adds depth to the forward group, tentatively slotting in as a 3rd line centre, behind Stamkos and Crosby.

Mike Cammalleri ($0.8m/1yr): A veteran goal scorer, Cammalleri figures to play on the second line and complement Ondrej Kase. His leadership will be welcome as the Lightning push for another Stanley Cup

Carter Ashton ($0.9m/1yr): Left to test the market after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, Ashton re-signed with Tampa at a significant discount. He brings a big physical presence to the bottom 6 forward group.

Nikita Tryamkin ($0.9m/1yr): A behemoth on the blueline, Tryamkin adds yet more size and physicality to what is probably the biggest and meanest D corps in the league.

Rodrigo Abols ($0.6m/1yr): Another big forward who brings depth, he will likely spend the bulk of his time in the AHL, but is added insurance at centre in the event of injuries.

Austen Keating, Alexander Chmelevski, Liam Kirk, Will Butcher, Keegan Kanzig ($0.6m/1yr): All minor leaguers to help fill in the roster in Syracuse. A few outside chances of NHL games, but not likely.

Ebbe Sionas, Dylan Wells (0.6m/1yr, 0.8m/2yr): A pair of backup/farm goalies, both an improvement on Brandon Halverson from last year. Carey Price is expected to carry the load again, but Sionas and Wells will fill in when Price needs a rest.

Trades:
The Lightning sent breakout winger Evgeni Svechnikov to Colorado for defensemen Alexei Bereglazov and Luke Green.
Green was then dealt to St. Louis along with Kyle Connor, in exchange for Ryan Stoa and Cale Fleury.
Jamie Oleksiak was traded to Chicago for a 4th round pick in 2022.

-Bereglazov is another hard hitting defensive defenseman, and will likely play 3rd pairing minutes.
-Fleury is a good, young defender who will be in tough to crack a very deep blueline in Tampa.
-Stoa is a veteran goalscorer, on a much more team-friendly contract than Connor.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Lightning Preseason Report:

There are high expectations in Tampa Bay this fall. Lightning GM Geoff Smith has had a busy offseason, building on the overhaul that started at last year's trade deadline. Offseason departures include Evgeni Svechnikov, Filip Larsson, David Fischer and Justin Kirkland (traded to Colorado), Kyle Connor (traded to St. Louis), Brian Hart (traded to Detroit), Jacob Larsson (traded to Dallas), Alex Grant and Jamieson Oleksiak (traded to Chicago) and Lane Zablocki (traded to Arizona). Carter Ashton was let go as a UFA, but eventually re-signed with the team.

New faces joining the team include Zack Kassian (trade with Dallas), Hunter Shinkaruk (trade with Vancouver), Ryan Stoa and Cale Fleury (trade with St. Louis), Rasmus Kulmala (trade with Detroit), Logan Stanley and Jonas Siegenthaler (trade with Arizona), Jared Hauf (trade with Colorado), Rodrigo Abols, Derick Brassard, Mike Cammalleri, Nikita Tryamkin, Keegan Kanzig, Dylan Wells and Ebbe Sionas (signed as UFAs).

While the core group of Crosby, Stamkos, Fowler, Hedman and Price remains intact, the wealth of new additions brings hope for a deep playoff run this season. The blueline is particularly strong, with 10 guys fighting for 7 roster spots. Size and strength are everywhere in the lineup, with more than half the players at camp measuring at least 6'2, including 6 players at 6'5 or taller.

Veteran goalscorers Ryan Stoa, Hunter Shinkaruk and Mike Cammalleri were brought in to complement the playmaking of Crosby, Stamkos and Ondrej Kase, and faceoff specialist Rasmus Kulmala is expected to help out a fourth line that struggled to win draws last season.

While no prospects are expected to make the team out of camp, one or 2 may turn pro and play in Syracuse this season, should a roster spot become available.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning October report:

The Lightning have had an inconsistent start to the season. Despite some significant changes (improvements?) to the roster, the team has started the season 4-3-1. GM Geoff Smith is said to be unhappy, but isn't considering major changes as it's still early in the season.

Positives:
-Carey Price has 2 shutouts, as much as the rest of the league combined.
-Hunter Shinkaruk leads the team with 5 goals and 8 points thus far.
-10 players are averaging at least 2 hits per game, including all 6 regular dmen.
-Victor Hedman is 3rd in the league in both takeaways and shot blocks.
-Steven Stamoks and Rasmus Kulmala are dominating in the faceoff circle (68.4% and 66.7% respectively).
-Team discipline has been good, being shorthanded 22 times in 8 games. Only 4 players have taken more than 1 penalty so far this season.
-The powerplay has gone 7/31 (22.6%) so far.

