With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Aspirations of a three-peat are still alive and well in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning are once again thriving in a tough division despite facing a variety of injuries all year. They’ll undoubtedly be one of the top three teams in the Atlantic Division at the season’s end, but with increasingly tough competition, more fortification to the lineup wouldn’t hurt to help their chances at a Cup in 2022.
Record
34-11-6, 2nd in Atlantic
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$100,000 today, $100,000 in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 49/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2022: TBL 1st, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, DET 6th, TBL 7th, NYR 7th
2023: TBL 1st, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, TBL 7th, ANA 7th
Trade Chips
One of the handicaps of being back-to-back Stanley Cup champions is having to pay up when players’ contracts expire. That’s impacted the Lightning greatly, forcing them to jettison their now-famed third line of Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman this offseason as well as acquire Brent Seabrook’s contract for long-term injured reserve relief. Even with all that, they’re within thousands of dollars of the salary cap, and any trade deadline deal will likely need to be a money-in, money-out sort of swap.
It would be fair to argue that it would serve Tampa better to just stand pat, considering how strong their team has been all season. But if they do opt to move out a roster player for a win-now upgrade, defenseman Cal Foote immediately jumps off the page. It’s certainly not time to give up on him yet, but in his second full-time season, he’s got just five points in 37 games and has been sparingly used in the lineup, averaging just 13:35 per game. He’s also the weakest analytical link on the Tampa Bay blue line. In fact, given Foote’s youth and ceiling, general manager Julien BriseBois could likely recoup an asset or two from another team along with a more experienced, veteran defenseman.
If a different deal comes along, the Bolts do still have a closet of later-round picks to deal from in the 2023 Draft. With just six picks remaining in 2022, it’s reasonable to expect that they’d prefer to hold onto those for the time being.
Others To Watch For: F Alex Barre-Boulet ($758k through 2024), F Gabriel Fortier ($792k through 2023), G Hugo Alnefelt ($851k through 2023)
Team Needs
1) Depth Defenseman – It’s poetic that one of the few transactions that makes sense for such a cap-strapped team also fills likely their biggest need in the lineup. Behind Foote on the depth chart is Zach Bogosian, who’s struggled with injury all season, and Andrej Sustr, a European re-entry player this year who’s gotten into just 13 games with one point. Another body would be good insurance for Tampa, especially another left-shot man for the third pairing that would allow them to more comfortably use Mikhail Sergachev up alongside Victor Hedman, where he’s found a good home this season.
2) More Draft Picks – The prospect cupboard is beginning to empty for Tampa, who has drafted very efficiently in recent years to maintain their success. Getting some more mid- to late-round picks in the fold in the right trade could once again pan out to be a star for the Lightning’s stellar scouting group.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
I don’t see JBB making any deadline moves. And Tampa is definitely not moving Cal, does not make sense. D-men take longer to develop and Foote is coming along nicely. Did you watch him setup the game winner for Tampa’s outdoor in Nashville? Great move to keep the puck in the offensive zone and a beauty of a pass to Stammer for the game winner.
There has also been a silver lining from the constant injuries Tampa has suffered during the first half of the season. Coop has gotten a good look at the organizational depth in Syracuse. Tampa is ready for the playoffs. GO BOLTS!
Ask Stevie Y for Namestnikov or Stetcher at 50% retained salary.
For what?
And not only “for what,” but with what to deal? Tampa’s got nothing in surplus that Detroit would want except draft picks, and the Lightning’s not now in a position to trade any of their remaining significant picks away.
Those 2 players would only garner a 3rd each. Gonna be a buyers’ market by the time they get to them.
Namestnikov is a proven middle-six forward on a reasonable salary, en route to a 20 goal season. Given some of the crazy packages dealt for rentals over recent seasons, you are absolutely not getting him for just a third rounder — especially if you want Detroit to retain salary — even if Tampa Bay could AFFORD to give a third rounder. Which they can’t. He’s an improvement on what they’ve got, but it’s not as if they have any chance of signing him in the off-season.
I agree that Stecher could be had for a 3rd — if that much, actually — but meh. Why? The guy’s the 6th-7th defenseman on the depth chart of a lousy team, and he’s been hurt most of the year. What does he bring to the table that the bottom pairing Lightning D-men don’t already do?
You are spot on, but Names is not going to the Bolts, so this is a moot point. I doubt he goes to Tampa, NYR or Colorado as they all got rid of him. Looks as if Boston, the Oil, and the Preds could use his services and maybe the Leafs.
No shot on moving Foote, as previously mentioned, defenseman take longer to reach their potential. And I’m not sure which Lightning you’ve been watching, but they don’t, nor should they, pair Sergachev and Hedman together. Hedman is paired with Rutta, and Sergachev is usually paired with either Foote, Sustr, or Bogosian.
There’s not much more they can do with the te they have. Raddysh has been a good surprise, and as long as Colton and Joseph continue to progress, they’ll fill out the 3rd line nicely.
I wish they’d give Katchouk a little more ice time, as they need to see what they have with him BEFORE they might have to rely on him in the playoffs.