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Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Jack Thompson

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have put pen to paper with one of the top prospects in their system. Defenseman Jack Thompson has signed his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced. No financial details have been disclosed, but the team did state that the deal does not begin until next season. Thompson got into one game with Tampa’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, playing on an amateur tryout to end his season.

Thompson, 19, is not your typical “top prospect”. A 2020 third-round pick, he probably wouldn’t be considered as such with any other team in the league. However, in Tampa’s pipeline, thin and aging, Thompson was a much-needed addition last year. A high-upside project, Thompson is a bit one-dimensional as a possession defenseman with a good shot but not much in the way of play-making or defensive ability. However, the Bolts can work with his natural ability and good size over the course of this first contract. He’s one of very few young prospects in the system with the capacity and time to grow into much more than what he is now.

Thompson was a point-per-game player in an 18-game stint in the Swedish minors this year, recording 9 goals, 9 assists, and an +9 rating for Surahammars IF. In that short time, he actually ended up finishing first among defenseman in goals and plus/minus. Last season, Thompson played for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, recording 32 points in 63 games; he could wind up back in Sudbury next season as well. Although he got a taste of the pros this yeat, another year of junior would not hurt for the raw prospect.

Thompson was a polarizing prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft, likely due to the fact that he has a narrow skill set but has mastered those skills. Some saw righty blue-liner as a potential early third-round pick while others saw him falling into the later rounds. The Lightning are clearly happy to have snagged him at No. 93 overall and with a constant need to affordable talent at the NHL level for the cap-strapped club, they will be happy to see Thompson continue to take steps forward and broaden his ability into a pro-ready game.

Detroit Red Wings Extend Jeff Blashill

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The Detroit Red Wings have decided the improvement the team saw under Jeff Blashill this season should continue, signing the head coach to a contract extension. General manager Steve Yzerman also announced that assistant coach Dan Bylsma will not return as he is going to pursue other opportunities in 2021-22. The team did not include details on the extension.

Blashill, 47, has been the head coach of the Red Wings since 2015 and with the organization since 2011. He had previously served as head coach of the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, where he won a Calder Cup in 2013 and won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as AHL Coach of the Year. On three occasions, USA Hockey has tabbed Blashill as the head coach for the World Championship, though he has taken home just a bronze medal during those appearances.

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Blashill is coming back after reports surfaced recently about contract negotiations, but it certainly won’t please every Red Wings fan. Detroit made the playoffs during his first year behind the bench but have been one of the league’s worst in the years since, finishing below the .500 mark in each of the last five seasons. Overall, Blashill has a 172-221-62 record as an NHL head coach and owns just one postseason victory.

After bottoming out in 2019-20, winning just 17 of 71 games, the team did rebound this season under Blashill’s leadership. The group was unlikely to compete for the playoffs as they continued a rebuild, but managed to climb out of the basement and finish ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Central Division. The Red Wings even had an impressive 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning late in the season and several other strong performances down the stretch. That improvement, along with the development of the young players, is likely why Blashill is coming back.

Still, given that the Red Wings haven’t quite turned the corner on their rebuild, it’s unclear if Blashill will actually be the head coach still when the team is really ready to contend.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Barclay Goodrow Out At Least Another Week

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  • Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters, including Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link) that forward Barclay Goodrow will be out for at least another week due to his upper-body injury. The 28-year-old was an important piece of Tampa Bay’s bottom six in the playoffs last year but will have to wait a bit longer to start this postseason.  It’s not all bad news though with winger Nikita Kucherov and center Steven Stamkos expected to be available for tomorrow’s opener against Florida.

Ben Groulx Agrees To New Contract With Tampa Bay Lightning

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When considering the coaches currently outside of the NHL that could have a future in it, one name is often brought up. Ben Groulx, head coach of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, has been successful at every level so far, but has yet to receive an opportunity at the highest level. Though there are several openings in the NHL this season, it doesn’t appear as though Groulx will be persuing them, as the minor league coach has signed a new contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning to remain Crunch head coach for 2021-22.

Lightning AGM and Crunch GM Stacy Roest released a statement:

We are excited to agree to a new contract and have Ben Groulx return as head coach of the Syracuse Crunch. Over the past five seasons, Ben has proven to be a key part of our organization. His leadership and structure have played an important role in developing our prospects, consistently producing a competitive Syracuse Crunch team and contributing to the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning. We look forward to continued growth with Ben behind the bench.

