Lightning Hire COO

The Bolts named former Orlando Magic vice president Steve Griggs chief operating officer. Griggs will begin his tenure in November and will be responsible for the organizations day-to-day operations. His major functions will be generating revenue (driving sellouts) and building the Lightning brand. Griggs and Lightning CEO Tod Leiweke worked together in Minnesota, establishing the Wild as the “fan friendliest” team in the NHL Owner Jeff Vinik continues to add talented people to the front office.

Lightning Trade Lashoff

The Lightning made a couple of depth moves by acquiring prospects Alex Berry and Stefano Giliato from Toronto in exchange for defenseman Matt Lashoff. This is a solid financial move as Lashoff was on a one way contract that would have paid him an NHL salary even if he played in Norfolk.

Lightning Hire Norfolk Assistant

Admirals General Manager Julien BriseBois announced former Admirals player Mike Flanagan as assistant coach in Norfolk. Flanagan worked under current Norfolk coach Jon Cooper with the St. Louis Bandits.

Lightning on Versus

The Lightning is scheduled to make six national TV appearances on Versus this season.. The games are October 14 at the Flyers, November 22 against the Bruins, December 28 against the Bruins, February 8 against the Sabres, March 7 against the Capitals and March 9 against the Blackhawks.

Lightning Add Veteran Defenseman

The Lightning signed veteran defenseman Randy Jones to a one-year deal for $1 million. The 6-2, 220-pound Jones, 29, has played in 265 career NHL games with Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman said of Jones: “Randy is a skilled defenseman, capable of playing in all situations on both the right and left side. His addition gives us some needed depth on the blue line.”

Bolts Re-Sign Downie

As expected, the Lightning re-signed breakout winger Steve Downie.  The contract is worth $3.7 million over two years. The tenacious winger had 22 goals and 24 assists last season. He was a team best +14 and was among the league leaders in shooting percentage. “It was really a great step forward for Steve last year,” Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman said, mentioning not just his providing a scoring punch but providing “the grit and the competitiveness and physical play” that is a vital element for a winning team. “He’s still a relatively young guy and we expect him to get better.” Downie has spent this off-season training with Steven Stamkos and former Lightning player Gary Roberts, a renowned workout freak, in Ontario.

V4 Has Surgery

Lightning center and captain Vinny Lecavalier underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He is expected to be out 3-4 weeks, but should be ready for the start of training camp on September 17.

Training Camp Roster

Training camp opens in just 16 days at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum! Defenseman Paul Ranger has decided not to attend camp. Here is the projected camp roster:  Defense – Brett Clark, Victor Hedman, Randy Jones, Pavel Kubina, Mike Lundin, Mattias Ohlund,  Matt Smaby.  Left wing – Simon Gagne, Ryan Malone, Johan Harju and a prospect. Center – Steven Stamkos, Vinny Lecavalier, Dominic Moore, Nate Thompson.  Right wing – Marty St. Louis, Steve Downie, Teddy Purcell, Niklas Persson. :  Goalie – Mike Smith, Dan Ellis.

The problem is (or was, I suppose, now that Gagne is indeed officially the newest member of the Lightning), none of us, no matter how we were thinking, had any inclination that the price for a player of Gagne’s caliber would be as low as it turned out to be.

I opined that, at most, a 2nd round draft choice should be the offer out of Tampa Bay and that anything Philadelphia desired beyond that should be met with a chuckle, a thank you and a swift return to the wait-and-see, methodical approach.

But flipping another disappointment from seasons past in defenseman Matt Walker and a 4th rounder in 2011 for Gagne was far more (or less, depending on how you look at it) than anyone could have expected – and certainly a price worth whatever risk(s) come with the player.

While the Yzerman love fest appears to have already hit its stride here in Tampa, as evidenced by a second round of calls today from my readers for a statue in his honor outside the St. Pete Times Forum, folks may want to remind themselves that his team has yet to take the ice on his watch. That said, I can see how people have a hard time not getting ahead of themselves when you look at what the Lightning’s new GM has accomplished in a very short period of time.

