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Offseason Keys: Tampa Bay Lightning

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Expectations were high for the Lightning this season but not much went their way.  Goaltending was expected to be a strength but Ben Bishop (before being dealt) and Andrei Vasilevskiy both struggled at times while they were dealt a crippling blow when Steven Stamkos tore his meniscus early on, ending his season after just 17 games.  Tampa wound up missing the postseason and are now heading into what will likely be a summer of change for GM Steve Yzerman and company.  Here are some key decisions that need to be made.

Rebuild The Blueline

Yzerman hasn’t hidden his desire to improve Tampa Bay’s back end.  It was reported earlier that he and the Blues had pretty much agreed on a deal for Kevin Shattenkirk but it fell through when they weren’t able to agree on a contract extension.  While that one didn’t work, it gives teams (and agents) around the league an idea of what they’re looking to do.

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see them take another run at Shattenkirk in free agency.  The market doesn’t have many players who can play a top pairing role and while they could certainly benefit from the second tiered players, it may not be the best use for the money they have to work with (more on that shortly).

The Lightning have a couple of youngsters who will likely make a strong push for a roster spot next season.  Jake Dotchin spent time with Victor Hedman down the stretch and held his own while 2012 first rounder Slater Koekkoek will be waiver eligible next season.  While those two will likely factor into the roster next year, there is still a need to add from outside the organization if the team intends on getting back into contention.

Shed Salary

Tampa has a little over $55MM committed in payroll for 2017-18 per CapFriendly and they only have 14 players under contract.  They have several key players to re-sign but will have great difficulty getting them all signed without shedding a cumbersome contract or two.

Ryan Callahan dealt with hip trouble for most of the season and has three more years left on his deal with a pricey $5.8MM cap hit.  He also has a full no-move clause which could come into play in expansion.  The expectation is that he will be ready to go to start next season which takes out a long-term stashing on LTIR out of the question as well.  Alex Killorn has six years left on his deal with an AAV of $4.45MM and while he has been a consistent middle six winger, they could decide to try to deal him and stick a cheaper forward in his place.

On the back end, the expiring contract of Jason Garrison ($4.6MM) is likely someone they will be looking to move.  He isn’t the top four defender he was in his Vancouver days and is slowing down as he gets older.  If they can’t move him (and they’d probably have to attach an asset to get a team to take him), a buyout may be an option as well.  Braydon Coburn is another blueliner that isn’t living up to his deal but with two years left at $3.7MM per season, they’ll be in tough to find a taker.  Yzerman will need to find a way to move one of these deals if he wants to keep his core restricted free agents in place.

Decisions For RFAs

Apr 1, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) skates with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsThe Lightning have no fewer than three prominent restricted free agents that are all in line for big raises.  Jonathan Drouin had a career year with 53 points in 73 games which was good enough to rank him third in team scoring.  A year removed from a midseason holdout and trade request, he has boosted not only his value to Tampa Bay but his trade value around the league.  He earned just $832K last season before performance bonuses and will surpass that amount by a considerable margin.  Will he be willing to take a bridge deal?  That’s a key question and it’s plausible that the answer to that will determine whether or not they’ll be able to keep him for next season; if they opt to move him, they’ll have no shortage of suitors.

Tyler Johnson is a couple of years removed from his breakout 72 point season but is still a legitimate top six centre.  The back loaded structure of his second deal results in him needing a $4MM qualifying offer, a fair bit higher than the $3.33MM cap hit he carried for the last three seasons.  Ondrej Palat is coming off the identical contract as Johnson but his platform year was a bit more productive as he finished fourth in team scoring with 52 points.  At 26, both are candidates for long-term deals but they could also opt to go to arbitration for one year contracts which would set them up for unrestricted free agency next summer.

There’s no doubt that Yzerman would like to go long-term with both but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to do so without losing a core player.  It’s certainly shaping up like there will be some tough decisions upcoming this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Yzerman, Tavares, Hellberg

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The Tampa Bay Lightning might be currently watching the playoffs rather than playing in them, but Steve Yzerman is already working on his offseason plans. The GM has said his top priority this season is to lock up three core restricted free agents in Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Drouin, which is expected to be quite a challenge, considering how up against the salary cap the Lightning are this offseason.