It’s no exaggeration to call Groulx one of the most successful coaches in the AHL. Over his five seasons, he has compiled a record of 179-100-42 and made the Calder Cup playoffs in each of the three years they were held. In 2016-17, he took the Crunch to the finals, losing in six games to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Deep playoff runs are nothing new for Groulx, who won three QMJHL championships during his time in junior hockey.

He also added a World Junior gold medal as head coach of Team Canada in 2015, a group that included Tampa Bay star Brayden Point. It’s the development of young talent that has made Groulx so valuable for the Lightning, who continue to churn NHL players out of their minor league system regardless of draft pedigree. Players like Yanni Gourde, Mitchell Stephens, Anthony Cirelli, and Mathieu Joseph have all developed rapidly under the tutelage of Groulx in the AHL. Even many that are in other organizations like Carter Verhaeghe and Adam Erne have a lot to thank the Crunch coach for after spending time honing their craft in the AHL.

At least for now, that development system will remain intact, with Groulx staying behind the bench for Syracuse.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Simon Ryfors

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have added another undrafted talent, signing Simon Ryfors to a one-year, entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 season and will leave Ryfors as a restricted free agent next summer.

In a season that has been so difficult for young players around the world, Ryfors experienced a breakout, scoring 25 goals and 45 points in 51 games for Rogle in the SHL. The 23-year-old had never scored more than six goals in a season previously, but managed to lead the entire league this time around. The actual goal scoring dried up a bit in the playoffs, but Ryfors still had 10 points in 14 games as Rogle lost in the finals.

The Lightning continue to add undrafted skill players through free agency, hoping their development system will be able to turn them into NHL talents before long. In Ryfors case specifically, they weren’t the only team interested. Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked him as his fourth-best free agent among collegiate and European skaters, noting that though he doesn’t have top-end speed, makes up for it with his compete level.

Tampa Bay Lightning Extend Spencer Martin

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May 11: The Lightning have officially announced the one-year, two-way contract with Martin.

May 3: There has been no shortage of goalie moves out of Tampa lately. After signing young keepers Hugo Alnefelt and Amir Miftakhov to entry-level contracts on Saturday and Sunday respectively, the team has yet another name to their 2021-22 stable. CapFriendly reports that the Lightning have signed Spencer Martin to a one-year, two-way contract worth $800K. Martin was set to be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer, but will instead stay in Tampa Bay on a new deal that represents a raise at the NHL and AHL levels.

Martin, 25, has not played in an NHL game since 2016-17 and yet his extension comes as almost no surprise. The Lightning had little choice; the team needed another goalie signed beyond this season to expose in this summer’s NHL Expansion Draft in order to protect all-world starter Andrei Vasilevskiy. Of the numerous options to re-sign, Martin seemed like the most likely. Backup Curtis McElhinney, 37, may be done after this season after finally showing his age. Anders Nilsson, acquired this off-season, has been sidelined by an injury all season. Christopher Gibson was the other extension option alongside Martin, but the former Islanders third-string has spent less time with the organization and has a more open market interest, leaving Martin as the more likely name to serve as expansion fodder.

That’s not to say that Martin doesn’t have value in his own right though. The 2013 third-round pick has served as a starter in the AHL for a number of years and has produced consistent numbers in net. That pro experience, including three NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, makes him a useful mentor to Alnefelt and Miftakhov in the minors as well as in a third-string capacity. The Lightning will likely seek a new backup this summer, but could reward Martin for his loyalty and willingness to help the organization with the expansion draft by finally giving him another NHL shot before too long.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Seguin, Hintz, Lightning, Ryan

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The Arizona Coyotes and head coach Rick Tocchet have mutually parted ways and the team announced they will begin the search for their next head coach immediately. However, knowing that Arizona is struggling financially, it’s seems likely that the team will be looking at cheaper options for their head coach.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun points out that the team has as many as 10 candidates already for their open head coaching position with a strong likelihood they will reach out to several interesting hires, including New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert, San Jose Sharks associate coach Rocky Thompson and Providence College’s Nate Leaman, who recently coached Team U.S.A to a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship.

All three come with interesting resumes if the Coyotes can convince them to leave their current posts.