Negatives:
-Veteran snipers Ryan Stoa and Mike Cammalleri have 1 goal each in 8 games.
-Derrick Brassard has only 1 assist.
-As a whole, the team has struggled with giveaways, with Victor Hedman's 19 leading the team.
-Sidney Crosby has struggled on faceoffs, winning 47.3%, not good for a #1 centre.
-The penalty kill has given up 6 goals on only 22 kills (72.7%), though 5 of the 6 came in 2 early games against Montreal and Florida.
-The AHL team, the Syracuse Crunch have also struggled, going 2-6-0, being outscored 36-21.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Lightning make pair of trades:

In spite of a hot start to the season, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Geoff Smith isn't afraid of tinkering with his roster.

The first deal saw the re-acquisition of Evgeni Svechnikov, who was traded to Colorado in the offseason. Going to Colorado is free agent signing Mike Cammalleri, prospect Kasper Simontaival, and TB's 4th pick in 2023. Colorado also retains 50% of Svechnikov's salary.

"Mike was brought in to score goals, and he wasn't doing that, so we felt a change was necessary" said Smith. "Evgeni was great for us last year, and we probably should've just kept him, but it all worked out in the end". The 39 year old Cammalleri had just 2 goals in 12 games so far this season.

The second trade sees another offseason signing leaving Tampa. Nikita Tryamkin goes to Florida in exchange for Yann Sauve and Detroit's 4th in 2022.

"We had 8 quality dmen on the roster, and Nikita was the odd man out" said Smith. "The return isn't big, but it allows us to promote Cale (Fleury), who looks to be ready for the big time".
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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BLOCKBUSTER ALERT!

In a move sure to cause fans to spit out their coffee first thing Monday morning, the Tampa Bay Lightning have traded Steven Stamkos, along with Zach Budish, to the Chicago Blackhawks for injured star Jonathan Toews and centre Michael Frolik. The deal includes salary retention by Chicago.

Stamkos, the Lightning's leading scorer so far this season (7G 7A in 13 games), returns to the team he was acquired from just over a year ago. "Berny's been making me offers on Stamkos for almost a year, and he finally made one I couldn't refuse" said GM Geoff Smith. Budish has played a depth role for the Lightning, registering just 2 points so far this season.

Toews, while currently on IR, is a top notch goal scorer, who will complement Sidney Crosby on the top line. Frolik, a consistant 2-way centre, will take Stamkos' 2nd line centre spot immediately, he was 13 points in 17 games so far this season.

According to our research staff, the Lightning have now acquired Victor Hedman, Jonathan Toews and Michael Frolik for Tyler Seguin (and previous UFA signing Budish).
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning quarter season report.

After 20 games, and some surprising moves, it's time for our 1/4 season report.

The Lightning sit currently sit second in the East, with a 11-7-2 record. While this isn't overly impressive, only 7 of the 20 games were played at home. Hunter Shinkaruk leads the way with 19 points (11G 8A), followed closely by Ondrej Kase.

Team defense has been strong, giving up only 2.4 goals per game, while the offense has been averaging just over 3 goals per game. Special teams haven't been very special, with the powerplay barely over 20% and the penalty kill at 78.5%.

The trade of Steven Stamkos shocked many, and has yet to pay off, largely due to Jonathan Toews still being injured. The team has gone 1-3-1 in that stretch, also hampered by the loss of power forward Zach Kassian to injury. Both players are expected to return to the lineup by mid-December, and then we'll finally see the full strength of the Lightning's offense.

As for the farm team, the Syracuse Crunch have been barely above abysmal this season, going 5-14-1 so far. Henrik Borgstrom (6G 13A) and Nathan Walker (14G 5A) lead the team with 19 points each. Team defense has been poor, giving up 4.3 goals per game, while scoring only 2.3 per game.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning mid-season report.

Now that 41 games are in the books, it's time to look back at the ups and downs of the first half of the season in Tampa Bay.

