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Former Lightning campers -- Prospect / system update

John Fontana — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:25:19 -0000

Lightning prospects and Lethbridge Hurricanes wing Carter Ashton -- via www.whl.ca

Remember all those people in camp this summer? Guys who were the-next-big-thing at the Young Guns camp? Or the gia-normous roster the Tampa Bay Lightning carried with them as they trekked across the continent back in september?

They're still playing hockey. And the majority of them are still Tampa Bay Lightning property (with a sole exception).

Below the fold, you'll find a list of players who didn't make the opening night roster for the Lightning and where they are now and just how they are performing in their current location. Consider this a system update.

Of course, the more complete place to find updates on Lightning prospects and just how they are producing is over at Bolt Prospects. You'll find updates on more players in teh Lightning system including prospects over in the KHL (though we've included one here) and in college hockey. For the meantime, here's where things stand with some of the players in the system on November 3rd, 2009:

Forwards

Name	Team	League	Goals	Assists	Points
Carter Ashton	Lethbridge Hurricanes	WHL-Juniors	9	9	18
Brandon Bochenski	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	7	2	9
Ryan Craig	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	7	2	9
Kyle DeCoste	Belleville Bulls	OHL - Juniors	2	1	3
Mitch Fadden	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	0	0
Adam Hall	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	3	3
Alex Hutchings	Barrie Colts	OHL-Juniors	8	10	18
Blair Jones	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	1	2	3
Martins Karsums	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	1	0
Chris Lawrence	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	0	0
Brett McLean*	Bern	Swiss-A	?	?	?
Richard Panik	Windsor Spitfires	OHL-Juniors	4	7	11
Juraj Simek	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	1	6	7
Radek Smolenak	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	4	4
Matias Sointu	Ottawa 67's	OHL-Juniors	3	4	7
Paul Szczechura	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	3	5	8
Lauri Tukonen	Lukko Rauma	FNL-Europe	3	8	11
Dana Tyrell	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	3	3

Note: McLean was with the team on a tryout basis and not offered a contract

Defense

Name	Team	League	Goals	Assists	Points
Mark Barberio	Moncton Wildcats	QMJHL-Juniors	2	11	13
Scott Jackson	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	1	1
Matt Lashoff	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	1	1	2
Mike Lundin	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	5	5
Vladmir Mihalik	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	2	2
Kevin Quick	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	0	0
Ty Wishart	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	1	1

Goaltenders

Name	Team	League	Win	Loss	Save %	GAA
Riku Helenius	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	1	.913	2.05
Jarsolov Janus	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	0	2	.939	1.52
Kari Ramo*	Omsk Avangard	KHL	10	7	.912	1.89
Dustin Tokarski	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	4	3	.904	2.59
Michael Zador	Michael Zador	OHL-Juniors	6	5	.891	3.58

Note: Ramo was not in camp, yet this single instance I thought it was appropriate to show how the player is doing, as Ramo is still Lightning property

We'll revisit this from time to time this season to see player progress.

Mike Lundin and Matt Lashoff waived (Updated)

John Fontana — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:57:14 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Browse more photos »

While Ryan Craig, Adam Hall and Brandon Bochenski have all cleared waivers and may now be sent to Norfolk of the AHL.... Another pair of players have popped up on the waiver wire. The odd-men-out on defense.

Mike Lundin and Matt Lashoff.

Both players are currently on the wires and may be claimed by any of the 29 other NHL franchises. If they pass through waivers, they can be re-assigned to Norfolk as well... That being said, before camp and the pre-season, Mike Lundin expressed through his agent that if he did not make the team he would like to be moved. But for the next several hours, it won't be int eh Lightning's hands if he is dealt as other teams can make a claim on him.

Teh Lightning's roster is now at 23.

(note - story updated to include Lashoff's waiving)

On the Waiver Wire

Scott Reynolds — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:49:19 -0000

In the next few days every team is going to be trimming players from their rosters. Many of these players - like Rob Schremp - will end up on waivers. Now, the Oilers don't need Rob Schremp but they may want to take a closer look at some of the players who will be available on the waiver wire over the next several days. I'm going to draw attention to a player or two over the next several days who might be able to help the Oilers and that, my new found friends, begs the question: who's up first?

That last bit was for Derek.

The first player of interest is Adam Hall, currently of the Tampa Bay Lightning (how bad are we to consider taking dregs from the Lightning). This player has several things that the Oilers lack. Firstly, Hall is a bigger body. This isn't the most important thing to me, but it is an area where Oiler management has said they wanted to improve. At 6'3'' and over 200 lbs. Hall fits the bill (though to be fair he's not particularly physical). Secondly, Hall is an experienced NHL player having played in 426 career NHL regular season games and another 31 in the playoffs. A lot of us who follow the Oilers enjoy following prospects and seeing them develop. That said, most guys under 30 with over 400 NHL games are going to help this team win a whole lot more than Gilbert Brule or Liam Reddox will this year. Maybe those two will be nice contributors in the future but for now, they're still learning.

Looking at the quality of his ice time last year, Hall was put in the "Kyle Brodziak" role for the Lightning, getting thrown onto the ice against poor competition with equally poor teammates for many more EV faceoffs in the defensive zone (162) than the end of the ice where your team might score (71). Although he only took 338 faceoffs (5th most on his team), many of these were in defensive situations where a won draw is significant. His faceoff percentage last year (exactly 50% overall and significantly better if his PK faceoffs are taken out of the mix) was better than every current Oiler save Horcoff. Oh, and did I mention he's right-handed?

