Steve Yzerman, the new GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning

Jeff Vinik, in virtually every news conference and press release I’ve watched or read, has stressed his intention to make the Tampa Bay Lightning a “world class organization.”  With his move yesterday of hiring Steve Yzerman to be the new GM of the Bolts, I believe Vinik has taken a huge step towards achieving his goal.  Steve Yzerman perfectly fits the bill of ‘world class.’  He was a world class talent on the ice (Sixth in NHL history in points), has a world class history of winning (Four Stanley Cups and Two Olympic gold medals as a player/Executive/Olympic GM), and has received world class respect (his #19 was retired by the Detroit Red Wings as well as the Canadian Men’s National Team; he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009).  Therefore, I would say that Vinik has done an exceptional job of finding a GM for the team that perfectly exemplifies what it means to be world class and is a proven winner at several levels.

Now, whether or not Yzerman can bring that culture of winning he is so familiar with to Tampa Bay, remains to be seen.  Though the team has some building blocks in place, there is still much work to be done to make the Lightning a consistent contender.  Several major issues need to be addressed including the need for a true #1 goaltender, the absence of a fast, puck-moving, play-making defenseman (the Dan Boyle type), and an overall lack of secondary scoring on the team.  It’s a big job and will certainly take longer than the course of a single season.  However, barring some major meltdown, Yzerman should be in Tampa Bay for at least the length of his 5-year contract, which should give him plenty of time to put his winning stamp on the team and instil his world class attitude.  Though this is his first run as general manager of a team, Yzerman has worked with some of the best back in the Detroit organization.  He also brings something that the Tampa Bay Lightning organization has been sorely lacking in recent years, and that is respect.  That, my friends, is the “Y” factor and is what makes Steve Yzerman the perfect fit for the Lightning.

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Interesting Facts:

-Ovechkin is the favourite to win the “Rocket” Richard, as he has claimed the prize the last two years and has amassed his 45 goals in 10 less games than Stamkos (9 less than Crosby).

-Stamkos would really benefit down the stretch from the Lightning gaining some power-play opportunities seeing as he leads the league with a whopping 20 power-play goals!

-Since the trophy was first awarded at the end of the 1998-1999 season, no division has had more players win the “Rocket” Richard than the Southeast (they’ve won it 6 out of 10 times!).

Some Quick Lightning Notes:

-Tampa Bay was stricken with a series of injuries last game against the Bruins.  Steve Downie, who suffered a knee injury, could possibly be playing in tonight’s game versus the Sabres.  However, David Hale (lower body) and Kurtis Foster (head) are very unlikely to play tonight.

-With Hale and Foster out, defenseman Mattias Ohlund may be returning from injury for tonight’s game as he skated with the team at practice.

Lightning Olympians:

First of all, I would like to extend a big “Congratulations!” to Team Canada on their gold medal victory.  It was a thrilling gold medal final and good on Canada for winning at home for the first time!

I would also like to extend my congratulations to Lightning players Ryan Malone (USA) and Antero Niittymaki (Finland) who won silver and bronze medals respectively.  Malone put up 3 goals, 2 assists, and a +2 rating through 6 games in the tournament.  Unfortunately for Antero Niittymaki, the tournament MVP of the 2006 Olympic Games, he did not get to play in net for Finland due to a combination of Miikka Kiprusoff’s demand to be the number one goalie and Niklas Backstrom’s more impressive resume.

Andrej Meszaros had no points but a +1 rating through 7 games for Slovakia.  He and Zdeno Chara were the shut-down pair who helped to lead Slovakia to a 4^th place finish at the games (the highest in their history).  Mattias Ohlund was part of a disappointing campaign for Team Sweden, as the 2006 Olympic Champions were upset in the quarterfinals by the Slovakians.

Coaching Change:

In the midst of the Vancouver Olympic Games, the Lightning announced a coaching change as they appointed Jim Johnson (former head coach of Tampa’s AHL affiliate the Norfolk Admirals) as a replacement for former assistant-coach Wes Walz.  What I like about this move is that Johnson led the Admirals to a 13-2-2 record after taking over as head coach there and may help to provide the Lightning the boost they need to make the playoffs.  He also specializes with working on the penalty kill, an area that Tampa Bay seriously needs to improve on to be a contender (they rank 22^nd in the league).