Walker and fellow defenseman Andrej Meszaros, both with contracts considered to have crippling effects on any trade hopes for either player prior to Yzerman’s arrival, are no longer Tampa Bay’s problem. Regarding Meszaros, it was thought that if any team did have interest, the Lightning would be forced to take some unwanted salary back. That Yzerman was able to land a 2nd round draft choice from the Flyers in that deal still leaves many stumped.

Add the details of today’s move and you have a pair of Philadelphia-Tampa swaps that add up to highway robbery:

Meszaros, Walker and a fourth in 2011 for Gagne and a second in 2012.

$23.775 million in salary and a combined $5.7 million dollar cap hit until 2013 out and $5.25 for a single season in.

Really?

Granted, Philly was up against it, cap-wise but come on… Just what is it Stevie Y is holding over the collective heads of the Flyers organization? (The threat of running video of Darren McCarty’s undressing of Janne Niinimaa in the 1997 Cup Final on repeat on LightningVision whenever the Flyers come to town, perhaps?)

In all seriousness, I don’t mind being wrong from time to time and, since my potential beef with a Gagne trade was all contingent upon the asking price, how could I possibly have anything bad to say about the Lightning bringing in a player who has topped 20 goals seven times in his career, 30+ four times over and 40 or more twice for a 5/6 d-man and a mid-round pick next summer? Not a chance.

Further, for all of my public concerns about adding Gagne and worrying more long-term, should things work really well and he stick around for more than just a single season, clearing out Walker’s salary over the next three seasons at least lightens that burden somewhat – and potentially gives the Bolts a good problem to have.

It also gives them a top-six forward bunch that has the potential to be the best in the entire National Hockey League. Gagne-Steven Stamkos-Marty St. Louis-Vinny Lecavalier-Ryan Malone-Steve Downie… Impressive.

Any way you look at it, once again this summer, this team is better off, all-around, than they were yesterday.

Talent-wise, that would have happened in adding Gagne regardless but to move another unwanted long-term contract at the same time is where the real genius lies in this deal. And cue up “The Yzerman Factor” (trademarked by Corcoran, by the way, who’s pining for credit there and, team player that I am, I’m trying to help him out) as Gagne’s no-movement clause was no issue whatsoever.

The focus now can move to filling out the bottom-six forwards, though nothing may really have to be done there. Yzerman indicated on this afternoon’s conference call that he would be debating with his staff as to how that segment of the team should be fleshed out: via further free agent or trade explorations or through holdover options. There’s still a need for some grit but not necessarily the designated fighter type. (After all, were that a priority here, fan favorite Zenon Konopka could have easily been retained.) Instead, role players currently under contract could find themselves in a healthy competition in training camp, which is never a bad thing and several young players – including a few who might fill a third or fourth line role rather nicely – will also get a good look.

Walker’s exit also bodes well for players like Matts Lashoff and Smaby as well as other defensemen under contract. Head coach Guy Boucher’s affinity for an excess of blueliners and one less one-way contract in the mix increases the odds of an upstart rearguard nailing down a spot of his own in September.

All in all, the skill set that Gagne brings to the Lightning is reason enough to celebrate today’s deal but the fact that the intricacies of the transaction have made a positive impact in several areas for the organization should make fans appreciate what’s happening here tenfold.

And who knows? Maybe these statue crazies are onto something after all…

JJ

jjordan79@tampabay.rr.com
JJ on Twitter

Yzerman continues building the Bolts

New Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman continues to remake the Lightning roster. After re-signing Marty St. Louis and signing goalie Dan Ellis and defenseman Pavel Kubina last week, Stevie Y stayed busy this week.

Bolts re-sign defenseman Mike Lundin and forward Teddy Purcell

The Lightning re-signed both defenseman Mike Lundin and right wing Teddy Purcell to one-year, $750,000 contracts on Tuesday.

Lundin has appeared in 155 games in three seasons with Tampa Bay. Last season he totaled three goals and ten assists and was a minus-four. Mike has proven that he belongs in the NHL. He was one of the few Lightning defenseman that was dependable.

Purcell was acquired by the Bolts from the Kings last season. In 19 games he recorded three goals and six assists. In 110 career games over his three seasons, he has 11 goals and 23 assists.

This is a solid signing by GM Steve Yzerman. Purcell has great hands and is a good skater. The knock on him has been that he won’t get involved along the boards and shies away from contact. He proved otherwise last season in his short stint with the Bolts. This is a player that can dominate offensively. Keep a close eye on him.