So, all well and good about the tough assignment, how did he do? The results, while bad, are better than one should reasonably expect. Given the context of his ice time, his Corsi of -48 bad at all. His -9 at EV can instead be chalked up to a poor PDO number of 97.3. Admittedly, part of that low number is the inability of he and his linemates to shoot anywhere but the goalie's crest but that number still looks a bit on the low side.

What about the money? Every transaction needs to take the cap into account. This is what really helps Hall to shine. He's making a paltry $600,000 over the next two years ("Half of Brodziak's salary and double the results! Order now and you'll also receive..."). Given the potential for a cap decline in the coming season, picking up a useful veteran who's playing for near the league minimum in the heart of his career could end up being a great bet.

2009-10 Tampa Bay Lightning season preview

John Fontana — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:00:17 -0000

SB Nation's NHL sites have been showcasing season previews for each of the 30 NHL clubs the past few weeks, leading up to the start of the new NHL season. James Mirtle has also reviewed each team over at From the Rink. Today it's the Tampa Bay Lightning in the spotlight.

Overview:

Upheaval and volatility are the first two words that come to mind when trying to summarize what Tampa Bay Lightning fans witnessed last season. The upheaval started in the forging of the 2008-2009 team by firing John Tortorella and replacing him with Barry Melrose – who hadn’t coached a professional hockey game in well over a decade. Add to it all the additions and subtractions during the 2008 off season, plus the laissez faire preseason and too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen management of the team, and the Bolts were set up to either defy the odds or sink to the bottom of the league.

…And sink they did.

52 players suited up for the Bolts last season in a constant revolving door. Melrose was fired after 16 games and Rick Tocchet was named Interim head coach for the remainder of the season. From that point on, things only got worse as the injury bug was rampant in Tampa as a poorly conditioned squad, due to Melrose’s preseason expectations, was required to play a more physical game under Tocchet. One by one, players dropped like flies, and the only thing that was left was to wonder which of the top three picks they would receive in the June entry draft.

Looking ahead instead of behind, the Lightning’s 2009-2010 campaign is as heavy in promise as it is with caution. Optimism can be had from any number of aspects with this team, but it’s a very cautious optimism as the scars and issues that dogged the franchise last season are still present in one form or another.

Who's In?

The off-season movement for the club started at the NHL Entry Draft where the Bolts selected Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman with the #2 overall pick. To compliment and tutor Hedman, the Lightning have also added fellow Swede and NHL veteran Mattias Ohlund to the defense. Continuing the defense revamp, the Lightning also signed free agents Matt Walker (Chicago) and Kurtis Foster (Minnesota) to further bolster the blueline.

On Offense, the big prize addition is left wing Alex Tanguay (Montreal), who will be paired with Vincent Lecavalier this season. Other offensive additions include Stephane Veilleux (Minnesota), Drew Miller (via trade with Anaheim), and Todd Fedoruk and David Hale (via trade with Phoenix). As of this writing, Brett McLean (Florida) is on the roster as a camp invitee and may be signed with the club.

In the crease, the Lightning added former Flyer goaltender Antero Niittymaki to serve as backup to Mike Smith. Niittymaki certainly brings an interesting dynamic to the Bolts: his indominable record against Southeast Division opponents (record of all clubs, last one is Atlanta). Third in the depth chart at goal is Dustin Tokarski, formerly of the WHL Spokane Chiefs. If any injuries should happen to either goaltender, he would most likely be the first option out of AHL Norfolk.

Of course the fun and games don't stop there! The Lightning hired fromer Dallas Stars associate coach Rick Wilson to their coaching staff in hopes offurther bolstering the defense from the top down.

Who's Out?

Who isn't out? After suiting up 52 different players last season, the Lightning were not going to bring everyone back for this go around. Some of the names that are gone include Evgeny Aryukhin (via trade with Anaheim), Radim Vrbata (not that he played much with the Bolts anyway -- via trade with Phoenix), Matt Pettinger (UFA), Jason Ward (Philadelphia), David Koci (Colorado), Marek Malik (UFA), Josef Melichar (overseas), Cory Murphy (New Jersey), Richard Petiot (Chicago), Mike McKenna (New Jersey) and Noah Welch (Atlanta).

One of the more controversial subtractions from the roster was the departure of left wing and fan favorite Vaclav Prospal, who was bought out by the club in order to clear budget space for the addition of Tanguay. Meanwhile, another loss was goalie Karri Ramo, who joined the KHL. The Lightning still retain his rights in the National Hockey League, however.

Behind the bench, assistant coach Mike Sullivan departed the team and joined the staff of the New York Rangers as well.

Team Strengths:

It's really hard not to look at the Lightning's top lines and be wonderstruck at the possibilities offensively. Team captain Vincent Lecavalier paired with fellow QMJHL alumnus Alex Tanguay leaves one excited. The trio of Ryan Malone, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis will be paired again on the second line and is equally, if not more, formidable than the Tanguay/Lecavalier line (as of this writing, the role of right wing on the top line was still in question). To round this out, they have a solid 3rd line in Stephane Veilleux, Jeff Halpern and Drew Miller. So now it’s an offense that is capable of hitting you on three of its four lines. That's an aspect the Lightning have been suspect with for the past four seasons, as the Bolts have remained top heavy. Too top heavy, in fact.