What I don’t like about this move is that it comes at an odd time for the Lightning.  A disruption with the coaching chemistry, as Rick Tocchet was NOT consulted on this move and unhappy to see his buddy Walz go, could spell potential disaster for this team on the brink of making the playoffs.  I also don’t like that this move leaves Norfolk without its head coach, as the team was really starting to turn things around and are in the midst of a playoff race themselves.  Only time will tell if this move was the right one and if it doesn’t pan out, GM Brian Lawton’s job here will likely be very much in question.

Trade Deadline:

The NHL 2009-2010 Trade Deadline is set for March 3^rd at 3pm.  With (all but finalized) new owner Jeff Vinik funding the team and willing to increase payroll, look for the Lightning to be buyers at the deadline.  In my opinion the team could use:

-a top-6 forward (seeing as Alex Tanguay hasn’t panned out as planned)

-a bottom-6 forward who plays a solid defensive game but can chip in some offence too (unless Mark Parrish really dazzles us during Tuesday’s Philadelphia game)

-a mobile, puck-moving defenseman (unless Paul Ranger, by some miracle, returns ready to play…which doesn’t look likely)

In reality, it would be nice if the Lightning was at least able to add a decent forward who potentially could play well on a line with Vincent Lecavalier.  Upcoming UFA forwards Alex Tanguay and Jeff Halpern may be used as trading chips as they (Tanguay especially) have not put up the kind of numbers that the Bolts need from them.  Defenseman David Hale may also be seen as expendable as he has filled the role of a 6^th defenseman well when needed, but has not been able to earn a solid spot on the team.

Be sure to keep checking HockeyIndependent.com for the latest take on trades, extensions, and all other things hockey during the Trade Deadline!  This Friday, I’ll be providing an in-depth look at the moves (or lack thereof) made by Tampa Bay at the Trade Deadline.

Contact Information:

For breaking Lightning trade information and other news, follow me on Twitter here!

Also, you can always email me at mikep.hockeyblog@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the Lightning or anything I write!

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Thanks for reading!!

–Where do they currently stand?

Coming off a shutout win against the Montreal Canadians, the Lightning have their first 3-game winning streak of the season, are 1 game over .500, and sit 12^th in the Eastern Conference.  Now, without knowing how close the East is currently, being in the 12^th spot may seem kind of alarming.  However, these are the current standings in the East from the 6^th spot to the 13^th spot:

The Lightning face some big questions moving forward.

6^th – Thrashers– 56 P – 53 GP

7^th – Flyers – 55 P – 52 GP

8^th – Florida – 55 P – 53 GP

9^th – Rangers – 55 P – 54 GP

10^th – Canadiens – 55 P – 55 GP

11^th – Bruins – 54 P – 51 GP

12^th – Lightning – 54 P – 52 GP

13^th – Islanders – 54 P – 54 GP

As you can see, though the Lightning seem to be so far down the standings, they are only 1 point out of the 8^th spot with 1 game in hand on the Panthers.  This cluster of 8 teams trying to get into the final 3 spots in the Eastern Conference presents a challenge for the Lightning, as they will have to try to leapfrog quite a few teams to get into a playoff spot.  A win tonight against the Ducks (who are also looking to sneak into the playoffs in the West) would be very beneficial to the Lightning going forward, as any winning streak or momentum gained is monumental at this point.

–What do they need to have success going forward?

If the Lightning are going to have any hope of making the playoffs and having a good run to end the season, they are going to need several factors to work out for them.

1)      Keep the Big Guns Firing! – Throughout the season, and even more so as of late, the big guns have been coming through for the Lightning.  After a slow start, Vincent Lecavalier has picked up his game, making him a point-per-game player through 52 and is also boasting a more defensively sound game with an even +/-.  Steven Stamkos has been phenomenal on the power play with 11 power play goals and 28 on the year so far (he’s on pace for 44).  Martin St. Louis has 56 points and has been tearing it up since it was announced that he was not on the Canadian Olympic Team.  Though many claimed he was overpaid when he agreed to a 7-year, $31.5 million deal last season, Ryan Malone is proving his worth with 21 goals (7 being game winners) and 41 points so far.  If Tampa Bay wants to play well enough to make the post-season contest, there needs to be an onus on these 4 guys to play at the top of their game and help lift the team into contention.

Lightning forward Steve Downie celebrates after scoring a goal.

2)      The Other Steve – The most underrated player on the Lightning right now would have to be Steve Downie.  Downie’s 11 goals and 15 points may not look very impressive, but he has been a solid force for the Lightning offensively.  Downie has been a great agitator and isn’t shy to fight (his 127 PIM rank him 5^th in the league).  Also, Downie has been winning important puck battles and has a solid defensive game, with his team-leading +8 being a testament to that.  The Lightning will definitely benefit if Downie can continue to play well in his role as a gritty, hard-working, top 6 forward, not only for this season but heading into the future as well.

