What Your Team Is Thankful For: Tampa Bay Lightning
In the spirit of the holiday season, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season approaches the midway mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
What are the Lightning thankful for?
The most stable management/coaching group in the NHL.
When Steve Yzerman stepped down as Lightning general manager in 2018, it could have been a death knell for the organization. Many other front offices would have crumbled, losing their respected leader just a month before the season began. After all, the team’s head coach was also in his last year under contract, and following Yzerman to Detroit could have been an appealing idea for many of the organization’s brightest minds. Instead, with his former boss’s support, Julien BriseBois stepped into the big chair, doubling down on the structure and stability that the Lightning had built as a franchise.
It’s not just the coaching staff–which is led by one of the best in the game in Jon Cooper–or the management team, who routinely sign players at a small discount because of the market and team success. It goes right down to the scouting staffs and development teams, who have again and again churned out NHL talent from players who were otherwise overlooked. Of the 12 forwards currently penciled into the Lightning lineup, nine of them were drafted by the team. Just one of those nine was in the first round (Steven Stamkos, first overall in 2008).
Who are the Lightning thankful for?
Even though the Lightning roster is strong from top to bottom, everything comes down to the goaltender. Vasilevskiy is in the middle of a Hall of Fame career and once again leads the NHL in wins with 20 this season. Should he finish at the top of that category, it would be for the fifth straight season. A Vezina finalist or winner in each of the last four seasons, Vasilevskiy now has a 210-89-22 record in the regular season. He has a .920 career save percentage, which he has eclipsed in three of the past four seasons.
When he missed some games earlier this year, it was obvious how much of a difference he makes. Brian Elliott, Maxime Lagace, and Hugo Alnefelt combined to stop just 234 of 267 shots–an .876 save percentage.
What would the Lightning be even more thankful for?
Continued health for Stamkos.
One of the best stories of the season has been the re-emergence of Stamkos as one of the league’s superstars. Finally healthy again, he has 17 goals and 44 points in 37 games, is playing center on a regular basis again, and looks like the player that was routinely on Hart Trophy ballots at the end of the year. It’s been a trying career for Stamkos, suffering brutal fluke injuries at the worst times. But after missing out on Olympic rosters, the 2020 Stanley Cup run (save for that one, incredible performance), and countless additional points over his 14-year career, the captain looks like he’s ready to get back on those ballots once again.
What should be on the Lightning’s wish list?
A backup goaltender.
There’s no money on the cap chart, and if we’re being honest the Lightning probably don’t have a great shot at a third Stanley Cup if Vasilevskiy gets injured, but acquiring a backup for the stretch run still seems necessary. Elliott just hasn’t been good enough to trust on a regular basis and the risk of overworking Vasilevskiy is still there, especially in what could be a condensed schedule down the stretch due to postponements. The Lightning have played the most games in the league, but that doesn’t mean they won’t suddenly have a handful of games pushed back at any moment.
Another defenseman would be nice, and BriseBois is always on the lookout for additional cheap forwards that can play a specific role, but the biggest weakness on this team right now is whenever Vasilevskiy isn’t in the net. A capable backup could go a long way to making sure he’s fresh and playing his best when the first round begins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Detroit Red Wings Hire Nicklas Lidstrom
The Detroit Red Wings have added another legendary franchise icon to the front office. Nicklas Lidstrom has been hired as the team’s new vice president of hockey operations, joining an executive group led by his former teammate Steve Yzerman. The Red Wings indicate that Lidstrom will now be involved in all aspects of hockey operations.
Lidstrom, 51, worked as a scout for the Red Wings a few years ago but has generally not had much front office experience. That certainly doesn’t mean he’s inexperienced though, as a 1,564-game career will explain. One of the very best defensemen in history, Lidstrom scored 1,142 regular season points, was awarded the Norris Trophy seven times, won the Stanley Cup four times, and is a member of the “Triple Gold Club.” He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and saw his No. 5 retired by the Red Wings in 2014.