Meanwhile, a new found strength is potentially the Lightning defense. With a versed crew of veterans and youngsters rounded out by defensive specialist Rick Wilson on the bench, the Lightning blueline looks to rebound from the troubles it had in 2008-2009 into something much more formidable this time around. The team's depth on the blueline is also an asset – especially for a position that is normally subjected to the bumps and bruises of the season. The Bolts plan on carrying eight defensemen and employing a regular rotation between starters and reserves, with the intention of keeping the lineup fresh.

Between the pipes, goaltender Mike Smith is back, healthy, and now backed up by the very capable Antero Niittymaki. While this may seem pretty ho-hum to many, Smith’s stats (2.68 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage) were great behind a porous defense decimated by trades and injury. Meanwhile Niitymaki’s record versus the Southeast Division (27-6-4 lifetime, including a 13 game winning streak against Atlanta) is quite formidable to say the least. The addition of Niittymaki could prove to be the most overlooked signing in the division this year, particularly if he can keep up his dominance against divisional foes Washington, Carolina, Florida and Atlanta.

For all of the sideshow antics of the ownership fight, General Manager Brian Lawton getting sole say in calling most of the shots for the makeup of the team is paying off. Lawton has shown this off-season that he may be an executive who knows what he is doing. And as long as he continues to be unhindered by too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen ownership meddling, the Bolts are likely to appear to be a much more stable and sane team regarding player personnel moves than they have in the immediate past.

Lastly, let me quote a former Tampa Bay athlete with thus: "I plan to become great, but how can you become great without experiencing the worst?" He’s got a point there, and those still with the club from last two seasons, the nucleus of this club, are well versed in the worst right now. The adversity of the recent past hasn’t killed or ruined talent on the Lightning’s roster, and odds are it could likely prove to be a motivating factor in the season ahead.

Team Weaknesses

The ownership circus is far from being settled. And, in fact, it has transitioned into a new phase as two potential billionaire investors – backed by separate bickering owners – are exploring the idea of buying into the club. What this means for the team when the dust settles is unclear, and should be looked at warily for a franchise that wants to return to respectability and competitiveness.

For all the talent that the Lightning have amassed on forward lines, there is a gaping hole at right wing that has not been sorted out so far this the preseason, and likely will not be settled by the start of the season. Add to the fact that none of the right wingers have really stood out during the preseason, and one has to wonder just how shallow the talent pool for the Lightning is past Martin St. Louis and Adam Hall? While Carter Ashton has stood out at times and impressed coaching, and while Dana Tyrell looks to be a future star – neither are ready to make the jump to the NHL at this time. In fact, Ashton was back to juniors on Friday night. And while Steve Downie had a very productive off-season while also maintaining some very good discipline thus far in the preseason, one has to wonder if he can keep it up all season long? Can he keep up with the likes of Vincent Lecavalier and Alex Tanguay on the top line, and not let his emotions and impulsiveness get the better of him?

Mike Smith has not played a regular season NHL game since January 30th, 2009, due to the lingering effects of post concussion syndrome. Antero Niittymaki also has had several hip surgeries in the past 41 months. Both players are said to be healthy and feeling fine at this point, but it’s still a point of concern as it’s a long NHL season. The Lightning’s most experienced netminder in the system, Riku Helenius, has all of 7 NHL minutes to his name. That’s not an inspiring statistic when questioning durability of the top two goalies with the Lightning. While Dustin Tokarski has done very well this preseason, he is still a prospect directly out of junior.

With all the positive additions on the defensive corps, negatives linger. Defenseman Paul Ranger did not play until Friday night in a scrimmage against their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. That makes one wonder if Ranger is too brittle to contribute to this Lightning team. Add to it that Andrej Meszaros is also recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his season prematurely, and you have two liabilities as integral parts of the blueline for the Bolts. And while defensive depth for the Bolts is something that can be crowed about, it’s also very easy to label it a liability as well. With so many warm bodies, there are still only so many roster spots. The team is likely to leave one talent or another off the NHL roster come the start of the season and not have the luxury of recalling said player with thanks to the likelihood someone would snatch him up through recall waivers. Mike Lundin was a victim of that midway through last season.

Then there’s the burden of proof regarding Head Coach Rick Tocchet in Tampa. Despite being more involved with his team and being well liked by his players, he produced a lower winning percentage than Barry Melrose in 66 games. This is his first Head Coaching job in the NHL, so it’s still open for speculation if Tocchet himself has the skill to coach and succeed – particularly with the implosion of the squad under his full control last season. In his favor is the fact he’s in charge of a healthy roster from the very beginning this time around, and instituted a conditioning program at the end of last season to prepare the players for this season. He was the one handing out conditioning assignments for the summer, was in charge of the training camp regimen, and is the one who will ultimately be making decisions regarding the opening night roster. He didn’t have that luxury when he came into the job last November. How much of a difference this makes, however, remains to be seen.

And in a round about way, one of the worst weaknesses that will follow the Lightning around this season is the Olympics. The hype leading up to the Games in Vancouver this February will become a distraction as the season progresses and national rosters are evened out. The Lightning have already had a good contingent of players attending their camps for their respective countries during the summer. Who does or doesn’t make Olympic rosters has all the makings of a grand distraction, especially with Vincent Lecavalier on the bubble to make Team Canada’s squad. Then there are the actual Olympics and the ceasing of league actions for two weeks that could ruin the momentum the Lightning might have going into the final stretch of the season. Which may be a blessing in disguise, depending on the injury situation at that point of the season due to a condensed NHL schedule.