3)      The Return of Smitty and Niitty – Mike Smith sat in as back-up to Niittymaki last game against the Canadiens, and until Niitty loses, that’s how it should stay.  However, it’s good to have Smith back from his neck injury and solid goaltending from the 1A/1B tandem will help the Bolts win more games than they lose down the stretch.

Have you seen this man??

4)      Home, Home on the Range – Though it appeared that Bolts defenseman Paul Ranger may have been close to returning to the team last week, those rumors have been quieted with Ranger still nowhere to be seen and the team not giving any update as to his situation.  The return of a healthy Paul Ranger could be huge for the team, as his puck moving ability is sorely missed and it gives them another d-man capable of playing 20+ minutes a night.

5)      Secondary Scoring? – If we take out the ‘top 6’ Lightning forwards in terms of scoring, there is only one other forward on the team (Jeff Halpern) with over 10 points.  For any NHL team to make the playoffs and be a playoff contender, they have to have good scoring depth.  The Lightning need more from their secondary scoring, especially guys like Stephane Veilleux and Todd Fedoruk who have just been way too quiet thus far.

–Will the Lightning Make the Playoffs?

Whether or not the Lightning make the playoffs is going to depend on the 5 factors I addressed above and also how well (or how poorly) the teams around them play, so it’s really too tough to say at this point.  Another factor here could be the recent news that the team may be sold in the near future to businessman Jeffrey Vinik and that forward Vincent Lecavalier could be dealt by the trade deadline in an effort to shed salary, if this is the case.  In light of this recent news, I’d say that these are exactly the kind of distractions that the team doesn’t need at this point and, while I hope they are resolved without much instability, I have a bad feeling that it will negatively affect the Lightning and we could be looking at no playoff hockey this year.  I hate to be all doom-and-gloom about this and I may be completely off base here.  Perhaps the whole situation could turn out for the better!  I will definitely keep you guys posted on the latest regarding the ownership issues!

As a side note:

I’d like to apologize to any readers and Tampa Bay fans for my sparse coverage of the team so far this season.  I’ve been rather busy in my personal life as of late; however, now I hope to really pick up my coverage of the team.  I plan to have some blogs out in the near future covering not only the ownership issues, but topics like the Lightning at the Olympics and at the NHL Trade Deadline.

-Thanks so much for reading and if you ever wish to contact me with comments, questions, or concerns, I can be reached at mikep.hockeyblog@gmail.com

-Also, you can follow me on Twitter by adding my account:  mpalaz26

The man rumored to be buying the Lightning for $170 million

The Hockey News is reporting that, “According to multiple sources, the NHL is negotiating the sale of the Lightning…to Boston-based financier Jeffrey Vinik for an estimated price of $170 million.”  There is also apparently speculation that Lightning forward and captain Vincent Lecavalier may be on the move in the very near future in an effort to shed salary. Personally, I feel that this is not the kind of distraction that the team needs while in the thick of an intense playoff race and that this whole ownership situation is most unfortunate for the Lightning.

It seems that star Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier is part of trade rumors once again

I cannot make any speculation one way or another as to whether Lecavalier will indeed be moved because there’s no telling if he will agree to a trade or that this potential new management will decide that it is the right call to actually trade him.  Only time will tell, and I will keep you posted with new information as soon as I hear of it!  I have a much larger blog in the works for tomorrow on the Lightning heading into their final 30 games, so be sure to check it out!

-Read the full The Hockey News article HERE

-Get TSN’s take on the article HERE

-Follow me on Twitter HERE

Thanks for reading!!

Bolts Notes:

-The NHL.com headline after the game was appropriately titled, “Flash of Vinny”, as the Lightning saw a glimpse of Lecavalier as the player he was just a couple seasons ago when he had the ability to dominate a game.  I also found it interesting to note that the three goals scored by Lecavalier (2) and St. Louis (1), were not pretty goals, but were scored by driving to the net and putting pucks on the net.  A while back, Tocchet and Lecavalier spoke about the need to simplify his game. I think Vinny definitely did that last night and the results speak for themselves.

-This game snaps long scoring droughts for both Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.  They now both have 4 goals in 18 games.

-Although Lecavalier had 3 points on the night (2G, 1A) and was +3, the real first star of the game was goaltender Mike Smith.  He stopped 30 of 31 shots and made some huge saves when his team needed him most.  I think Smith definitely needed this win in a big way to gain some confidence and get back on track to playing well on a consistent basis.  As many people have said before, having two goaltenders playing very well is a wonderful problem for a team to have.