Lightning sign veteran defenseman Brett Clark

Former Avalanche defenseman Brett Clark signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Lightning on Monday.

Clark spent the previous six seasons with Colorado and last season he had three goals and 20 points with a plus-six over 64 games.

“In Brett Clark, we are adding an experienced, intelligent defenseman who plays the game efficiently,” said GM Steve Yzerman said. “He’ll not only help steady and stabilize our defense, we expect him to help mentor our younger defensemen as they grow and develop. We are pleased he elected to join the Lightning today.”

Clark’s career spans 517 games including stints with Montreal and Atlanta. He has totaled 34 goals and 105 assists and is a minus-27.

Clark seems to be a bit of an enigma. He’s known as a shot blocker and good passer, but turns the puck over way too much. Many Avalanche bloggers and fans were happy to see Clark go.

In adding Clark, the Lightning are preparing for the departure of defenseman Paul Ranger .

Coach Guy Boucher was quoted as saying. “The goaltending is set, the defense is set, we are still looking to fill 2-3 forward spots.”

Nate Thompson files for salary arbitration

Center Nate Thompson, was the only Lightning player to file for arbitration. Nate and the Lightning will negotiate until the yet to be scheduled hearing. In 32 games with the Bolts last season, he had one goal and three assists. He is a great face-off man and a solid defensive forward.

I have been a Thompson supporter since he came to the Lightning last year, but this is shocking to me. What has he done to deserve more than $550,000?

Lightning prospects take over the Forum

Lightning Prospects Camp begins on Saturday.

The camp will have 31 players split into two groups; with this year’s sixth overall pick, Brett Connolly and 2009 first-round pick Carter Ashton on the roster.

Lightning coach Guy Boucher said of the camp, “Every year guys have a shot, sometimes it’s the people that we think, sometimes there are surprises, sometimes there are people that are more ready then others, and it really depends on how they conduct themselves this week, but its mostly what they do come camp time. This week is not a training camp. A lot of people want it to be, but its not. Its a development camp, so we put the emphasis on development, on them feeling good being there, learning skills and what they need to do on and off ice. Basically learning what they need to do to become a pro.”

I attended the camp every day last year and it was a great place to be on a hot summer day in Tampa. With free admission and unprecedented access to the Bolts “Young Guns, it is hard to beat. Get all the details here.

GM Steve Yzerman still has work to do.

The Lightning currently has only five forwards (St. Louis, Lecavalier, Stamkos, Malone and Purcell) signed to go with eight defensemen (Ohlund, Hedman, Clark, Walker, Kubina, Smaby, Lashoff and Lundin) and the two goalies (Smith and Ellis).

Yzerman has stated that, for now the Lightning will roster eight defensemen.

“It doesn’t mean we will and I’m not saying for certain, but for the time being having eight defensemen isn’t too many,” Yzerman said. ” It’s better if we had the flexibility of one or two on two-way (contracts), but this give me a chance to assess and see where they are.”

While it seems that Yzerman wants defenseman Paul Ranger in the fold, he is proceeding like the team will go forward without him. Yzerman said he has had contact with Ranger’s agent, but that, “the player’s future has not been nailed down.” Coach Boucher talked about the Ranger situation in Tampa’s Creative Loafing: “We feel that he is a guy that is definitely a solid defenseman who can help our squad. It always depends on where he is in his life right now. We will find out in the coming months how he feels and if he is ready to come back. We are not here to push people. I think the worst thing you can do in circumstances like that is make speculations on how he feels and what he wants. So we are patient in this case.”

Certainly forwards Nate Thompson and Steve Downie will be a part of this team, but the fate of the rest of the free agent Lightning forwards is not known. Adam Hall, Paul Szczechura, James Wright, Blair Jones, Carter Ashton, Niklas Persson, Johan Harju and Dana Tyrell are in the mix.

The Bruins have officially signed Mark Recchi to a one-year extension.

There’s not much left for winger Mark Recchi to accomplish in his Hall of Fame career, but that didn’t stop the 42-year old ‘Recching Ball’ from coming back for a third round with the Boston Bruins. Signing of a one-year extension worth one million dollars with nearly a half-million more in various incentive, Recchi’s return to the club in Boston shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone in the Hub.