Depth Chart (estimated):

FORWARDS

Alex Tanguay - Vincent Lecavalier - Steve Downie
Ryan Malone - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Stephane Veilleux - Jeff Halpern - Drew Miller
Todd Fedoruk - Ryan Craig - Adam Hall
Zenon Konopka OR Brett McLean (reserve)

DEFENSE

Mattias Ohlund | Andrej Meszaros
Kurtis Foster | Victor Hedman
Paul Ranger | Matt Walker
Matt Smaby | Lukas Krajicek (reserves)

GOALTENDERS

Mike Smith
Antero Niittymaki

Predictions

Other Predictions and Previews:

After finishing 30th and 29th the past two seasons respectively, the Lightning should be in store for a rebound this upcoming season... Yet, there is a lingering wait-and-see approach with the team. Fans and media are skeptical because of the sideshow of ownership and the hype of the 2008 off-season was much like the hype of acquisitions from this very off-season.

But is it justified? Specifically the Bolts being looked at firstly for ownership drama when trying to gauge just what the team will do on ice. It’s may be a mistake to overlook the retrofit of this team and the difference from the beginning of last season and this season.

Assuming the injury bug does not decimate the roster (with a total of 305 man games lost), rising in the Southeast Division should be a given. While fairly certain that the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes will be the ones battling for the division title, this Lightning roster could very well be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Things need to jell and distractions need to take a hike... But the team is capable of rising in the East and contending.

(special thanks JD Weakland, who took the Victor Hedman photo used on this preview. View more of his team photography here.)

Poll

Where will the Lightning finish in the Eastern Conference?

15

2 votes

14

3 votes

13

5 votes

12

5 votes

11

1 votes

10

12 votes

9

17 votes

8

26 votes

7

25 votes

6

18 votes

5

7 votes

4

5 votes

3

7 votes

2

5 votes

1

10 votes

148 votes | Poll has closed

Bolt's marquee training camp battle: second-line right wing

John Fontana — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:58:37 -0000

by Steve Nesius - AP

View full size photo »

As it stands right now, there's a single hole left on the Lightning's top two lines. With Alex Tanguay now on the roster, the Bolts have their left wing's secured (Ryan Malone, Tanguay) and their center's are easily decided (Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos). But on right wing there is only one player who is a certainty to play on either of the top two lines -- Martin St. Louis.

With the Bolts unlikely to sign another free agent to fill the void and though a trade should not be counted out, odds are the Lightning will fill that spot with one of their own young players.

It's just anyone's guess who that will be.

Take a look at the depth chart for the Bolts at the right wing position (courtesy of Bolt Prospects depth rankings):

(signed)

Martin St. Louis
Martins Karsums
Steve Downie
Adam Hall
Dana Tyrell
Lauri Tukonen
Chris Lawrence

(unsigned)

Carter Ashton
Richard Panik
Kyle DeCoste
Matias Sointu
Matt Marshall
Ilya Solarev
Pavel Sedov

The unsigned group are prospects and recent draft picks by the Lightning. While it's not impossible for these guys to make the jump from juniors to the pros, it's highly unlikely.

The real competition seems to be between Steve Downie (acquired last year from the Philadelphia Flyers), Lauri Toukenen (former first round draft pick, acquired from the Dalllas Stars), Martins Karsums (acquired last spring in the Mark Recchi trade) and Dana Tyrell (drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft).

It's safe to assume Martins Karsums has the inside track on this contest, as he's had a stable career at the pro-level (AHL and NHL) and having a record of production at all levels (sans the NHL level, where he broke into the league with the Bolts after the trade). The 23 year old Czech averaged 51 points a season over three seasons in the QMJHL and 46 over three seasons in the AHL for the Providence Bruins.

Dana Tyrell is an up-and-coming star without the experience. During the summer Young Guns camp in July, Tyrell impressed with his speed and play-making ability. He will be making the full-time Pro jump this season after playing with the Prince George Cougars the majority of the last four seasons. He's also recovered from an on-ice knee injury sustained during the World Junior Championships last winter and fought to prove it during the Young Guns camp. He's an underdog for a chance to play at the NHL level this season, but I would not count him out -- not by a longshot.

Lauri Tukonen can either be chronicled as an enigma or a dark horse in this contest. He warranted a first-round draft selection by the LA Kings in the 2004 NHL entry draft and consistently chipped in points in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs before returning to Finland last season.

Then we come to the player with the most experience of the contenders for that right wing slot: Steve Downie. Downie's self-control and impulse-control issues do not permit him to be a serious contender for a top spot on the Lightning depth chart, no matter how much people admire his grit and skills he has... Think of raw nitroglicerine being transported on a bumpy road -- it's an accident waiting to happen. That's Downie, unless he mellows out at one point or another.

The door is ultimately wide open for anyone to step up and show they deserve to be the second top six right wing on this squad. If that happens during training camp, we're in for a very interesting season. If not? The Bolts will likely muddy along with a by-committee staffing of the position until such a time when a trade materializes or they become certain they can get along with only five bonafide top line forwards.

What do you think? Whose got the inside track of crackign the roster? Will the Bolts stand pat or make a pre-season move to add more depth at right-wing?