Tampa Bay Times writer Joe Smith suggests Yzerman might have trouble signing all three of them and acquire a top-four defenseman they desperately need and acquire a goaltender they need at the same time. That doesn’t include Victor Hedman’s $7.875MM extension that kicks in (and almost doubles) next year and the future contract they will have to negotiate with Nikita Kucherov in two years, which is likely to be huge.

Yzerman successfully helped Tampa Bay’s cap situation at the trade deadline when he moved the contracts of Ben Bishop ($4.76MM), Brian Boyle ($2MM) and Valtteri Filppula ($5MM). While all three were important to the Lightning, getting their cap numbers off their books only increased their chances of resigning the trio of young stars.

The scribe writes the Lightning should focus their efforts on resigning both Palat and Johnson who are integral to the team’s success and even went on to suggest that the team should consider trading the 22-year old Drouin, who enjoyed a breakout campaign this year. The thought being that Drouin may have the most trade value of the three and might net them a nice haul right before the 2017 NHL draft.

Smith also suggested other possibilities including looking to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, which has heavily scouted Tampa Bay in the last couple of months, as an option to move a player like Johnson as there is a potential replacement for him in rookie Brayden Point.

All said and done, Yzerman has his work cut out for him this offseason.

Other notes:

  • The New York Islanders, also sitting home during the playoffs, need to focus their attention on re-signing star player John Tavares. The belief is that the Islanders naming Doug Weight the permanent coach was critical to get the 26-year old star to return. Weight, who served as interim coach since January, produced a successful second half for the Islanders as he posted the second-best NHL record during that time. Unfortunately, they fell short of reaching the playoffs, but it is believed that Weight’s return will only help in Tavares opting to return. Tavares, who led the team with 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points, is in line for a potential 8-year, $100MM extension this summer. A free agent defection would be crippling to the Islanders’ franchise.
  • The New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Magnus Hellberg for Game 3 of their playoff game with the Canadiens today. He will serve only as an emergency backup as the Hartford Wolf Pack just finished their regular season.

 

Snapshots: Kunin, Vegas, Vermin

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Luke Kunin has done everything the Minnesota Wild had hoped for since drafting him fifteenth overall in 2016 except one—sign a pro contract. It might not be long until he finishes that goal too, as Michael Russo of the Star Tribune expects him to turn pro within the next few days. Kunin went back for his sophomore year this season as the Wisconsin Badgers’ captain and improved in every facet of his game. The offensive performance continued, with 38 points in 35 games but he improved in the defensive zone and on the powerplay as well.

Badgers coach Tony Granato told Todd Milewski of the Wisconsin State Journal that Kunin is “ready to play pro hockey,” despite wanting him back to help his team next year. He wishes him well with whatever he decides, and is just happy he got the opportunity to coach him for two seasons. If Kunin does turn pro he would likely head to the Iowa Wild for the remainder of the regular season on an amateur tryout, before starting his entry-level deal in 2017-18.

  • SinBin.com reported answers from George McPhee during a non-media Q&A for season ticket holders today, which led to some interesting revelations about the Vegas Golden Knights. While some have argued that the Golden Knights would take a pile of young, prospect-type players in the expansion draft to build for the future, it doesn’t sound like that will be the driving force behind the team. McPhee touched on experience and leadership as a need for the team, while also revealing that Bill Foley will be willing to spend to the cap in the first season. One of the things that is often overlooked in mock drafts is the need to get to the cap floor, which is something McPhee believes will be no problem. “Complying with the rules and spending the amount of money necessary has not been a problem,” he said, lending a little more credence to the idea that he might target some slightly overpaid, yet still valuable veterans that will be left exposed by their teams.
  • One important note from the Q&A is also that McPhee said they will announce an AHL affiliate at the end of the season. Though it’s not clear yet who that would be, SinBin.com notes that it is likely the Chicago Wolves and that the Golden Knights will supply the coaching staff and control hockey operations. The Wolves are currently affiliated with the St. Louis Blues, but remain one of only a dozen AHL teams not owned by an NHL club.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Joel Vermin for the second time in three days. The forward was brought up on Saturday, only to watch the game that night from the press box. With Vladislav Namestnikov returning to a full practice today, but Ondrej Palat leaving early, Vermin is likely only up as insurance once again for tomorrow night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Should one of those two miss the contest, Vermin would get into his 12th game of the season in Tampa Bay. He has just three points in the NHL this year, with 28 in AHL action.

