With Lightning goalies Mike Smith and Dan Ellis struggling between the pipes, is it time for 25 year old Cedrick Desjardins to get his shot in the NHL?

via www.norfolkadmirals.com

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With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft coming up on June 25th in Los Angeles, I thought I would express my opinion on who the Bolts should take with their #6 pick in the draft, Nino Neiderreiter.

Who Is Nino Neiderreiter?

Nino Neiderreiter is a 6ft 1in, 205lb left winger from Switzerland. He plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. He is a high energy, offensive player who is estimated to go at the #10 position in this year's draft.

What Kind of Experience Does He Have?

Because Neiderreiter plays in the WHL, he is already well adjusted to the North American style of play. Last season with the Winterhawks, he played 65 games, scoring 36 goals and recording 24 assists. In the 13 games he played in the WHL playoffs, he scored 8 goals and 8 assists. In addition to this, he performed surprisingly well at the 2009/2010 World Junior Championship tounament. In his 7 games played, he netted 6 goals and had 4 assists. He also helped team Switzerland shock the hockey world by scoring a goal in the final minute of regulation against the powerhouse Russian team to tie the game at 2-2, then followed that up by scoring the overtime winner, defeating the heavily favored Russians. He was also selected to the tournament all-star team.

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If you're anything like me, going into the 2009-2010 NHL season you had a glimmer of hope for this squad. Would this be the year the Lightning broke through into the playoffs. Would this be the year they would contend for a playoff position rather than a number one draft pick?

Well, seeing that the Lightning have only four games remaining and are officially eliminated from the playoff chase, we already know the answer to these questions. So what happened to our seemingly lonely Bolts?

 via cdn.nhl.com

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(promoted from the fanposts -- JPF)

With the NHL trade deadline looming just after the olympic break, a recent report says that the Chicago Blackhawks my have some interest in Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Meszaros.

Recent reports, from the Chicago Sun-Times and repeated by TSN and others, have speculated that the Chicago Blackhawks may be interested in trading for Meszaros, who on Saturday night scored the OT winner against the Calgary Flames.

One trade possibility, reported by Canada's TSN, says the Hawks have interest in Andrei Meszaros, a defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

To get him, TSN surmises, the Hawks might have to part with forwardKris Versteeg, forward Patrick Sharp or young defenseman Cam Barker. Other sources say the Hawks might go after the Carolina Hurricanes' Niclas Wallin, the Los Angeles Kings' Sean O'Donnell or the Ducks' Scott Niedermayer.

 via cache1.asset-cache.net

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(promoted from fanshots - jpf)

 After just signing a 3 year entry level deal, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltending prospect Jaroslav Janus has quickly made his presence known by taking the spot of the Lightning's 2006 first round draft pick, goalie Riku Helenius.

   
[Janus at the 2009 Lightning young guns camp.  Image via  futureconsiderationsdotca.files.wordpress.com ]

Helenius was backing up prospect Dustin Tokarski while with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals, but with the improving play by Janus, a change was made. Janus, who was drafted 162 overall in last year's NHL Entry Draft, has played 13 games for his junior team in Erie, posting a 7-4-2 record with a 2.81 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. Lightning general manager and VP of hockey operations Brian Lawton said that because Janus has played so well, that a change was to be made to help Janus gain a more competitive challenge and help him improve to eventually make the next step.

So where does that leave Helenius?

Just to explain how important of a prospect Helenius is, let me tell you some facts. Helenius was drafted 15th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Helenius also led team Finland to a silver medal in the 2006 IIHF World Under 18 Championship, going 4-1-1 with a 1.83 goals against average. So, in short, he is a high reward prospect.

 via www.norfolkadmirals.com

[Helenius playing for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL]

So, here are some situations of where he could land. The Lightning could simply trade him to another team for another prospect or draft picks, but I think that would be the option that makes the least sense. They could loan him, or even send him, to a team playing in the Finnish league. That would make sense becuause he is from Finland and he could get some much needed playing time. The final option would be to take him one step down from the AHL and loan him to an ECHL team. Either way, he would still stay Tampa Bay Lightning property and give him the opportunity to play. This has also been what Brian Lawton has said will most likely happen.

The good news is, The Bolt's future goaltending looks to be strong for years to come.

Although they deny it, speculation continues that the Lightning are shopping Vincent Lecavalier.

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Possibly the most dry television "analyst" in the NHL.

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An "un-inspired" Lightning squad drop two straight games.

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Steven Stamkos leads Lightning to their fourth win of the season against Senators.

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