-The other Lightning goal was netted by Alex Tanguay, who has really started to get things going.  After a very slow start, he has now amassed a total of 12 points in 18 games and is +5.

-Lightning Defender, Mattias Ohlund, missed last night’s game with an apparent lower-body injury sustained against the Kings on Saturday.  There has been no update on his current status.

*Record:

*Position: 9^th in East; 1 point behind Boston (who have played 17 games already)

*Team Leaders:

Points (Tied): Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis (17 points in 15 games)

Goals:  Steven Stamkos (12 goals in 15 games)

Assists:  Martin St. Louis (14 assists in 15 games)

+/-:  Matt Walker (+7 through 15 games)

PIM:  Zenon Konopka (54 minutes in 15 games)

TOI:  Mattias Ohlund (An average of 24:25 minutes per game through 15 games)

*Team Rundown:

The Forwards – Good News

Lightning Forward Steven Stamkos

-Sensational Stamkos! This is the Stamkos that everyone was looking for last year!  Steve is quickly showing the team and fans why he was selected 1^st overall last year and has been the team’s best forward so far.  Ranked third in the league with 12 goals scored and first in the league with 6 power-play goals so far, Stamkos is on pace to have a marvellous season.  Let’s hope he can keep it up!

-Game-Winning-Goal Malone: Ryan Malone is of to a great start and is starting to prove why the team signed him to a 7-year, $31.5 Million contract last year.  With 4 game winning goals out of the team’s 6 wins thus far, Malone’s ability to score big goals is proving very valuable for the Lightning.

-Tanguay’s Finally Going! Alex Tanguay had a really slow start to the season with the Lightning but has really started to pick up his game recently.  He’s had 2 goals and 5 points in his last 4 games.

-Faceoff King: Zenon Konopka has been incredible in the faceoff circle so far, winning 64.4% of his draws.

The Forwards – Bad News

-Big Guns Not Scoring: Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis had a combined 59 goals last year and this year have a combined 5 goals in 15 games.  Tampa’s ‘big guns’ are going to have to put the puck in the back of the net on a more consistent basis if the Lightning want to do really well this year.

-Who’s in the Top 6? Even 15 games into the season, the Lightning are still having a tough time coming up with a definitive top 6.  This is not always a bad problem, but it may account for Lecavalier and St. Louis’ low goal totals.

-More Offence Please! With the exceptions of Lightning forwards Stamkos, St. Louis, Lecavalier, Malone and Tanguay, all other Tampa forwards have just 4 points or less in the first 15 games.  If the team wants to be a playoff contender, the bottom-six forwards are going to have to chip in more.

The Defense – Good News

Lightning D-man Victor Hedman

-More Experience: With offseason additions like Ohlund and Walker, the Bolts added a tonne of experience and more grit to the blue line.  Matt Walker has been especially good defensively, boasting a team-leading +7.

-He’s Only 18? Lightning 2^nd overall pick, Victor Hedman, has shown a great deal of poise and maturity so far.  Playing him around 24 minutes per game, Coach Tocchet says the young defenseman has earned every minute of his playing time.

The Defense – Bad News

-Injuries? Defenseman Paul Ranger has yet to return to the team after being given leave from the team for ‘personal reasons.’  No new news has been announced concerning the defender who has not played for the team since October 22^nd.  Also, after being hit by Ottawa’s Chris Neil, Victor Hedman experienced a mild concussion, but is likely to play this Thursday’s game against Minnesota.

-Consistency: Some nights the Lightning appear to have a really good shutdown group on defense.  Other nights have been total blowouts.  The defense needs to find a consistency to their game before this team will be a real contender.

The Goalies

Lightning Goalie Antero Niittymaki

-Mike Smith: This time I’m giving the bad news first.  Smith has been shaky at best so far and has just 2 wins in 8 starts.  He HAS been hung out to dry some nights but simply has not been able to string together the truly solid play the Lightning believed he is capable of.

-Antero Niittymaki: He has been the Lightning’s saving grace.  With a league best .940 save percentage and an impressive 1.95 GAA, Niittymaki has been making the big saves that a goaltender needs to make to allow their team to succeed.  He has temporarily stolen the #1 job from Smith and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

*Special Teams Rundown:

Power Play: 17.6% (22^nd in the league)

Penalty Kill: 76.9% (25^th in the league)

-I think it goes without saying that the Lightning need to work more on their special teams.  For the team to make the playoffs and be successful in the playoffs, both the PP and PK need to be much, much better.