Poll

Who will start the season as the Bolts 2nd line right-wing?

Martins Karsums

16 votes

Steve Downie

39 votes

Lauri Tukonen

4 votes

Dana Tyrell

16 votes

Adam Hall

6 votes

Another player/prospect with the Bolts

12 votes

Someone else (free agent / trade acquisition)

6 votes

99 votes | Poll has closed

Lightning charity scrimage during Fan Fest

John Fontana — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:39:35 -0000

Saturday evening will see a charity scrimmage and events take place at Fan Fest with all proceeds going towards the Mike Roberts fund. Tampa Bay area residents may recall that Cpl. Mike Roberts was gunned down last week in Tampa. I don't want to go into the grim details of the story... The link is there if you'd like to hear what happened.

The Tampa Bay Lightning put together a charity event to help raise money for the Corporal Mike Roberts Memorial Fund that was set up For Cpl. Roberts family:

During the game each Lightning player’s or alumnus’ jersey worn on the ice will be available for auction on the concourse behind section 101. Each player will autograph his jersey following the game and personally present it to the respective auction winner. There will also be a memorabilia auction behind sections 101-130. Proceeds from both will go toward the Cpl. Mike Roberts Memorial Fund. Fans will also be able to make cash contributions via numerous donation locations throughout the St. Pete Times Forum.

The charity game will be played from 5PM until 6PM. The entire Fan Frest event will be from 3-8PM at Times Palace in downtown Tampa.

The following are your rosters for the charity game... Big thumbs up to both current Bolts and team alumni for stepping in:

Team Navy -- Coach – Ian Beckles (620 WDAE Radio Personality)

Martin St. Louis (Lightning Forward)

Steven Stamkos (Lightning Forward)

Jeff Halpern (Lightning Forward)

Andrej Meszaros (Lightning Defenseman)

Stan Neckar (Lightning Alumni)

Wes Walz (Lightning Assistant Coach)

Ray Thill (Lightning Head Equipment Manager)

Rob "Bubba" Kennedy (Lightning Assistant Equipment Manager)

Clay Roffer (Lightning Assistant Equipment Manager)

Michael Hutner (Tampa Police Department)

Frank Ruedy (Tampa Police Department)

Tommy Mayer (Tampa Police Department)

Mark Cholnik (Tampa Police Department)

(G) John Finnie (Brandon Ice Sports Forum)

Team White -- Coach – Phil Esposito (Hockey Hall-of-Famer)

Ryan Malone (Lightning Forward)

Adam Hall (Lightning Forward)

Mattias Ohlund (Lightning Defenseman)

Victor Hedman (Lightning Defenseman)

Matt Walker (Lightning Defenseman)

Dave Andreychuk (Lightning Alumni)

Chris Dingman (Lightning Alumni)

Brian Bradley (Lightning Alumni)

Nigel Kirwan (Lightning Video Coach)

Tom Mulligan (Lightning Head Athletic Trainer)

Evan Trefcer (Tampa Police Department)

Braxton Baird (Tampa Police Department)

Michael Palmieri (Tampa Police Department)

Bob Barrett (Tampa Police Department)

(G) Pat Jablonski (Lightning Alumni)

Sun Sports TV personalities Rick Peckham and Paul Kennedy will also be interviewing participants of the game from the benches.

For more information on Fan Fest activities and information, please see the Tampa Bay Lightning website.

Another Unlikely Scenario - John Moore

Cassie McClellan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:26 -0000

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Who? I've never heard of this guy. Why would the Lightning want to pick him?"

In the event that Victor Hedman is chosen by the New York Islanders first overall...well, let me just say that I don't think Tavares will go second. At least, not to the Lightning. No, instead, I think that they could pull a serious upset.

It's common knowledge that the Lightning need help on defense. So why would they pick yet another center in either John Tavares or Matt Duchene? And most of the top ten prospects ranked are, in fact, centers.

They already have two franchise centers in Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos. To pick another would likely mean that they'd have to trade someone or something - either Lecavalier, the second overall pick, or the actual center picked second overall by Tampa Bay. Any and all of those scenarios aren't going to keep them many fans.

John Moore is the highest-ranked North American defenseman by NHL Central Scouting. Oliver Ekman Larsson of Sweden is the next highest-ranked European defenseman after Hedman. Unfortunately for us, Central Scouting doesn't combine the two lists to give us a comprehensive view of who's supposedly better than the other. You have to judge on your own between the North American rankings and the European rankings. However, judging by the current roster, I have reason to believe that they could take Moore second overall. Or, perhaps, trade down and still draft him.

The current ownership has been in charge for over a year now. And in that span of time, they've completely overhauled the roster. There are only a handful of players left from the previous season at this point.

What many people may not realize is that there are a lot of college guys on that roster. Most of them are American-born, too. There is a distinct preference for both American players and players who have gone the college route to make it into the NHL.

Now, I am not saying nor implying that the Lightning don't like Canadians or Europeans. I don't think any of this is actually a conscious decision on anyone's part. I'm just making observations about their roster - these are the facts in front of me in black and white.

The following players are listed on the Tampa Bay Lightning's official roster on their website at this time, unless otherwise noted.