Positives:
-Home record 12-3-2. Strong play at home bodes well, as the Lightning play 24 home games in the second half of the season, including a 12 game home stand from Feb. 1 to Mar. 6.
-Penalty kill at 87.3%. Near the top of the league, the PK has become a bright spot, after some early struggles.
-Team defense, 2.66 GAA. Solid defensive play and consistent goaltending sees the Lightning as one of the best defensive teams in the league.
-Hunter Shinkaruk, 20G 21A. Acquired in the offseason, Shinkaruk had only 49 points all of last season. Playing with Sidney Crosby, and now Jonathan Toews has really helped him rediscover his offensive touch.
-Zack Kassian. Anchoring the checking line, and leading the PK, Kassian already has more points in 33 games this year than he did in 69 last year. Missed 8 games due to injury, and the team only won 2 of those.

Negatives:
-Road record 10-11-3. Average play on the road, not helped by 9 pairs of back-to-back games, most on the road.
-Team discipline. The Lightning are the 6th most penalized team, averaging almost 4 times shorthanded per game. Hunter Shinkaruk leads the team with 56 PIM, all minor penalties.
-The Syracuse Crunch 14-27-0. Not much was expected of the Lightning's AHL affiliate this year, and yet they're still disappointing. The collection of low level prospects and career minor leaguers have managed to achieve nothing of consequence.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Lightning building for Cup Push

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a pair of trades over the weekend, bringing in a couple top-6 forwards to help with the Cup run.

In the first trade, the Lightning acquired veteran Ales Hemsky from the NY Islanders in exchange for Ondrej Kase and prospect Eetu Liukas.

Hemsky brings a wealth of experience, having played almost 1000 EHEC games, and was part of the Lightning's Cup final loss in 2019-20. Ondrej Kase had upped his play recently, with 4 goals in his last 2 games, but has been inconsistent this year. Liukas was a 5th round pick in the most recent draft.

The second trade saw the departure of leading scorer Hunter Shinkaruk, along with prospects Anton Olsson and Yusaku Ando to Anaheim in exchange for Kirill Kabanov. The Ducks also retained $1.2M of Kabanov's salary. Kabanov was the Ducks leading scorer with 41 points this year, and is a noticeably more physical than Shinkaruk. Shinkaruk's goal scoring ability will be missed, but he had been struggling of late, and had seen his icetime decrease. Olsson was a 2nd round pick and Ando a late 5th in the most recent EHEC draft.

GM Geoff Smith: "These trades may hurt a bit in the future, but our time is now. We have a great core, and this should improve our scoring depth. I'm not saying more trades will happen, but I'm always looking for ways to improve our team."
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Lightning add Hoefflin... again.

Tampa Bay Lightning GM Geoff Smith has traded for Mirko Hoefflin, again. After acquiring him from Colorado last offseason, he was subsequently shipped to Vancouver.

Now he's back. Vancouver gets Evgeni Svechnikov, who's been acquired and traded twice since Smith took over running the Lightning prior to the 2020-21 season. Additionally, the Lightning send a 4th round pick to Colorado, who picks up 25% of Hoefflin's contract. Hoefflin also has 23 goals and 43 points in 53 games so far this season, while Svechnikov has 27 points in 48 games split between Colorado and Tampa Bay.

"He's a solid centre, he just needs to stay out of the box" says Smith. "Fortunately, our PK has been on point this season, so we figure he's worth the risk." Hoefflin currently leads the league with 149 PIM. He's also led the league in PIMs the previous 2 seasons.
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Lightning quiet at the deadline.

The EHEC trade deadline has come and gone, and the Tampa Bay Lightning didn't participate in the flurry of activity. General Manager Geoff Smith said that the team's recent performance led to the lack of activity. "We've got a good core that's been playing very well lately, so I decided not to make any more changes."

The Lightning went 10-0-0 in February, outscoring their opponents 38-13, including 3 shutouts, to move into a tie for first overall in the league. All 10 games were played at home, with the Lightning now holding a 24-3-2 record at the Amalie Arena this season.
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Tampa Bay Lightning off-season report:

It's been a busy summer for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A quality season was cut short in the playoffs, in part due to a pair of long term injuries to Cam Fowler and Zack Kassian.

Trades around draft day brought in several new faces, most notably Vladislav Namestnikov and Colby Robak. Ryan Stoa was the only noteworthy player to depart via trade.

At the draft, the Lightning made 3 selections. In the 3rd round, they selected undersized but skilled dman Seamus Casey. While he has offensive potential, his defensive game remains to be seen. In the 4th round, the Lightning selected Austrian Vinznez Rohrer, a hard-working winger who they hope could develop into a good depth forward. The last pick, in the 5th round, was overager Lucas Edmonds. He's expected to provide some offense in the AHL, but it remains to be seen if that will translate to NHL ice time.