*Injury/Transaction Report:

Injuries

-Forward Steven Stamkos (Wrist) is probable for Thursday’s game against the Wild.

-Defenseman Victor Hedman (Concussion) is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Wild.

-Defenseman Paul Ranger (Personal) is out indefinitely.

Transactions

-Forward Ryan Craig was recalled from AHL Norfolk.  (Nov. 5)

-Forward Drew Miller was lost on waivers to the Detroit Red Wings.  (Nov. 11)

-Forward Paul Szczechura was recalled from AHL Norfolk.  (Nov. 11)

*Team Forecast – Next 15 Games:

My prediction is that the Lightning go 8-5-2 through their next 15 games.  With Niittymaki’s solid play and hoping that St. Louis and Lecavalier will break out of their scoring slumps, I feel the Lightning will be pretty solid down the stretch.

*End Notes:

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or concerns that you might have in the comment section!  Also, feel free to follow me on twitter here:  http://twitter.com/mpalaz26

Following a decent 2-1-2 start to the season, the Lightning have lost two straight with a 7-1 shellacking from the Ottawa Senators and a 4-1 loss to the Penguins.  Though the goaltending was shaky at times and the defense was far less than decent, the biggest concern for the Lightning would have to be their offense.  A team that boasts offensive talents the likes of Lecavalier, St. Louis, Malone, Stamkos, and Tanguay, should NOT be playing a-goal-a-game hockey.  Coach Rick Tocchet knows this and has decided to shake things up by changing his offensive line combinations.  Tanguay has been demoted to the third line, no doubt to send the message that his play has been just short of pathetic so far.  Marty St. Louis has been moved off the Stamkos/Malone line to play with Lecavalier once again.  Steve Downie will join Stamkos and Malone with hopes that they will develop some good chemistry.  The most surprising move, however, was the addition of rookie James Wright to this new top-line of Lecavalier and St. Louis.

Lightning Forward James Wright will be playing on a line with Lecavalier and St. Louis.

Who IS this James Wright?

If you haven’t seen the first seven Lightning games, or maybe even if you have, you’ll likely be wondering who James Wright is.  Wright was drafted by the Lightning in the 4^th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.  He impressed the Lightning so much with his hard-work and good defensive play in the preseason this year (+2, 2 assists, and 6 PIM in 4 games), that they signed him to an entry-level deal.  As part of Wright’s contract, the deal will slide a year if he plays under 10 games for the Bolts this season.  Having played 7 games already for the big club, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native has just two games left to prove he belongs, and it appears he is being given the best opportunity possible to do just that.

Wright played 3 seasons with the WHL's Vancouver Giants.

Is this the ‘Wright’ answer for the Lightning?

Though he has continued to have fair defensive play in the regular season (has an even +/- through 7 games), Wright’s offensive abilities have been non-existent.  Playing an average of around 13 minutes per game, Wright has no points and has mustered a mere 3 shots on goal.  Though Wright will likely be used mostly for grinder work (solid back-checking, going into the corners and getting the puck to Marty and Vinny) he will need to show some offensive flair if he wants to remain on the top line.  Call me a cynic, but I don’t see this top-line job working out of Mr. Wright.  It would be unfair to expect a rookie, who didn’t exactly show ‘explosive’ offensive talent with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, to be able to handle the pressure of a top-line role and a significant increase in playing time.  However, with two games left to prove he belongs, Wright could provide an interesting dynamic to the Lightning’s offensive line combinations.  What do you think?  We will see how he fairs on Thursday against the dangerous San Jose Sharks…

At this point, it would be easy for fans that maybe haven’t been following the Lightning closely for the first few games, to write off the team as the same deal as last year.  However, there are several bright spots this season that weren’t there in the 2008-2009 season.  For starters, the Lightning have yet to be outshot in a game this season, something that was a chronic problem in the past.  Also, NHL sophomore Steven Stamkos looks to be continuing his hot streak from the end of last season, with 4 points and 3 games thus far.  Lightning starting goaltender Mike Smith, with the exception of the first game against Atlanta, has looked solid in net and has come up with some HUGE saves, especially in last night’s game against New Jersey.

Lighting Goalie Mike Smith makes a big save on Devil's Travis Zajac.

