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Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Sign Ben Thomas

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Minor league defenseman Ben Thomas is coming back for another year with the Tampa Bay Lightning, or more accurately the Syracuse Crunch. The Lightning have announced a one-year, two-way extension with Thomas, who has spent the past four seasons with the organization playing in the AHL. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Thomas, 24, has yet to make his NHL debut, but has 274 AHL games to his credit. He skated in 56 games for the Crunch during the 2019-20 regular season, totaling three goals and 16 points. Thomas has been good for around 20 points in each of his four pro seasons. He’s also a dependable defensive presence. A 2014 fourth-round pick and WHL standout, Thomas’ performance thus far in his pro career has been good, but hasn’t quite put in a position for NHL opportunities.

However, the Lightning currently have slim pickings on the blue line. Right up against the salary cap, the Bolts are trying to figure out how to sign their restricted free agents, including defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak. For now though, the team only has four defensemen signed to one-way contracts and only two two-way defensemen with NHL experience in Luke Witkowski and recent import Andreas Borgman. Unless Tampa Bay can find a way to add to the blue line this off-season, Thomas could be in line to finally see some NHL action as one of the top options in the AHL.

Tampa Bay’s Stamkos Undergoes Core Repair Surgery

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, who appeared in just one playoff game for the Stanley Cup Champions, scoring one goal in just 2:47 of ice time in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals and never returned after that, underwent core repair surgery Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required). Stamkos is expected to be ready for the start of the 2020-21 season.

Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois said that Stamkos went to see a specialist earlier this week where it was determined that he required a second surgery, this time on his left-sided lower abdominal core muscle.

The 30-year-old underwent core muscle surgery in March and was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but was not ready to go when the playoffs started in August. He went to Toronto with his team and practiced, but was never comfortable enough to play throughout the playoffs. He had a solid regular season with 29 goals and 66 points in 57 games last season before undergoing surgery.

Vladislav Namestnikov Signs With Detroit Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings are staying busy on the free agent market and have landed themselves a bargain. Versatile, two-way winger Vladislav Namestnikov is set to join the Red Wings and reunite with GM Steve Yzerman, who drafted him in the first round with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit has announced a two-year deal with Namestnikov which reportedly carries a $2MM AAV. This represents a surprising drop-off in salary for Namestnikov, who made $4MM on his previous contract and has 30+ points in four of his five full NHL seasons.

Namestnikov, PHR’s 20th-ranked UFA, is either the victim of a flat cap market that is already running out of money or simply took a discount to join the Red Wings and play a major role up front. The 27-year-old is coming off a season in which he recorded 17 goals and 31 points in 65 games, despite dealing with not one but two different trades. Moving from the New York Rangers to the Ottawa Senators and then to the Colorado Avalanche, Namestnikov quickly took to each of his new locales and excelled. With some consistency, he is easily capable of reaching 20 goals and 40 points while being paid like a player who might produce half that much.

A skilled forward who also plays a responsible defensive game and is a major asset on the penalty kill, Namestnikov checks a number of boxes for Detroit. If handed a major role, as he was in Ottawa, Namestnikov should be a top scorer for the Red Wings as well as one of their best special teams players. While his salary seemingly reflects a “show me” deal, the two-year term means he’ll need produce in both seasons in Detroit if he want to cash in the next time he hits the open market. Fortunately, Namestnikov stands a strong chance of  boosting his stock in Detroit and will still be just 29 as a UFA in 2022.

Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Sign Ross Colton

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are always in need of some cost-effective depth options and Ross Colton could be one of the next in line. CapFriendly reports that the restricted free agent forward has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way extension with Tampa Bay. Colton will be as affordable as it gets at the NHL level, making the minimum $700K, while collecting $100K in the AHL.

Colton, 24, was initially drafted by the Lightning in the fourth round in 2016. He spent the next two seasons at the University of Vermont, but left early to turn pro. Over the past two years with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Colton has shown substantial improvement, jumping from 31 points in 66 games to 42 points in 62 games this past season. Colton finished second in scoring for the Crunch in 2019-20, while also boosting his physicality to lead all forwards in penalty minutes.

A player who could step in as a solid fourth line option for the Bolts, Colton also has the advantage of a cheap contract. The Lightning still have many moves to make to clear out salary this off-season in order to re-sign their big-name restricted free agents – Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Cernak – but they are going to be right up against the salary cap one way or another. Colton is one of just two forwards making the minimum $700K salary next season for Tampa Bay, which should boost his chances at NHL opportunities.

Tyler Johnson Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Johnson has cleared waivers, Friedman reports.

Friday: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Tyler Johnson on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The window for buying a contract out has passed, meaning this is not for that purpose. Instead, this is likely the Lightning trying to find a team that will take on Johnson’s entire deal, even for free.

Johnson, 30, has four years remaining on his contract and carries a $5MM cap hit, but notably also has a full no-trade clause. Though he extended a list to the Lightning that he would accept a deal to, this is one way for the Lightning to get around that. A team that wants Johnson could simply claim him off waivers, which he has no control over.

Still, it’s a lot of money for any team to take on even without giving up an asset in return. Johnson scored 31 points this season, but was underwhelming in the Stanley Cup run with just seven postseason points.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Andreas Borgman, Chris Gibson

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have added an interesting young defenseman, signing Andreas Borgman to a one-year, two-way contract. Borgman became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason because of his lack of NHL opportunity and had been playing in Finland.