Lightning Recall Joel Vermin From Syracuse

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Update (11:00am CST): Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times relays word from Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper that Palat is indeed ready to go and will be in the lineup tonight. Subsequently, Vermin has been returned to Syracuse, according to this tweet from the Elite Prospects Twitter account. It would seem then that Vermin was up as a potential emergency recall as it’s unlikely he would have been reassigned to the AHL immediately upon word Palat was healthy enough to play had the team exercised one of its four recalls.

8:45am CST: The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced the call-up of winger Joel Vermin from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Bryan Burns, who covers the club for the team’s official website, added via Twitter the recall was necessary due to Ondrej Palat being banged up and questionable for tonight’s tilt against the Washington Capitals. Again according to Burns, Palat’s status should be made more clear following the team’s morning skate.

Vermin is one of several players the Lightning have had to shuttle back-and-forth between the big club and the Crunch in a season mired by injuries. In 11 appearances on the year, the 25-year-old winger has registered three points, all assists, to go with two penalty minutes while averaging 11;20 of ice time per game. The Swiss-born Vermin was originally a seventh-round draft selection by Tampa Bay in 2013 and has turned in a solid campaign for Syracuse with 12 goals and 28 points in 43 games for the Crunch.

The Lightning, despite selling assets at the trade deadline, have managed to sneak back into the playoff race and are currently just one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final Eastern Conference wild card slot. Already without centers Cedric Paquette and Tyler Johnson, both out of action since March 9th, the Tampa may also have to make do without the versatile Palat, who has 14 goals and 36 points on the season.

All told, 2016-17 has been a disappointing year for the Lightning, who were expected to be among the league’s elite teams and a Stanley Cup contender. Injuries to key players, including a significant knee injury which sidelined team captain Steven Stamkos back in November, have been a major factor in the club’s struggles but a surprising run which has seen the team accumulate 27 standings points over the last 18 contests has provided hope the Lightning will overcome and make the postseason. Should they do so, the Lightning would be a team no one wants to face, particularly with Stamkos eyeing a return to the lineup.

Lightning Notes: Yzerman, Callahan, Stamkos

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It was a successful trade deadline for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who moved Valtteri Filppula, Brian Boyle and Ben Bishop out of town to create cap space for this season and beyond. The team finds themselves just three points back of a playoff spot after Nikita Kucherov’s disgusting shootout winner, and is right in the thick of the race as the season comes into its final stretch.

Just because the deadline is over though, doesn’t mean Steve Yzerman can relax. He still has quite a bit of work ahead of him to sort out the cap issues the Lightning will face this summer reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. With Jonathan Drouin, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson all needing big raises (that are getting bigger as the playoffs get closer), the team will likely have to move out even more salary at some point. Smith points to the Nashville Predators as a natural trading partner for the team, and that they scouted each other heavily leading up to the deadline.

  • Ryan Callahan may miss the rest of the season, but there is optimism he’ll be ready for next year. The latest hip procedure was not to repair a labrum tear like originally reported, but just to clean up a scar tissue issue that was impacting his movement. Smith quotes Bryan Kelly, the surgeon who performed both operations: “There’s no reason to think [players who go through this procedure] couldn’t go back to play.” Callahan has three years remaining on his current contract at $5.8MM per season.
  • Though Smith’s article is enlightening on many subjects, he drops a bombshell in the notes at the bottom. Smith “would not be stunned” to see Steven Stamkos back at practice with the team this week. Stamkos has been out since the middle of November, but has recently returned to the ice for his own workouts. The idea that he would be back at practice with his teammates would be a huge step towards his recovery, and makes the Lightning a team to watch down the stretch. Even without one of the greatest goal scorers in the league they’ve climbed their way back into the playoff picture, imagine what they can do when their captain returns.

Steve Yzerman Explains Ben Bishop Trade

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Yesterday a shockwave went through the NHL world when the Tampa Bay Lightning decided to trade pending free agent netminder Ben Bishop to the Los Angeles Kings. Almost no one understood it at the time, as the Kings had just gotten Jonathan Quick back from injured reserve and looked set in net. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman met with the media today and explained a few things about the trade and where his franchise goes from here (video link via TSN).