Americans-born players:

RW Brandon Bochenski
RW Adam Hall
C Jeff Halpern
LW Ryan Malone
D Matt Lashoff
D Mike Lundin (not currently on the roster; finished the season in the NHL due to the potential of being claimed off of re-entry waivers)
D Richard Petiot
D Matt Smaby
D Noah Welch
G Mike McKenna

College players (and years played at the college or university attended - Americans previously listed in italics):

RW Brandon Bochenski – North Dakota, 3 years
RW Adam Hall – Michigan State, 4 years
C Jeff Halpern – Princeton, 4 years
D Mike Lundin – Maine, 4 years
LW Ryan Malone – St. Cloud State, 4 years
G Mike McKenna – St. Lawrence, 4 years
D Cory Murphy – Colgate, 4 years
D Richard Petiot – Colorado College, 4 years
D Matt Smaby – North Dakota, 3 years
RW Martin St. Louis – Vermont, 4 years
C Paul Szczechura – Western Michigan, 4 years
D Noah Welch – Harvard, 4 years

Seem to be quite a few of them, huh? Also remember that at the end of the 2008-2009 college hockey season, the Lightning tried signing American defenseman Matt Gilroy, who was then with Boston University. He instead signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent. Incidentally, he won the Hobey Baker Award (Best College Hockey Player) this last season.

The first American-born defenseman that has committed to a college or university, and is available in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, is...John Moore. He has committed to play with Colorado College in the fall. Currently playing with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL), he put up some pretty respectable offensive numbers. He had 39 points in 57 games scoring 14 goals. Not bad for a defenseman.

It's pretty apparent what kind of player Tampa Bay gravitates towards. And that's why I believe that, if Victor Hedman goes first overall, the Lightning could do the unexpected. They could draft a player that they need, rather than one that everyone expects them to simply because Central Scouting has him ranked hightly. And they need defense.

There is the possiblity of trading picks with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who choose seventh overall in the draft this year. Brian Burke has made no secret of the fact that he wants to pick up Tavares. And as a man who managed to pick up both Sedins in the same draft, you might have to take that seriously. If Hedman goes first, a trade would benefit both the Leafs and the Lightning - particularly if Tampa Bay gets a little something to sweeten the deal.

After Hedman, it comes down to Moore or Ekman Larsson. Either of them would be a good choice, but Moore would fit into their mold better. Being an American-born, college route prospect , I think he'd be the obvious choice based upon the current roster.

OMG CARRIE AND HILARY!!!111one: Sens 3, Bolts 2 (OT)

PeterR — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:29:59 -0000

Sorry about the all-caps. I'm just predicting what the game coverage will be in the Ottawa Sun and the Ottawa Citizen tomorrow. I'm betting Carrie Underwood and/or Hilary Duff make the cover of at least the Sun, maybe both.

Wait, there's actual sports news for our sports reporters to talk about? No way! And the Sens actually won an overtime game? Double no way! Chris Kelly's got two goals in three games? Triple no way!

Yes, there was actually something going on on the ice, it wasn't all in the luxury suites. And in a surprisingly intense game, the Senators came out on top over the Tampa Bay Lightning. And Kelly did score, the Sens' second goal, which was short-handed and gave Ottawa a 13-second 2-1 lead. Ryan Shannon scored Ottawa's first goal on the powerplay, and Mike Fisher scored the overtime winner 2:38 into extra time after a Chris Phillips shot. Phillips and Daniel Alfredsson each had two assists, and Brian Elliott stopped 22 of 24 shots.

Jason Spezza also put one in the net, but the refs ruled it was a distinct kicking motion and waved it off. I'm not going to cry over spilled milk, but it was more a distinct tipping motion; his foot was actually moving backwards on order to deflect it towards the net, rather than thrusting forwards in a kicking motion. I'm just sayin'.

Let's talk goalies. Karri Ramo won the battle of the goaltenders, but his team lost the war, so it doesn't matter. Still, he made some good saves to keep the Sens at bay. Elliott was no slouch, though, and made one terrific cross-ice pad-save in the second period to keep the game close. He wants another shot at Adam Hall's goal, which went off Elliott's leg and in the net, but now that the team is actually scoring some goals those weak ones are less heartbreaking.

Two things I'd like to see: First off, forwards finishing their checks on the forecheck. I'm not only talking Spezza and Dany Heatley (although, hey, that'd be swell), but guys like Nick Foligno. Foligno in particular did a few fly-bys on the forecheck instead of making the Bolts' defencemen pay the price, and a guy like him has got to get in there and piss some people off. A great example is Jesse Winchester, who always finishes his checks (just ask Jaroslav Spacek) and had four hits tonight in just 7:11; Foligno had one hit in 15:49.

Secondly, can Anton Volchenkov work on his one-timers, please? Offence isn't his game, and he plays his game exceptionally--three hits and two blocked shots tonight--but on two separate occasions he was set up for a one-timer, whiffed on it, and the Lightning turned it into an offensive scoring chance. But hey, he finished +2, had two shots anyway, and still got an assist--and he's Android--so we can give him a pass, I guess.

The strength of Steven Stamkos is impressive. He's had a tough year, but he did three really impressive things tonight: Went head-to-head with Volchenkov and stayed up while Volchie went down, out-battled Fisher behind the Tampa net (although he probably should have gotten a holding penalty for it), and stole the puck from Spezza to set Martin St. Louis up for a glorious scoring chance with seconds left in the third. Stats line tonight: 20:24, no points, -1, game-high five shots, one hit, one giveaway, two takeaways, 8-for-12 on faceoffs. He may not be the instant success they thought he'd be, but he's getting pretty good.