Christopher Gibson has also signed a one-year, two-way deal with the team. He’ll serve as a depth goaltender for the system, but isn’t expected to challenge for NHL playing time after seeing only 14 appearances at the highest level throughout his career.

Borgman, 25, came over to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017 and actually suited up for 48 games right away. The undrafted Borgman ended up in the buried in the minor leagues, even after a trade to the St. Louis Blues this season. That led to the Group VI designation, but he’s still an interesting player to keep an eye on in the Lightning system.

Lightning Re-Sign Spencer Martin

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Minutes before the free agent period opens up, the Lightning have agreed to terms with one of their free agents, announcing the re-signing of goalie Spencer Martin to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a $700K salary in the NHL.

Martin, 25, looked like a future NHLer when he made three appearances with the Colorado Avalanche back in 2016-17 at just 21, but has not seen action at the top level since. Instead, his AHL numbers have actually worsened over the years. Still, that experience makes him a serviceable depth option.

Don’t expect Martin to make an appearance in Tampa any time soon. The Bolts are set in net with Andrei Vasilevskiy and Curtis McElhinney, who suited up for every game this season and through the playoffs. Even if an injury should arise, new addition Christopher Gibson could very well get the call over Martin.

Detroit Red Wings Complete Loans, Sign Free Agents

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The Detroit Red Wings have been checking several boxes on their offseason to-do list today. First, the team has officially assigned Joe Veleno to Malmo of the SHL and have changed Moritz Seider’s loan from Mannheim of the DEL to Rogle of the SHL. These changes are important, as they signify full-season loans of two of the team’s top prospects. Veleno and Seider are expected to spend the entire 2020-21 season overseas, though the SHL season does usually end in March.

In a rebuilding year for the Red Wings, getting Veleno and Seider playing right away should be considered a benefit for their development. There is no clear schedule for the AHL at this point, and given that the NHL is targeting a January start date that should be considered the very earliest a minor league season could be held. The two first-round picks will instead get to play immediately and will have a full season in one of the best leagues in the world.

The team has also reached agreements with two of their restricted free agents, signing Adam Erne and Taro Hirose to one-year contracts. Both players were not included in yesterday’s qualifying offers, and now we know why. Erne and Hirose will both be back in the organization for at least one more year.

Hirose, 24, was signed out of Michigan State University in 2019 and made an impact down the stretch for the Red Wings, scoring seven points in 10 games. That level of production wasn’t carried into this year, but the entire Red Wings team was brutal and Hirose still did register plenty of offense at the minor league level. With an improved club and higher level of play, perhaps Hirose can still become an impact player for the team.

Erne on the other hand will likely never provide much offense at the NHL level, but can still serve a role as a depth option for the Red Wings this season. In 170 career games he has just 32 points, most coming with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman knows Erne well from their time together with the Lightning and obviously feels he can still play a role in the organization.

Tampa Bay Lighting Sign Mitchell Stephens, Gemel Smith

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have completed some offseason business ahead of the second round, signing Mitchell Stephens to a two-year, one-way contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $737,500, and keeps Stephens from becoming a restricted free agent. The team has also inked Gemel Smith to a one-year, two-way contract.

Stephens, 23, is another example of the Tampa Bay “who needs first-round picks anyway?” approach that has worked so well for them in recent years. A second-round selection in 2015, the Lightning development team went to work on Stephens right away. In junior he was never an offensive star, but the 6’0″ center still found his way onto Team Canada at the World Juniors on multiple occasions because of his defense, polish and incredible work ethic.

By the time he came to the minor leagues, he was improved in all areas and ended up scoring 19 goals and 41 points in his first season with the Syracuse Crunch. Though he would have to deal with some injury problems afterward, Stephens was back succeeding this season and ended up playing 38 games for the Lightning.

It’s unlikely that Stephens will find his way into the Tampa top-six, but the team continues to churn out role players that can lengthen out their lineup with strong play for bargain-basement prices. With the team looking at trading core members like Tyler Johnson, it will be players like Stephens that allow them to stay competitive while they navigate the flat cap.

Smith meanwhile is already 26 but just had the best offensive season of his career with the Syracuse Crunch, potting 22 goals in 50 games. Originally a draft pick of the Dallas Stars, Smith has played in 83 NHL games in his career and will be strong depth in case of injuries next season.

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman To Participate In Draft Remotely

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The Detroit Red Wings are fortunate that the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has a consensus top-three and the team won’t be left scrambling by any surprises when they pick at No. 4 overall. That is because the man in charge, GM Steve Yzerman, won’t actually be in the war room to take control of the situation. Detroit has announced that Yzerman will participate remotely in the draft process as a precaution after coming into contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Luckily, the team reports that Yzerman has tested negative on multiple COVID-19 screenings and is not experiencing any symptoms. However, the team will keep their top executive away from the rest of their front office staff and scouts over both days of the draft. Yzerman will communicate with his staff electronically and will still be able to conduct trade calls with rival GMs.

Detroit should already know who they are taking with the fourth overall pick and will have all night and morning to decide on their second pick, No. 32, the first of the second round on day two. At some point though, Yzerman and company will be on the clock without their selection pre-set and will have to overcome the distance to make a pick. The Red Wings own ten picks in the 2020 draft, including five in Rounds Two and Three tomorrow.

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