Zach Kassian, Ales Hemsky, Rasmus Kulmala, Carter Ashton and Alex Coulombe all departed via free agency, and the Bolts brought in Nathan Horton, Ondrej Kase, Phil Kessel and Marcus Foligno.

While final cuts have yet to be made, the projected 22 man roster for opening day is as follows:
Ivan Bocharov
Carey Price

Cam Fowler (LTIR)
Victor Hedman
Joe Morrow
Colby Robak
Jonas Siegenthaler
Carl Sneep
Logan Stanley

Derick Brassard
Sidney Crosby
Marcus Foligno
Michael Frolik
Mirko Hoefflin
Nathan Horton
Kirill Kabanov
Ondrej Kase
Phil Kessel
Timo Meier
Vladislav Namestnikov
Logan Shaw
Jonathan Toews
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Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect Report:
Danila Klimovich:
Drafted 2021, 1st round (25th)
A low risk, low reward pick, Klimovich is a solid two way player with good offensive abilities. He has the potential to be a 2nd line centre if he develops to his full potential, but will be a good depth forward, even if he doesn't reach that level. Got off to a slow start in 2021-22 but finished with 48 points in his first pro season, and even played 2 late season games with the Lightning.
Rating: B+

Dmitri Ovchinnikov:
Trade with Colorado
A small, quick forward that plays a solid 2-way game. Ovchinnikov will be given lots of opportunities to develop in the AHL, but that has more to do with the lack of high end talent than his projected abilities. Expected to be a top line AHLer, possibly a 3rd or 4th line EHEC player in the future.
Rating: B-

Elmer Soderblom:
Trade with NY Rangers
Take Ovchinnikov’s assessment, but add 9 inches and 60lbs. A huge player with average potential, Soderblom’s first 2 pro seasons have showed he can succeed in the AHL, but it’s yet to be determined if that will translate to the EHEC game. With his size, he’ll be given lots of opportunities, but will still need to earn a shot at the big time.
Rating: B

Lucas Edmonds:
Drafted 2022, 5th round (134th)
Previously overlooked, the Lightning picked the offensive minded winger to provide an immediate boost to an AHL team that has struggled the past 2 seasons. Edmonds has the skills to be a first line AHLer, but without massive improvement to his defensive game, he’s unlikely to ever see an EHEC game.
Rating: C

Lorenzo Canonica:
Drafted 2021, 5th round (146th)
Like Klimovich, Canonica has some good offensive upside, but has a lot more developing to do. He's small and quick, but will need more time in junior to develop. He's a long shot to make the NHL, but could develop into a solid AHLer.
Rating: C

Iaroslav Likhachyov
Drafted 2021, 5th round (145th)
Overlooked in the previous 2 drafts, Likhachyov is the typical Russian winger. He's small, quick and very inconsistent. He has the potential to play in the NHL, but his motivation could hold him back. Like Klimovich, was slow to start last season, but developed into a top 6 AHL winger.
Rating: C+

Vinzenz Rohrer:
Drafted 2022, 4th round (108th)
A hard working forward, Rohrer’s consistency is what caught the eye of Lightning scouts. Few players work harder than the young Austrian, but he’ll need more time in junior to develop. A good year (or 2) in junior, and we may see him playing some pro hockey.
Rating: C+

Seamus Casey:
Drafted 2022, 3rd round (72nd)
The Lightning’s top pick in the most recent draft, Casey was granted an underage exemption to play in the AHL this season. Unfortunately, an injury in training camp has delayed his debut until late November, or even early December. Casey has the talent to be a top 4 defenseman, but it remains to be seen if he can reach that potential. Size may also be a limiting factor for him.
Rating: B

Ruben Rafkin:
Trade with Ottawa
A good, stay at home defenseman, Rafkin will be part of Syracuse’s very young D corps this season. A former 4th round pick, Rafkin is expected to be a regular contributor in the AHL, but doesn’t project beyond a 7th defenseman.
Rating: C

Hugo Styf:
Trade with Colorado
Similar to Rafkin, Styf is another former 4th rounder. A bit more defensive ability, but a bit less offensive potential. He could develop into a bottom pairing defender, but that’s a few years away, if at all.
Rating: C

Kyle Aucoin:
Drafted 2020, 5th round (141st)
Aucoin is a smaller defenceman with limited upside. He plays a steady, unspectacular defensive game, with very little offensive involvement. Aucoin will be playing his first pro season in Syracuse. While he is unlikely to develop into an EHEC regular, the Lightning are hoping he can develop into an AHL regular in the future.
Rating: C-