Oh yeah, and Jarkko Ruutu got eye-gouged. Well, it was more of a biu jee, really, but the bottom line is that Evgeni Artyukhin jabbed his fingers into Ruutu's eyes. And then smooshed his face into the ice, to boot. He got 14 minutes in penalties on the play, and may get further punishment from the league.

Stats pack: There's nothing Alfredsson can't do: He was perfect on faceoffs tonight (okay, 1-for-1). He also had a hit and three freakin' takeaways, with a broken jaw. ... Ottawa only had six shots in the third period tonight, but Tampa only had four. Exciting period. ... Fisher was putting on a show tonight, he had a game-high five hits--some solid ones in there--and, obviously, the game-winner. ... Christoph Schubert was more solid defensively tonight, although his pairing with Brendan Bell is still scary. Schubert had three shots blocked (none on net), three hits (including one big one on Artyukhin) and two shot-blocks. ... Chris Campoli led the team in ice time again tonight with 24:35, inflated with Filip Kuba out of the lineup. He's got his defensive shortcomings, but he's solid enough to carry those minutes, which is promising for next year. ... On top of his four hits, Winchester also had a shot, a shot-block, and was 4-for-6 on faceoffs.

B's Game Notes: Lightning 4 Bruins 3

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:38:41 -0000

The Bruins outshot the Tampa Bay Lightning 43-18, but the Lightning were able to take advantage of the Bruins' mistakes and an untimely penalty late in the third period to get the win. The Bruins have now lost 2 straight and will close out their 5 game road trip with a record of 1-3-1.

The Bruins jumped out to an early lead just 1:38 into the game when Phil Kessel fired a wrister from the slot that beat Karri Ramo to record his 25th goal of the season and end a 14 game scoring drought. The Bruins' lead did not last very long, as the Lightning came storming back 3 minutes later with 2 goals with the span of 15 seconds (Jeff Halpern & Adam Hall). At 16:42 of the first period, Andrew Ference got his first goal of the season when Marc Savard found him with a cross-ice pass with the B's on the power play. Mark Recchi put the Bolts ahead 3-2 at the midway point of the second period when he redirected a Josef Melichar shot past Manny Fernandez. Zdeno Chara answered back at 15:17 of the second to knot things up at 3-3. With Andrew Ference in the box for delay of game (puck over glass), Vinny Prospal put a wrist shot past Manny Fernandez for what proved to be the game-winner.

Final - 2.22.2009	1	2	3	Total
Boston Bruins	2	1	0	3
Tampa Bay Lightning	2	1	1	4

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- This was not Manny Fernandez's best effort of the season. I thought that he was responsible for the 2nd goal (Adam Hall's wrap-around).

- I'm not a big fan of teams putting their nickname on their jerseys. I blame the Toronto Blue Jays for this trend. Also, what is up with the "Tampa Bay" written across the lower part of the back of their jerseys. Apparently they are stealing fashion trends from teenage girl's sweatpants.

- I think that it is time for Shane Hnidy to spend a couple games as a healthy scratch. I don't see the point of having Matt Hunwick up with the big club just to watch the game from the press box every night.

- Great bout between Mark Stuart and Gary Roberts. Stuart jumped out to an early lead, but the old man hung tough and scored the takedown.

What To Do With The New-Found Cap Space...

David M. Getz — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:53:27 -0000

As you're well aware by now, Chris Clark will have surgery on his injured right wrist and may miss the rest of the season, an announcement that sparked a significant amount of discussion among visitors here at The Rink. For Clark, the injury is another setback in his efforts to return to being the player he was two seasons ago. For the Capitals and their fans, the injury may be a blessing in a not-so-subtle disguise: Clark's placement on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) opens up an additional $2,633,333 in cap space and, consequently, a whole new range of possibilities in terms of personnel moves as the trade deadline approaches. [Ed. note: by my math, the current Caps roster of 22 players is around ~~$3.2~~ $2.4 million under the cap; down from $4 $3.3 million before accounting for recently recalled Michal Neuvirth.]

Before starting any discussion it should be noted that the biggest question here is what to do with Karl Alzner. The rookie defenseman has shown that he's capable of playing regular NHL minutes, and the Capitals have shown they're willing to give them to him. However, with Tom Poti back in the lineup and the team's other defensemen playing well, it's not as obvious as it once was that keeping King Karl in Washington should be the team's top priority.

What we've done here at Japers' Rink is constructed five scenarios that we could see playing out in the next several weeks. Obviously they're not set in stone and each of the scenarios could play out slightly differently, but the scenarios are designed to be starting points for discussion. With that in mind, feel free to chime in: What are the Capitals most pressing needs? How should they fill them? Are there any players who have more value as trade bait than as members of the Capitals organization? By the same token, are there players who would provide an especially big boost by fitting in well with the current team or by filling an especially pressing hole? And, most importantly, what course of action gives the team the best chance at the Stanley Cup, not only this season but down the road as well?

Scenario #1 - Do nothing.
Transactions: None.
Pros: For the NHL club, no transactions means no opportunity to damage the team's chemistry, which seems to be strong. Alzner would probably get more ice time in Hershey than in Washington. The biggest positive in this scenario is that the team would be able to accommodate Brian Pothier's return to the lineup, should he become healthy enough to play without having to make any roster moves.
Cons: $4 million in cap space is an awful lot of cap space to sit unused for a team that expects to make a deep playoff run. Alzner might play more in Hershey, but at this point he's probably better off playing 19 minutes a night in the NHL than 25 minutes a night in the AHL.