The brightest light for the Lightning so far though would have to be Victor Hedman.  He has 3 points in his first 3 games, was +2 last night against the Devils, and has been logging between 24 and 27 minutes a night.  This kid has a really great skill level and has tremendous vision.  These two facets of his game (and believe me, they’re not all his brings) were really exemplified against New Jersey, and Lightning fans who didn’t see the game should watch the highlights HERE.  The entire play Hedman makes which ends with a perfect pass to set-up Todd Fedoruk’s goal is particularly impressive.

All these little good things aside, the best thing the Tampa Bay Lightning can do right now is to win a game!  And this Saturday’s home game rematch against Carolina (who barely beat the Lightning on Tuesday) is the perfect opportunity to do just that!  Go Bolts!

*Lesser-Known Lightning is a segment where I will try to better inform fans about some Lightning players.  These players may be new to Tampa Bay and/or not as well known as some of the fan-favourites.  The differences between this segment and a young prospect review are that the players reviewed here will have past NHL experience and be over the age of 25.  I will run one of these articles every day until the start of the season (October 1^st).*

Name: Stephane Veilleux

Lightning Forward Stephane Veilleux

Position: Left Wing

Height/Weight: 6’0’’ / 190 lbs.

Age: 27

Born In: Saint-Georg, QC, CAN

NHL Total Number of Games Played: 361

Goals – Assists – Points: 43-47-90

PIM: 254

Career +/-: -46

Acquired by Lightning: Free Agent Signing, Summer ‘09

The Low-Down: Is a good, hard-working, established checking line player.  Needs to add more strength and work on skill if he plans on moving to a top-six forward status.

Current Status: Final year of one-way deal worth $750,000.  Still on Lightning training camp roster.

Where they fit on the Lightning (present and future): Veilleux brings a good work ethic and solid play to the Lightning.  Depending on the skill level he shows coaching and management, he could earn himself a spot on a line with Lecavalier and Tanguay.  For $750,000, he is a smart pick-up for the Lightning.

*Lesser-Known Lightning is a segment where I will try to better inform fans about some Lightning players.  These players may be new to Tampa Bay and/or not as well known as some of the fan-favourites.  The differences between this segment and a young prospect review are that the players reviewed here will have past NHL experience and be over the age of 25.  I will run one of these articles every day until the start of the season (October 1^st).*

Name: Drew Miller

Lightning Forward Drew Miller

Position: Left Wing

Height/Weight: 6’2’’ / 178 lbs.

Age: 25

Born In: Dover, NJ, US

NHL Total Number of Games Played: 53

Goals – Assists – Points: 6-9-15

PIM: 23

Career +/-: -1

Acquired by Lightning: Traded to Tampa from Anaheim 13/08/09

The Low-Down: He has some solid offensive talent and a strong work ethic.  Miller needs to perform on a regular basis and needs to add more muscle before he can become a top-six offensive force in the league though.

Current Status: Restricted Free Agent.  Final year of two-way deal worth $525,000.  Still on Lightning training camp roster.

Where they fit on the Lightning (present and future): Miller is on a two-way contract but if he is sent down, the Lightning risk losing him to waivers.  This will likely deter them from sending him down because they do not want to lose their return from the Artyukhin trade, so it appears that Miller will have every opportunity to prove he can play consistently at the NHL level.  He will likely start off on the third line, centered by Jeff Halpern, but could work his way up into the top six if he proves himself capable of playing at that level.

*Lesser-Known Lightning is a segment where I will try to better inform fans about some Lightning players.  These players may be new to Tampa Bay and/or not as well known as some of the fan-favourites.  The differences between this segment and a young prospect review are that the players reviewed here will have past NHL experience and be over the age of 25.  I will run one of these articles every day until the start of the season (October 1st).*

Name: Zenon Konopka

Energetic Lightning Center Zenon Konopka in a Fight.

Position: Center

Height/Weight: 6’1’’ / 213 lbs.

Age: 28

Born In: Niagara on the Lake, ON, CAN

NHL Total Number of Games Played: 39

Goals – Assists – Points: 4-4-8

PIM: 112

Career +/-: -7

Acquired by Lightning: UFA ‘08

The Low-Down: Konopka is an energetic player who is not afraid to fight anyone not wearing his own team’s jersey.  Has had scoring success at the AHL level, but has failed to carry it over to the NHL.  He also takes a lot of bad penalties because of his over-aggressive attitude.

Current Status: Last year of contract:  one-way deal worth $487,500.  Still on Lightning training camp roster.

Where they fit on the Lightning (present and future): Player’s like Konopka are finding that spots for them in the new NHL to be very limited.  If the Lightning is going to use Todd Fedoruk as their enforcer (which they very likely will because of his higher salary and ability to put up points), then Konopka will find he does not really have a place on the roster.  Though I’m sure the Lightning highly regards his courage and enthusiasm, without proving he can put up points and not take dumb penalties, Konopka will almost certainly be traded or waived.