I did talk to a team in the league about [Bishop] prior to the draft last year, but for whatever reason that didn’t come to fruition.

The biggest reason to make the move now, ultimately is that we’re concerned with the salary cap for next year. With what we have in some performance bonuses for our younger players we felt we’re going to be squeezed next year with the cap. We felt the need to do this right now to give ourselves as much cap space [as possible] for next year.

It’s true, the Lightning do have bonuses that will kick in this season and should they not have the cap room to pay them, would be penalized next season. By trading Bishop they have opened up a good amount in order to not have any carry over to next year, when they’ll have to re-sign Jonathan Drouin, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson among others.

While it had been speculated that as many as five teams could have had interest in Bishop to help them down the stretch and into the playoffs, Yzerman relates that the appetite wasn’t quite so ravenous around the league.

When I decided to get the deal done yesterday, that was the deal that made the most sense and to be honest with you was the only option I had. My options were to make this deal with LA or to sit tight and go through with the season.

If that’s true and there was no interest from anywhere else in the league, then Yzerman did well to clear the cap space and at least receive a prospect in the form of Erik Cernak. While Bishop would have undoubtedly helped the Lightning in their playoff push—one that he assures is still the goal of the team this season—the cost of the bonus penalties on the squad going forward would have been far greater than his impact. In getting Budaj in return, he at least addressed the issue of insurance for a Andrei Vasilevskiy injury should the team make it to the post-season.

Yzerman also spoke about Steven Stamkos and his potential return this year. Stamkos has been out November 15th and has recently begun skating again on his own. Yzerman admits that it’s not a guarantee, but that he’s progressing well. A healthy Stamkos would definitely give the team a boost as they sit just six points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Lightning Notes: Deadline, Playoffs, Stamkos

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Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times caught up with Lightning GM Steve Yzerman for his latest column and discussed things from expiring contracts to injured players. When broaching the subject of the trade deadline and the possibility of moving upcoming free agents like Ben Bishop and Brian Boyle, Yzerman wasn’t willing to give up on his squad.

We’re competing for a playoff spot so if I’m going to move people.. I’m not just giving people away here. If it makes sense, I’ll do it. If it doesn’t make sense, I’m not. It’s not a firesale.

That’s a common opinion among GMs across the league, who are finding the deadline this year extremely difficult. The looming expansion draft is changing the way teams operate this year, and as Yzerman notes “protection issues, that is a factor in acquiring and trading players.” Indeed, adding a player who might have to be left exposed is just another complication to a deadline that has become more and more difficult since the salary cap debuted.

  • The other thing to note about the Tampa Bay deadline is that playoff spot that Yzerman mentions. Even though the team is just two games over .500 and four points out of last place in the entire Eastern Conference, he’s right when he says they’re still in a playoff race. The Atlantic division in particular is still wide open, with only 12 points separating first and last place. The Lightning find themselves just five points out of the final wildcard spot, and six out of third in the Atlantic.
  • Yzerman is still operating as if Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan will return at some point this season, which would greatly affect their salary cap situation. If the two can get back though, they’ll be a bigger addition than any trade deadline acquisition. Stamkos has reportedly begun some light skating, and is still on his 4-6 month timeline—that leaves much speculation though, as four months would be mid-March and six would be the end of the playoffs.
  • Even if a firesale isn’t happening, the Lightning will have some tough decisions up front. As we’ve detailed before, they have an expansion draft crunch and a salary situation that will make for a tough summer. With Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin all needing new deals, it looks like at least one of their forwards will need to be shipped out. Alex Killorn looks like a natural possibility, but it may have to be the diminutive Johnson depending on the offers that come in.

Snapshots: Carlo, Nyquist, Dumba

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After winning their last two games against the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, the Boston Bruins are undefeated since firing their long-time head coach Claude Julien. While they’re certain to lose another game this season, the strong play into their bye week (which starts after taking on the Montreal Canadiens at home tonight) has them still in the thick of the playoff race and potential buyers at the trade deadline.