Scenario #2 - Add a scoring wing.
Transactions: The Capitals trade for an offensively talented winger to add offensive depth.
Pros: You can never have too more scoring depth in the playoffs and given Michael Nylander's season-long struggles, Brooks Laich's inconsistency, Alexander Semin's lack of durability, and Viktor Kozlov's playoff stat line (zero goals, six assists in 23 games), the team might find itself regretting not taking the opportunity to add more offense.
Cons: As it is, the Caps are fifth in the league in both goals per game and powerplay conversion rate, so upgrading the offensive might not be the best use of resources. It seems like every playoff contender is looking for secondary scoring as the deadline approaches so the asking price for any player of value is likely to be high. Eric Fehr still has a significant amount of offensive upside and has been waiting for an extended chance to show what he can do and Chris Bourque looks to be NHL-ready.
Potential Targets: Nik Antropov (28, Center/Right Wing/Left Wing, Toronto, $2.05 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jussi Jokinen (25, Left Wing, Tampa Bay, $1.81 million through 2008-09, RFA thereafter); Mark Recchi (41, Right Wing, Tampa Bay, $1.5 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter).

Scenario #3 - Add a depth forward
Transactions: The Capitals trade for a gritty, third-or-fourth line player.
Pros: The Capitals don't have a lot of grit and attitude at the forward position beyond Donald Brashear and Matt Bradley. Depth forwards are generally inexpensive both in terms of salary and trades and thus acquiring such a player might allow the Capitals to fill a hole and keep Karl Alzner in the NHL.
Cons: Eric Fehr and Chris Bourque are both still buried on the depth chart in this situation. With as much scoring talent as the Caps have it may be difficult to find space for a grinder or agitator.
Potential Targets: Adam Hall (28, Right Wing, Tampa Bay, $600,000 through 2010-11, UFA thereafter); Ian Laperriere (35, Right Wing, Colorado, $1.15 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Dominic Moore (28, Center, Toronto, $900,000 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jed Ortmeyer (30, Right Wing, Nashville, $750,000 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Samuel Pahlsson (31, Center, Anaheim, $1.4 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Richard Park (32, Right Wing, New York Islanders, $750,000 through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Jon Sim (31, Left Wing/Right Wing, New York Islanders, $1 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter).

Scenario #4 - Add a defenseman without changing the current roster.
Transactions: The Capitals trade for a depth defenseman to shore up their blueline depth going into the playoff run and postseason.
Pros: Boosting depth at defense is always a plus, especially the grind of the playoffs. As admirably as Tyler Sloan, Sean Collins, and Bryan Helmer filled in, the Caps are going to be in trouble if they have to ask those guys to play 15 minutes a night in the postseason.
Cons: With Alzner included, the Capitals already have seven NHL caliber defenseman and adding another might just create a logjam. As with scoring depth, it seems like everyone is looking for depth defensemen in January and February so the asking price may be higher than what's worth it for the Capitals.
Potential Targets: Greg de Vries (36, Nashville, $2.5 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Bret Hedican (38, Anaheim, $870,500 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jordan Leopold (28, Colorado, $1.5 million through 2008-90, UFA thereafter); Marek Malik (33, Tampa Bay, $1.25 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter) Jason Smith (35, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Anton Volchenkov (26, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter).

Scenario #5 - Upgrade the defense, moving a current player and acquiring a better one.
Transactions: The Capitals would first trade away Shaone Morrisonn and then make another trade for a defenseman to retain depth at the position and increase the overall talent level on the blueline.
Pros: The combination of taking Clark's $2.63 million and Morrisonn's $1.975 million salary off the books would give the Capitals $4.605 million in space to work with, and a total of $6.05 million. Recalling Alzner would take $1.675 million of that away, but the team would have $4.38 million left to work with - more than enough to land a quality defenseman.
Cons: As with any move that involves taking a player off the current roster, chemistry is a concern.
Potential Targets: Greg de Vries (36, Nashville, $2.5 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Jordan Leopold (28, Colorado, $1.5 million through 2008-90, UFA thereafter); Niclas Havelid (35, Atlanta, $2.7 million through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Bret Hedican (38, Anaheim, $870,500 through 2008-09, UFA thereafter); Tomas Kaberle (30, Toronto, $4.25 million through 2010-11, UFA thereafter); Jay McKee (31, St. Louis, $4 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Chris Phillips (30, Ottawa, $3.5 million through 2010-11, UFA thereafter) Jason Smith (35, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Mike Van Ryn (29, Toronto, $2.9 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter); Brendan Witt (33, New York Islanders, 2.77 million through 2008-09, $3 million from 2009-10 until 2010-11, UFA thereafter); Anton Volchenkov (26, Ottawa, $2.5 million through 2009-10, UFA thereafter).

So what do you think? Should the Caps sit tight or make a splash, however small?

Poll

Which scenario would you like to see the Caps pursue?

Scenario #1 - Do nothing

76 votes

Scenario #2 - Add a scoring wing

29 votes

Scenario #3 - Add a depth forward

25 votes

Scenario #4 - Add a depth defenseman

43 votes

Scenario #5 - Upgrade a defenseman

252 votes

425 votes | Poll has closed