Originally acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009 for Providence Bruin Martins Karsums along with former-highly-touted blue-line prospect Matt Lashoff, Recchi’s tenure in Boston was supposed to be a brief run to provide some Cup experience to a team lacking in playoff experience up front.

Recchi would make an instant impression on Bruins fans when he scored two goals against the Chicago Blackhawks in his second game as a Bruin on March 7th, 2009 and would exemplify the qualities of a natural leader while helping B’s center Patrice Bergeron regain his offensive swagger in the process. Finishing with 22 points in 29 games including the playoffs and playing in Game 7 against Carolina a night after having surgery to remove kidney-stones, Recchi’s regained energy resulted in the winger returning to Boston for what he deemed a “final-go” at hoisting Lord Stanley.

Returning to Boston and becoming a staple as an alternate-captain for the B’s, the vocal Recchi was never short of a quote or a swift-kick in the rear for his teammates as the team bumbled for most of the season while the ageless Recchi put up 43 points in 81 games and passed Habs legend Guy LaFleur for 21st all time on the NHL’s goals list. Finishing the season tops among Bruins wingers in points and assists, Recchi headed towards his potential final Stanley Cup Playoff run.

Playing as the Bruins’ most-productive performer in the playoffs with six goals in 13 contests, Recchi realized more than anybody else just how close the Bruins were to the Eastern Conference Finals before slipping in four straight contests.

“It’s up there [the loss].” Recchi said following Game 7. “I’ve had some Game 7s losing in the semifinals, but this one hurts. You don’t get too many chances to get to the third round. We had an opportunity to go to the Stanley Cup, and if we had taken that step, it would have been huge. That’s what we play for.”

Despite the morale-crushing loss, Recchi remained adamant on his desire to return in black-and-gold and continue to aid the Bruins in their attempt to end a 38-year Cup drought. Recchi still believes that the Bruins have the chance to compete for Lord Stanley next season and was quoted as saying the poise of goaltender Tuukka Rask reminds him of the same style of Cam Ward, who Recchi won a Cup with in 2006.

So just what does Recchi bring to the table that makes this deal so good for Boston?

For starters, Recchi is still a valuable contributor to any teams top-nine. He still plays with the spark of a rookie with his hustle and drive to the net, and can be a nuisance to any goaltenders field of vision on the power-play with his screens and redirects. Also providing some much needed veteran leadership on a team desperate for a killer-instinct, something Recchi attributed to their epic collapse in May, Recchi third go-round in the Hub is sure to help the newest Bruin Tyler Seguin adapt to the NHL and perhaps teach fellow undersized winger Brad Marchand a thing or two about how to use his lack of size.

While Recchi will be turning 43-years old next season, the positives of retaining Recchi’s veteran presence outweigh the negatives.

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Mark Recchi and the B's march into Tampa tonight for a battle for eighth with Marty St. Louis and the Bolts.

After rattling off two straight wins and ending a ten-game long losing streak, the Boston Bruins sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and are just two points out of the eighth seed. Basically, they avoided calamity for now and are right back in the thick of a crowded Eastern Conference. Among those teams in the chase for the bottom four spots in the Playoffs are the Tampa Bay Lightning, who currently sit in the eighth seed, and wouldn’t ‘ya know it, it’s going to be the Bruins and Bolts tonight in Tampa in a battle for the sole possession of the final playoff spot, for now.

Riding the hot hand with Tuukka Rask, the Boston Bruins have excelled in the ‘pressure’ aspect of play with their return to great offensive looks and an even more impressive shutdown defensive game. In four straight starts for the Bruins, Rask is 2-0-2 and has a .956 save percentage including his latest 43-save effort against the Northeast-leading Buffalo Sabres. Acting as an impenetrable wall for the Bruins, the Bolts will be countering with fellow Finnish goaltender and former-Flyer Antero Niittymaki.

Signed over the off-season to replace never-ending list of Tampa back-up’s in 2008-09, the results of Niittymaki since donning the black and blue have without question exceeded the expectations he arrived with. Battling with the ill-tempered Mike Smith for the role of starter on Rick Tocchet’s Bolts, and apparently surpassing him, Niittymaki has not lost in regulation since January 19th and has gone 7-0-1 in his last eight starts with an unearthly 1.08 goals against average over that span.