That’s what has Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon worried, as his latest column speaks to the dangers of trading young Brandon Carlo at the deadline for a short term boost. With Carlo’s emergence this season the Bruins might have a potential top pairing defenseman on their hands and should look no further than his defense partner for a reason not to deal him. Zdeno Chara was traded by the Islanders for immediate scoring help at the draft back in 2001, which looks like one of the worst trades in the team’s history. If the Bruins end up dealing him, they better be very sure that what they bring back can help the team for more than just the immediate future.

Snapshots: Del Zotto, Treliving, Howard, Lightning

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Although he has been listed as day-to-day for the better part of three weeks now, Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto is finally close to returning to the lineup from his ankle injury and is targeting Wednesday against the Flames as a return date, reports Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post.  He had started skating a couple of weeks ago but had to stop after suffering a setback.

Del Zotto’s season has largely been one setback after another due to injuries and struggles that have seen him spend time as a healthy scratch as well, hardly an ideal spot for a pending unrestricted free agent.  In 30 games, he has four goals and six assists but a poor -10 rating while seeing his average ice time drop by nearly four minutes per night.  Accordingly, there’s a chance that the Flyers could look to move him by the deadline despite still being in the playoff picture.

[Related: Del Zotto’s Trade Candidate Profile]

Elsewhere around the league:

  • While Calgary GM Brad Treliving remains without a contract beyond this season, Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun doesn’t anticipate that ownership will be looking to make a change. The scribe takes a closer look at his moves since joining the team a little under three years ago and notes that there are considerably more successful ones than mistakes.  Francis notes that the team is comfortable with having their off-ice personnel operating in the final year of their deals, a departure from most teams across the NHL who don’t typically prefer to have their general managers in their ‘lame duck years’.
  • The Red Wings announced that they have recalled goaltender Jimmy Howard from his conditioning assignment in Grand Rapids. He has been out of Detroit’s lineup since sustaining a sprained MCL back in December.  To make room for him on the roster, the team placed defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (who was ruled out for the season earlier today) on long-term injury reserve.  MLive’s Brendan Savage adds (Twitter link) that Howard will not skate with the team until Monday meaning the current tandem of Petr Mrazek and Jared Coreau will remain in place for their two games over the weekend.  Prior to the injury, Howard had been off to a strong start to the season with a 1.96 GAA and a .934 SV% in 17 games.
  • Tampa Bay center Tyler Johnson is likely to miss the Lightning’s next two games as a result of an undisclosed injury he suffered on Tuesday night, notes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. On the flip side, they are getting some good news on the injury front as well as wingers Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat are both expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Wild.

Minor Transactions: 2/9/2017

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For the third consecutive day no players were placed on waivers, as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet noted this afternoon. However, that doesn’t mean teams aren’t busy calling players up from or sending players to the minor leagues. In this post we’ll track the day’s minor transactions and update as needed.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled forwards Evan Rodrigues and Derek Grant from Rochester. Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald added that Zemgus Girgensons wasn’t on the ice for the team’s morning skate and while Evander Kane was, he didn’t take line rushes. The implication being both players might be unavailable tonight thus necessitating the call-ups. Rodrigues has appeared in two games this season, going scoreless while averaging 11:28 of ice time. Grant, who was recently reacquired via waivers from Nashville, has registered four points, all assists, in 41 games. He is still searching for his first NHL goal after seeing action in 81 games over parts of five seasons with Ottawa, Calgary, Buffalo and Nashville.
  • Winger Alex Tuch has been reassigned by the Minnesota Wild to their AHL affiliate in Iowa, the team announced this morning. Tuch, the club’s first-round pick, 18th overall, in the 2014 draft, has appeared in three games this season without netting a point. He’s registered 11 goals and 22 points in 34 AHL contests. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune tweeted that unless the team recalls another forward from the minor then it appears as if Charlie Coyle will move back to the wing with Erik Haula and Tyler Graovac assuming the third and fourth line center slots, respectively.
  • Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times brings word that the Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned forwards Michael Bournival and Joel Vermin to Syracuse. Smith adds that this could be good news for Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn, as the reassignments leave the team with just 12 healthy forwards – Ryan Callahan is currently on IR. Palat has missed the last two games while Killorn didn’t play in Tampa’s 5 – 0 shutout win over the L.A. Kings.

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