*Lesser-Known Lightning is a segment where I will try to better inform fans about some Lightning players.  These players may be new to Tampa Bay and/or not as well known as some of the fan-favourites.  The differences between this segment and a young prospect review are that the players reviewed here will have past NHL experience and be over the age of 25.  I will run one of these articles every day until the start of the season (October 1st).*

Name: David Hale

Lightning Defenseman David Hale

Position: Defenseman

Height/Weight: 6’2’’ / 213 lbs.

Age: 28

Born In: Colorado Springs, CO, US

NHL Total Number of Games Played: 263

Goals – Assists – Points: 3-17-20

PIM: 211

Career +/-: +6

Acquired by Lightning: Traded From Phoenix, 7/21/09

The Low-Down: Has good defensive instincts and can hit well.  Unfortunately, has very limited offensive potential and has never really been more than a 7^th defenseman.

Current Status: Final year of contract:  one-way worth $725,000.  Still on Lightning training camp roster.

Where they fit on the Lightning (present and future): Unless Hale shows the Lightning something really special (which is highly unlikely), it would appear that he’s one of the several defensemen not in Tampa’s top 8.  He could be a good guy to rely on if someone goes down with injury, but it is more likely that the Lightning will try to trade him or put him on waivers.

*Lesser-Known Lightning is a segment where I will try to better inform fans about some Lightning players.  These players may be new to Tampa Bay and/or not as well known as some of the fan-favourites.  The differences between this segment and a young prospect review are that the players reviewed here will have past NHL experience and be over the age of 25.  I will run one of these articles every day until the start of the season (October 1st).*

Lightning Defensemen Kurtis Foster

Name: Kurtis Foster

Position: Defenseman

Height/Weight: 6’5’’ / 220 lbs.

Age: 27

Born In: Carp, ON, CAN

NHL Total Number of Games Played: 186

Goals – Assists – Points: 21-56-77

PIM: 155

Career +/-: -1

Acquired by Lightning: Free Agent ‘09

The Low-Down: Has a tremendous slap shot from the point.  Still needs to work on defensive zone coverage.  Injury concerns as he was sidelined 50 games with a serious leg injury last year.

Current Status: One year deal:  one-way worth $600,000.  Still on Lightning training camp roster.

Where they fit on the Lightning (present and future): Foster is 5^th or 6^th on the Lightning’s defensive depth chart at the highest.  He was likely brought in to be a power-play specialist as he provides a serious slap-shot from the point.  This year appears to be a sort of try-out with the team for Foster, as the Lightning may look to Matt Lashoff to fill the role of power-play specialist for the future.

*Lesser-Known Lightning is a segment where I will try to better inform fans about some Lightning players.  These players may be new to Tampa Bay and/or not as well known as some of the fan-favourites.  The differences between this segment and a young prospect review are that the players reviewed here will have past NHL experience and be over the age of 25.  I will run one of these articles every day until the start of the season (October 1st).*

Name: Todd Fedoruk

Todd Fedoruk (left) fights tough-guy Brian McGrattan

Position: Left Wing

Height/Weight: 6’2’’ / 240 lbs.

Age: 30

Born In: Redwater, AB, CAN

NHL Total Number of Games Played: 495

Goals – Assists – Points: 29-62-91

PIM: 996

Career +/-: -15

Acquired by Lightning: Traded From Phoenix, 7/21/09

The Low-Down: Likes to hit and willing to fight to protect his teammates.  Unfortunately, lacks a real scoring presence.  Also has a history of concussion problems.

Current Status: 2^nd year of 3 year deal:  one-way worth $1,050,000 (this year).  Still on Lightning training camp roster.

Where they fit on the Lightning (present and future): Fedoruk looks to be set to take over the role of team enforcer (left vacant by the departure of Evgeny Artyukhin).  If he steps up as a team player and shows some offensive ability, he may be a Lightning team favourite for a long time.

*Lesser-Known Lightning is a segment where I will try to better inform fans about some Lightning players.  These players may be new to Tampa Bay and/or not as well known as some of the fan-favourites.  The differences between this segment and a young prospect review are that the players reviewed here will have past NHL experience and be over the age of 25.  I will run one of these articles every day until the start of the season (October 1st).*

Name: Brandon Bochenski

Lightning Forward Brandon Bochenski

Position: Right Wing

Height/Weight: 6’1’’ / 187 lbs.