  • It looks like the season is over for two Dallas Stars. Head coach Rick Bowness said that forwards Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz will not play in the team’s final two games, according to Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks. With no playoffs this year, the team will allow both players to rest. Seguin has appeared in three games after missing most of the season due to hip and knee surgeries. Hintz has been playing with a lower-body injury for months, so now that the team has been eliminated from a playoff berth, both will be held out to prevent any more injuries.
  • When asked whether Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta, who are all considered day-to-day, would be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs, head coach Jon Cooper didn’t give a convincing answer, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required). “I don’t know,” Cooper said. “I hope so. We’re planning on it. But we’ll have to see.” Hedman is dealing with a lower-body injury, McDonagh with an upper-body injury, while Rutta is dealing with a lower-body injury. There is a report, according to Smith, that Hedman, who missed his first game of the season Saturday, was injured in a collision against the boards against Columbus on March 30 and had to be helped off. While he came back to the game not too long after, the rumor is that he might require surgery after the season, although Smith was not able to get that confirmed by Tampa Bay staff.
  • Despite briefly considering retirement before his triceps surgery, Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan said he is eager to return for a 15th season and hopes it can be with the Red Wings, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan. The 34-year-old, who signed a one-year deal last offseason with Detroit and will now be an unrestricted free agent, scored seven goals and 14 points in 33 games before going down with an injury on March 28. “I want to play hockey next year. I hope it’s Detroit,” Ryan said. “I haven’t had those conversations yet. I expect they’re going to come sometime down the line.”

Tampa Bay’s Pat Maroon Suspended For Final Regular Season Game

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4:43 p.m.: The Department of Player Safety announced that Maroon will be suspended for one game for unsportsmanlike conduct, the team’s final regular season game against Florida.

10:59 a.m.: With a first-round matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers coming up shortly, there have been plenty of words between the two teams with Lightning forward Pat Maroon being one of the loudest. The forward was clear recently before their two-game regular season bout started Saturday to end the regular season that Tampa Bay wanted to make it clear who Florida would be playing in the first-round.

That got things started in their first game on Saturday as Maroon and Florida’s Brandon Montour, once teammates together with the Anaheim Ducks, had words with 6:02 remaining in the third period. Following that, Maroon freed himself from a referees who were escorting him off the ice and attacked Montour as the defenseman was also being escorted off ice (video here). Maroon received a minor penalty for roughing and both players received misconduct penalties.

Now, on top of that, the Department of Player Safety announced that supplemental discipline may be in order as they will have a hearing for Maroon for roughing Montour.

The two teams meet again Monday for their regular season finale before starting up again for the playoffs.

Department Of Player Safety Hands Out Three Fines

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The Department of Player Safety has been busy since Saturday’s slate of games. The DoPS has already announced a hearing for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon, but it was also busy handing out fines as well. Two of the three fines came from the Tampa Bay-Florida showdown, including fines to Florida Panthers defensemen MacKenzie Weegar and Brandon Montour as well as a fine to Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson.

Montour received a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for spearing Maroon. The incident with Maroon occurred with six minutes remaining in the game, stirring up quite a fight between the two. Weegar also received a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Tampa Bay’s Mathieu Joseph. The infraction happened at the same time as the Maroon/Weegar incident. Weegar did not receive a penalty.

The third fine went to Edmundson, who received a $1,000 fine for a dangerous trip on Toronto’s John Tavares. The incident occurred late in the second period of the game between Montreal and Toronto. Tavares was not injured on the play. There was no penalty on the play.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Amir Miftakhov To Entry-Level Deal

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The Tampa Bay Lightning signed goaltending prospect Hugo Alnefelt Saturday and now have added another netminder to their stable of prospects as the team announced they have inked Amir Miftakhov to an entry-level contract.

Despite being a Lightning’s sixth-round pick from the 2020 draft, it looks as if Tampa Bay intends to fast-track Miftakhov as it is believed that he will come to North America and likely compete with Alnefelt next year in the AHL.

While being drafted a year later than the 19-year-old Alnefelt, Miftakhov is actually a year older than him. The 21-year-old was passed over in the draft twice before finally being selected by Tampa Bay last year. One likely reason for not being drafted immediately was his size as Miftakhov is just 6-foot, 172 pounds, quite small for a netminder.

Regardless of his size, he has fared quite well in three seasons with Bars Kazan of the VHL and this year got an opportunity with seven games in the KHL where he posted a 2.25 GAA and a .917 save percentage. He also was the starting goaltender at the 2020 World Junior Championships in which he led Team Russia to a silver medal.

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