The Red Wings, under Yzerman, have undergone a massive rebuild and are now focused on taking the next step. After a nice start this season it appears as though they are falling out of the playoff race again, but there is more than enough to get excited about in Detroit. For a young player like Moritz Seider–or even 2021 draft pick Simon Edvinsson–there is arguably no better role model than Lidstrom to be around and influenced by.
Yzerman and Lidstrom are certainly not alone in terms of ex-Red Wings. Pat Verbeek (assistant GM), Niklas Kronwall (European player development), Jiri Fischer (associate director of player personnel), Dan Cleary (assistant director of player development), Mark Howe (director of pro scouting), Kris Draper (director of amateur scouting), Kirk Maltby (pro scout), and others are all members of the organization, bringing a wealth of playing experience to the front office.
Declan McDonnell Traded In The OHL
- With the OHL trade deadline now just a day away, another NHL-drafted player is on the move as Lightning prospect Declan McDonnell has been moved to the Barrie Colts. The 19-year-old was the final pick of the 2020 draft (217th overall) but has collected 24 points in 28 games this season. Tampa Bay has until June 1st to sign McDonnell or they will lose his rights.
Panthers, Ducks Announce More COVID Protocol Additions
The Florida Panthers will not have Patric Hornqvist in the lineup this evening when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes, as he has entered the COVID protocol. Hornqvist joins Mason Marchment, Sam Reinhart, and Spencer Knight, stealing quite a few important names from the team’s regular roster.
The Panthers, among the league’s elite teams so far this season, lost their last game against the Dallas Stars in a shootout and have now called two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division. The team is not only without these key players due to COVID-related absences, but also names like Sam Bennett due to a suspension and Markus Nutivaara due to injury. Despite that, they will need to try to take down the red hot Metropolitan-leading Hurricanes.
Lucas Carlsson and Aleksi Heponiemi will both enter the lineup tonight, while Sergei Bobrovsky will take the net again, his fifth start since returning from the holiday break.
In Anaheim, the Ducks are facing their own COVID absences. Vinni Lettieri is the latest addition to the protocol, where he will join John Gibson, Hampus Lindholm, Derek Grant, and Sam Carrick. Ryan Getzlaf has technically left the protocol, but he’ll also miss tonight’s game against the New York Rangers as the team gets him back up to speed.
The Ducks have recalled five players ahead of the game. Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Jacob Perreault, Buddy Robinson, Greg Pateryn, and Lukas Dostal are all up from the San Diego Gulls. Perreault, still just 19, would be making his NHL debut when he hits the ice tonight (he is expected to play with Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano). Selected 27th overall in 2020, Perreault has 18 points in 23 games for the Gulls this season as one of the few junior-aged players eligible to play in the minor leagues. That’s thanks to the number of games he played last season–27–during the OHL’s postponed campaign. The son of longtime NHL forward Yanic Perreault, he would be the 16th player from the 2020 first round to make his debut–the second for Anaheim, after Jamie Drysdale.
Nikita Kucherov Activated Off LTIR
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is coming off long-term injured reserve and is making his 2022 debut tonight against Calgary, according to head coach Jon Cooper. Kucherov hasn’t played since the third game of the 2021-22 season, and he’s been out with a lower-body injury ever since. He’ll likely slot back into his home on the top line alongside Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. Save for Ross Colton, who’s currently in COVID protocol, the Lightning have a fully healthy forward group for the first time since October.
Arizona Coyotes Claim Riley Nash
Jan. 6: Nash is now on the way to his third team this season. Friedman reports that the Arizona Coyotes claimed Nash on Thursday, adding to arguably the thinnest forward depth in the league.
Jan. 5: A veteran center is available once again, as the Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Riley Nash on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Nash was claimed from the Winnipeg Jets last month and played 10 games for the Lightning while they dealt with various injuries and absences.
Now, with Nikita Kucherov nearing a return and Anthony Cirelli back from his COVID absence, the Lightning no longer require Nash at the NHL level. By placing him on waivers, they would be able to stash him on the taxi squad should no other team put in a claim. The Jets could also send him directly to the minors or taxi squad if they decide to claim Nash and are the only team to do so.