With these two goaltenders leading their team in the right direction in the crease as opposed to their usual spot on the end of the bench,  just which Finnish “back-up” has the advantage in net in tonight’s contest?

Besides the obvious need for the Bruins to keep on rolling with their winning ways for a strong finish before the Olympic break, tonight’s match-up is beyond crucial in terms of moving up into the eighth seed with an advantage over the Lightning in terms of tie-breakers. With both clubs playing in their 59th game of the 2009-10 season tonight, the Bruins currently have 25 wins compared to the Bolts’ 26, and with both clubs having 11 overtime losses a Boston regulation win would push the B’s ahead of the Lightning with a 2-1 season-series lead over the Bolts.

Related YouTube Video of the Night

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bruins forward Byron Bitz and Tampa Bay tough-guy Zenon Konopka got into a scrap in the last match-up back on December 28th, 2009. It’s a weak related video of the night, but hey, blame YouTube for not realizing how pivotal these Lightning vs. Bruins game will be. What the heck kind of name is Zenon anyhow?

Stats to Note & Players to Watch

* Bruins winger Mark Recchi has three assists in three games against the Lightning since being traded from Tampa Bay to Boston last year. The return for Recchi, Martins Karsums and Matt Lashoff, have yet to appear in a game for the 2009-10 Lightning and have been fizzling for the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League.

* In six games since returning from a leg injury, Marco Sturm has three goals and four points.

* Matt Hunwick has a whopping zero points in his last 13 games and is a -5 over that span.

* Steven Stamkos is currently riding a 10-game point streak and has seven goals in the streak.

* The subject of many trade rumors, Martin St. Louis had the game-winning goal against the Bruins back on December 28th.

* Despite sputtering through October and November with just 5 goals, Vincent Lecavalier now sits with 15 on the season. To put that in perspective as to just how miserable the Boston offense has been, he’d be second on the Bruins and just three behind Marco Sturm for the team lead.

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They had four players that netted 20 or more goals and six players in total that had double-digit goals. Martin St. Louis (30 goals. 50 assists and 80 points) was a bright spot for the Bolts.

The offense was 25th in the NHL with 207 goals scored and the defense finished 27th in the NHL giving up 269 goals.

The power play was 19th in the league, scoring on 17.8 percent of their chances while the penalty kill was 26th in the league, killing off 78 percent while short handed.

Additions: Alex Tanguay (Montreal), Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver), Matt Walker (Chicago), Todd Fedoruk (Phoenix), Stephane Veilleux (Minnesota), David Hale (Phoenix), Antero Nittymaki (Philadelphia) and Kurtis Foster (Minnesota).

Subtractions: David Koci (Colorado), Richard Petoit (Chicago), Brandon Segal (Los Angeles), Noah Welch (Atlanta), Cory Murphy (New Jersey), Jason Ward (Philadelphia), Radim Vrbata (Phoenix), Wade Brookbank (Pittsburgh), Josef Melichar (HC Czech Budejovice) and Vinny Prospal (Contract Buy-Out).

Goaltending
The biggest question coming into this season is the goaltending. This question has been answered positively…so far. Mike Smith looks to be over his post concussion syndrome and has been solid in his four-preseason games, posting a 1.67 GAA and a .942 save percentage. He has survived being hit and run over and is no worse for the wear. Backup netminder Antero Niittymaki has been sharp and looks to be over the hip injury that bothered him last season.

Goaltending should be a strong suit for the Lightning this season, as long as the injury bug stays away.

Forwards
The team’s top two lines are scary good. Vincent Lecavalier flanked by newcomer Alex Tanguay and Steve Downie will be a formidable group. Vinny looks to be in great shape and is poised to regain his position as a top five NHL forward. Free agent acquisition Alex Tanguay has skated well and will provide some much-needed scoring punch to the lineup. Winger Steve Downie has played inspiring hockey in the preseason. He has earned his shot and will be a solid physical presence on the first line. Can he control his emotions and keep his head right? Stay tuned.

Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Ryan Malone will skate together on the second line. Marty and Stammer have that “special something” between them and Ryan Malone is ready to have the best season of his career. Many fans are calling for Marty to play with Vinny on the first line. This may be warranted, given the fact that we know from past experience that they can be dynamic together, but coach Tocchet wants two solid scoring lines and is hesitant to separate Marty and Steven Stamkos after last seasons stretch of brilliance from them. Can you blame him?

The third line looks to be centered by veteran Jeff Halpern with young James Wright and Drew Miller at his side. This is where the Lightning offense takes a huge step down. It looks to me like gritty Halpern has finally lost a step and the young James Wright is a total wild card. Drew Miller will play well but is not someone that can carry this line.

The fourth line is a toss up, but based on last night’s game, it should be Zenon Konopka flanked by Todd Fedoruk and Stephane Veilleux.

Ryan Craig, Adam Hall and Brandon Bochenski were put on waivers today and Brett McLean was released.

Defense
I’m not going to get into last years numbers and man games lost to injury. Suffice it to say, the Lightning defense was nothing short of horrible. The Bolts blue liners can’t help but be better this season, can they? GM Brian Lawton has done an admirable job of bringing in key free agents to play with the number two overall pick Victor Hedman. Mattias Ohlund is a veteran that is tremendous at killing penalties and will provide great leadership for all the Bolts blue line corps. Kurtis Foster is a solid power play contributor with a cannon of a slap shot, but will need to be good five on five to remain an integral part of the team. Matt Walker brings his rough and tumble style of play to the Lightning. He is a solid stay at home type of defender. Having Paul Ranger and Andrej Meszaros healthy will make a huge difference for the Bolt defense.

The defensive pairings may end up different, but for now they look like this:

Mattias Ohlund-Victor Hedman
Paul Ranger-Matt Walker
Andrej Meszaros-Kurtis Foster

Two of the remaining five defensemen (Matt Lashoff, Matt Smaby, Mike Lundin, David Hale and Lukas Krajicek) will make the squad.

According to TBO.com’s Erik Erlenndsson: “General Manager Brian Lawton said on Saturday that some of the trade talk has picked up a little bit, and it’s no secret he would like to move Lukas Krajicek and his $1.475 million contract to another team since he obviously didn’t crack the top six, even though he has not had a bad training camp. If I were to venture a guess as to who the two defensemen who stay are, I would say Matt Smaby hangs around and perhaps Matt Lashoff. In my opinion, those are the two players who they would have to put through waivers that wouldn’t want to lose to another team. I don’t want to imply that David Hale or Mike Lundin are expendable, but the Smaby provides an element of toughness that outside of Matt Walker the team doesn’t have and Lashoff has too much of an upside to possibly lose him for nothing, plus even if they are able to sneak him to Norfolk on Tuesday, they could potentially lose him on re-entry waivers, which means he might be stuck down in Norfolk the whole season (although that might not be the worst thing in the world for his development especially since he is on a one-way deal next year.)”

The NHL requires that the final rosters be turned in by Wednesday. That leaves less than 48 hours for the Bolts brass to decide on the opening night team. Rick Tocchet and his staff need to give two more players the bad news to get down to the 23-player maximum.

Predictions
The much-improved Lightning will finish third in the Southeast Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming season puckheads?

Earlier, forward Carter Ashton was sent to his junior team in Lethbridge.

Radek Smolenak was claimed on waivers by Chicago on Friday, leaving 29 players in camp with just one more preseason game remaining on the schedule,  Sunday in Atlanta. The Lightning roster will be trimmed down to 23 players by Wednesday prior the start of the regular season October 3 in Atlanta.

Who’s left?

Sixteen forwards:  Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone, Alex Tanguay, Steve Downie, Jeff Halpern, Drew Miller, James Wright, Todd Fedoruk, Brett McLean, Brandon Bochenski, Zenon Konopka, Stephane Veilleux, Ryan Craig and Adam Hall

Eleven defensemen:  Mattias Ohlund, Victor Hedman, Paul Ranger, Andrej Meszaros, Kurtis Foster, Matt Walker, Matt Smaby, Matt Lashoff, Mike Lundin, Lukas Krajicek and David Hale

Two goaltenders:  Mike Smith and Antero Niittymaki