Ethan Del Mastro:
Drafted 2021, 2nd round (55th)
A big, physical defenseman, Del Mastro is the prototypical stay at home defenseman. He won't dazzle with the puck, but he'll make life miserable for opposing forwards. He projects as a 3rd pairing defenseman. Will spend one more year in junior, refining his game.
Rating: B

Isaac Belliveau:
Drafted 2021, 5th round (146th)
An offensive minded defenseman, Belliveau is very adept at moving the puck and providing offense. Unfortunately, his skills in his own end are lacking at the moment. He looks like a potential powerplay specialist, though it's hard to imagine him in the NHL at the moment. Will spend one more year in junior, refining his game.
Rating: C-

Overall team summary:
Lots of depth potential, but no high end talent to be seen.
Rating: C+
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Tampa Bay Lightning Season Preview:
The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off of a disappointing second round playoff loss to the Ottawa Senators. The offseason saw much of the roster unchanged, but some key additions were made as well.

Forwards:
In: Vladislav Namestnikov, Nathan Horton, Ondrej Kase, Phil Kessel, Marcus Foligno
Out: Ryan Stoa, Zach Kassian, Ales Hemsky, Rasmus Kulmala, Carter Ashton
Already a strong group, led by Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews, the Lightning look to improve on past seasons with a talented group of forwards. The addition of 2-way players Namestnikov and Horton, as well as goal scorer and faceoff specialist Phil Kessel bolster one of the best forward groups in the league.
Rating: A

Defense:
In: Colby Robak, Joe Morrow
Out: Cale Fleury, Alex Coulombe
An unfortunate, long-term injury to Cam Fowler led Lightning GM Geoff Smith to acquire pending UFA Colby Robak from Florida for a mere 4th round draft pick. Robak adds even more size and strength to one of the most intimidating bluelines in the EHEC. While Fowler isn’t expected to return until mid-March, the Lightning aren’t too concerned on the back end.
Rating: A (A+ with Fowler healthy)

Goalies:
In: Ivan Bocharov
Out: Ebbe Sionas
Another year, another new backup for Carey Price. Price has played 133 games over the past 2 seasons and will likely shoulder the load once again.
Rating: A-

Salary Cap status:
Thanks to Cam Fowler’s $8.84M on the LTIR, the Lightning won’t need to worry about the cap until the trade deadline, where they may need to cut about $1.0M in salary, unless there’s another injury to deal with.

Summary:
The Lightning are among the EHEC’s elite, and anything short of a Cup final appearance will be a disappointment for this team.
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Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate Stanley Cup win!

The Tampa Bay Lightning clinched their 4th Stanley Cup Monday night, beating the Los Angeles Kings 4-1, to take the series in 6 games. The victory capped off a surprising run for the 5th seed in the Eastern conference. The Bolts surprised the Ottawa Senators in round 1, then faced the 8th seed Toronto Maple Leafs in round 2. Both series took 6 games. The Eastern final was an all-Florida matchup against the Panthers. That series went the distance, with the Bolts taking it in 7 games.

Kirill Kabanov led the way against the Kings, scoring 6 goals in the finals, and leading all playoff goal scorers with 13. Playoff MVP Phil ‘The Thrill” Kessel led the team with 25 points (8G 17A) in 25 games, and was stellar on draws, winning more than 63% of faceoffs. General Manager Geoff Smith, in his 3rd season with the team, credited the team’s solid defense and balanced scoring for the success: “Our defense came up huge, and everyone contributed offensively” he said, “it’s a great group of guys, and I hope we can keep most of them and go for a repeat”.

Cam Fowler and Victor Hedman anchored the blueline. Fowler, who was injured in last year’s playoffs, and missed the first 66 games of the regular season, finished with 18 points, and played more than 27 minutes per game in the playoffs. Pending UFA Hedman had 17 points, and led all players in hits (84) and shot blocks (36) in the playoffs. He was also second to teammate Colby Robak in takeaways (60). “I hope to be back next year” said Hedman, “but I know my value, and I know the cap situation. Hopefully he (GM Smith) can work something out for me.”
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Re: The Tampa Bay Times

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Hopefully you had Adam Hadwin there to spray the champagne.

https://twitter.com/KiraDixon/status/16 ... 5266095104
The Colorado Avalanche - missing the playoffs every year since EHEC began
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