That’s certainly no guarantee though, as there are several teams around the league who could probably use an experienced option while they deal with massive COVID-related absences. The fact that Nash earns the league minimum of $750K also suggests someone else could put in a claim.
A veteran of more than 600 NHL games, it’s been a struggle offensively for the 32-year-old center over the last few years. After reaching a career-high of 15 goals and 41 points in 2017-18, he became basically a defense-only option in his next few stops. Since the start of the 2018-19 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nash has registered 10 goals and 33 points in 204 games.
Ross Colton Enters COVID Protocol
The Tampa Bay Lightning can’t escape the protocol, it seems. Just as they had Cal Foote and Taylor Raddysh re-join the team, another young player has been ruled out. Ahead of tonight’s game, Ross Colton has been placed in the COVID protocol according to team reporter Bryan Burns.
Colton, 25, has played in all 34 games for the Lightning this season, registering four goals and 14 points while averaging just under 14 minutes a night. The fourth-round pick is another example of Tampa Bay’s strong development system, which turned a depth prospect into a full-time NHL contributor–one with a Stanley Cup-winning goal to boot.
The Lightning actually sent Gabriel Fortier back to the AHL earlier today, likely not something they would have done had they expected Colton to be unavailable. Raddysh could enter the lineup after clearing the protocol and is once again listed on the active roster.
Injury Notes: Kucherov, Balcers, Capitals
After today’s shutout loss at the hands of the New York Rangers, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Jon Cooper said after the game that injured forward Nikita Kucherov “is getting close” to returning, and the team hopes to have him back by the middle of the month. He was originally expected to miss two months after sustaining a lower-body injury after just three games this year, but that’s now turned into three months. He was averaging nearly 21 minutes a game and had four points in those three games, not missing a beat despite playing so little hockey over the past two years.
More injury notes from around the NHL:
- San Jose Sharks forward Rudolfs Balcers was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury back on December 5, but he’s still not back in the lineup. Sharks reporter Curtis Pashelka reports, however, that Balcers is still 1-2 weeks away from returning to the lineup. The Latvian forward had played well to start the year, tallying 10 points through 24 games. He’s developing into a solid middle-six piece for the Sharks, one that they’d like to get back into game shape as soon as they can.
- The Washington Capitals are missing two big names in Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie from today’s game against New Jersey, as they were held out of the lineup with non-COVID illnesses. Backstrom and Oshie have combined for just 19 games this season, so missed games are nothing new for them. They’ve both been productive when in the lineup, though, and at this point, it seems as though this may be the light at the end of the tunnel for them.
Zach Bogosian Out Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are without Zach Bogosian, who is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The veteran defenseman has been playing more than the team likely expected, averaging more than 17 minutes a night. With several defensemen coming out of the COVID protocol the Lightning will be able to take a short absence, but it certainly isn’t ideal given how many issues they’ve had keeping the puck out of their net of late.
Cal Foote, Taylor Raddysh Enter COVID Protocol
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced some good news and some bad news today. Head coach Jon Cooper and forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare have both exited the COVID protocol, but Cal Foote and Taylor Raddysh have taken their place. Goaltending coach Frantz Jean has also entered the protocol.
Getting Cooper back is obviously big news for the Lightning, who take on their state rival Florida Panthers tonight in a matchup that could have playoff implications down the road. Tampa Bay, Florida, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are all battling for supremacy at the top of the Atlantic Division, with the Lightning currently holding a four-point lead on both. The head coach doesn’t have to split his attention anymore either–his services at the upcoming Olympics are no longer required, after the NHL decided against participation.
Losing Foote hurts though, even if he is averaging just over 13 minutes a night this season. The 23-year-old defenseman is a key piece of depth for the Lightning and has suited up 20 times this season, registering strong results in his limited ice time. With Andrej Sustr and Mikhail Sergachev already unavailable due to the COVID protocol, the defensive depth of Tampa Bay will be tested.
Foote and Raddysh join Sergachev, Sustr, Anthony Cirelli, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brian Elliotte on the sidelines.