Age: 27

Born In: Blaine, MN, US

NHL Total Number of Games Played: 128

Goals – Assists – Points: 24-31-55

PIM: 52

Career +/-: +2

Acquired by Lightning: Free Agent Signing ’08

The Low-Down: Was third on the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, Norfolk Admirals, with 53 points in 69 games.  Has proven to be a good goal scorer at the AHL level, but has struggled, for the most part, to show it at a higher level of play.  Also has shown weak defensive skills.

Current Status: Final year of contract:  one-way deal worth $550,000.  Still on Lightning training camp roster.

Where they fit on the Lightning (present and future): Bochenski could potentially fill a spot on the third or fourth line as a winger, especially because of his versatility playing either wing.  The Lightning will probably keep him at the NHL level (at least temporarily) to better evaluate his play and because of his one-way contract.  He may also be given a shot to play with Lecavalier and Tanguay because of his goal-scoring ability at the AHL, but this is a long shot as there appears to be better candidates.  If Bochenski doesn’t show he can score semi-frequently at the NHL level, he will likely not be offered another contract by the Lightning.

Head Coach Rick Tocchet

The first and biggest question facing the Lightning is, ‘can the team gel this year with another roster turnover?’ We saw the effects of adding too many fresh faces last year, as the Lightning struggled to connect as a team (especially early on in the season).  Only 11 players from the team roster at the end of the 07-08 season remained to start the season in 08-09 for the Bolts.  This year is not very different, as only 12 players who played in more than 42 games for the Lightning last season have returned.  Of those twelve, Ryan Craig, Adam Hall, Lukas Krajicek, and Matt Smaby aren’t even locks for the team.  What is different about this year (we hope) is that the Lightning will have a stable coaching staff with Rick Tocchet at the helm to start the year, and have added, in my opinion, more character guys to the locker room.  Whether, or not, these new acquisitions will be able to gel well with the old remaining players and each other, remains to be seen.  However, since they are not starting this season in Europe, the Lightning are able to run a full training camp, which should give them an edge over last year with respect to team bonding and stability.  There is little doubt that the Lightning’s ability to play as a team and have a solid sense of direction will greatly influence their standing in the league this year.

Lightning Goalie Mike Smith

It would appear that the Lightning has a far better defence corps this year (at least on paper) in comparison to last year.  The many additions made by the Bolts, add a tonne of NHL experience and also young talent to the blue line.  However, I’ve noticed that comments regarding the Lightning on a lot of forums now are along the lines of, “They have no goaltending.” Now, I don’t see this to be the case, as Mike Smith showed immense potential to be a number one goaltender last season before going down with post-concussion syndrome and Antero Niittymaki has proven to be a solid back up goalie when healthy.  The big question facing the Lightning’s net-minders was just raised in my last sentence, as both goalies have a tonne of potential ‘when healthy’.  So you have to ask, ‘can the tandem of Smith and Niittymaki stay healthy this season?’ If the answer to this question is yes, I believe the Lightning will be well on their way to having a successful season.

Lightning Prospect Dana Tyrell

Tampa Bay has a solid top five of Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, Malone and Tanguay.  However, there is still no answer as to, ‘who will fill the role of the final top-six forward?’ From the lines being used at Lightning training camp, we are given the impression the Lightning are looking to Steve Downie to fill that role on a line with Lecavalier and Tanguay.  Still, the team has other players in the system who could also potentially fill the role, like the young-but-talented Dana Tyrell, the hard-working Stephane Veilleux, or even Martins Karsums, who was acquired last year from Boston in a trade.  Whomever the Lightning selects to be a part of the top two lines will have a big role to play on the team, as balanced scoring will be important to maintain any kind of success on a regular basis.

So, those were what I believe to be the big questions the Lightning face heading into this year’s season.  If the team is able to gel quickly, goaltending stays healthy, and another top-six forward emerges from the system, I feel the Lightning will have far more success than the previous two years.  If not, well, we’ve seen how bad things can get.  As a fan, I can only head into the season with a great sense of optimism and my finger’s crossed.  As a blogger, I face the reality of writing for a team whose level of upcoming success is completely unknown.  Let’s hope that Lightning strikes fast and strikes often!

Sources:

Lightning Roster Information From:  http://nhlnumbers.com/

Lightning Player Stats From:  http://www.nhl.com/index.html

Steve Downie Training Camp Story From:  http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/content/tampa-bay-lightning-defenseman-vladimir-mihalik-had-choice-make-he-made-right-one