Speculation: 2022-2023 General Lightning Discussion - Part 2

[Byrddog]

If Vasi is a wall to start we have a great chance as teams will lose confidence and you can just play defense out, if he takes 4-5 games to start getting into form like the last 2 years we're probably toast.

Especially against the Loafs. Game one and two are critical. And it comes down to shutting down Mathew’s and Marner. In the past if they were held to 1 goal between them then that was enough. Now our scoring has decreased so some how our weakest part of the game D is saddled with controlling the Leafs offense. I’m not sure our guys are up to the task even on there best days. They are going to have to limit the number of times they go to the box. This means the grit needs to be controlled, have to play physical but refrain from stupid penalties thing of Sergi there and to a greater point Jeannot, Maroon and Perry as well. While Maroon and Perry draw more than they commit I don’t think young Jeannot and Kuch to a degree can . Kuch is my favorite player but his temper gets to him far too often he get those slashing and roughing calls too often for a guy so important to be on the ice.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Imitation is flattery.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Bartleby]

.......... Kuch is my favorite player but his temper gets to him far too often he get those slashing and roughing calls too often for a guy so important to be on the ice.

100% a function of whether we are winning or losing so if he starts taking those kinds of penalties it will almost certainly mean that we're already cooked.

It's a bit ironic really because while it is virtually impossible to figure out where his passes are headed, it is rarely difficult to know where is head is at.

 

[DFC]

100% a function of whether we are winning or losing so if he starts taking those kinds of penalties it will almost certainly mean that we're already cooked.

It's a bit ironic really because while it is virtually impossible to figure out where his passes are headed, it is rarely difficult to know where is head is at.

While I wish he would dial it in, I think playing on that edge, and having a reputation, has helped him over the years. He doesn't get fxxxed with as much as some other stars on his tier.

 

[Stammertime91]

While I wish he would dial it in, I think playing on that edge, and having a reputation, has helped him over the years. He doesn't get fxxxed with as much as some other stars on his tier.

Plot twist: There's nobody on his tier.

 

[Bartleby]

While I wish he would dial it in, I think playing on that edge, and having a reputation, has helped him over the years. He doesn't get fxxxed with as much as some other stars on his tier.

Plot twist: There's nobody on his tier.

McDavid is the greatest talent and Crosby is a winner and below them are another 20 or so truly elite players in the league. But off to the side somewhere is Kuch. He is not McDavid or Crosby but he is more than elite. He is unique. No one does what he does in the way that he does it. However, his Achilles heel is or can be his temperament. But I agree, for whatever reason he does not get f**ked with nearly as much as one might expect.

 

[Sky04]

While I wish he would dial it in, I think playing on that edge, and having a reputation, has helped him over the years. He doesn't get fxxxed with as much as some other stars on his tier.

If there's one thing I've noticed in recent years is that right an outburst like that he usually comes out dominant the following game. I think it was against the Islanders and another one against the Leafs where he did something stupid and we lost the game then won the following game off his back. He's just gotta make sure it's something suspension worthy like that Columbus play.

 

[Ducati Boy]

If I was among the top Lightning brass (full disclosure: I’m not) I’d be full on balls-to-the-wall involved in the NCAA free agent rush.

Given our depleted prospect depth we could promise these guys that, if they show the goods, they could be debuting sooner than they might think.

 

[These Are The Days]

If I was among the top Lightning brass (full disclosure: I’m not) I’d be full on balls-to-the-wall involved in the NCAA free agent rush.

Given our depleted prospect depth we could promise these guys that, if they show the goods, they could be debuting sooner than they might think.

There's a reason no one going the NCAA route wants to come here. Who wants to do 3/4 years of college only to see Tampa turn around and basically demand that you pay tribute in the AHL no matter how much you don't need to and your call ups consist of watching Corey Perry's swan song from the press box? Like the last guy whose development we didn't completely f*** up on was Sergachev like 5 years ago and then Brayden Point before that. Cole Guttman and Sammy Walker both told us to pound sand because it might as well be a damn fact we were gonna do this to them. They might have to go the AHL way but the Hawks and Wild aren't gonna dick them the way we do to young guys coming up

We might find diamonds in the rough but no organization in professional sports overthinks young player development like we do

 

[Sky04]

There's a reason no one going the NCAA route wants to come here. Who wants to do 3/4 years of college only to see Tampa turn around and basically demand that you pay tribute in the AHL no matter how much you don't need to and your call ups consist of watching Corey Perry's swan song from the press box? Like the last guy whose development we didn't completely f*** up on was Sergachev like 5 years ago and then Brayden Point before that. Cole Guttman and Sammy Walker both told us to pound sand because it might as well be a damn fact we were gonna do this to them. They might have to go the AHL way but the Hawks and Wild aren't gonna dick them the way we do to young guys coming up

We might find diamonds in the rough but no organization in professional sports overthinks young player development like we do

If only there was a college player who spent almost no time in the AHL playing a top 4 role for us right now in 2023.

Or that other defensive prospect we called up and became a top pairing shut down defenseman through 2 cup wins.

Or that guy who scored the cup winning goal in 2021 as a rookie and made the team all from a couple of strong pre-season games.

Tampa development has been fine, they've knocked it out of the park really, there hasn't been a Slater Koekkoek issue in almost a decade. Who has performed in the AHL and not been given a chance on the main team? ABB has gotten multiple opportunities, they basically handed Cal Foote a roster spot hoping he'd pan out, Verhaghe lead the AHL in scoring, was given a roster spot the following season and won a cup, Stephens? Volkov? Raddysh? Kathouck? Joseph? All given chances, if anything you look at the cases of Raddysh and Foote, their play stagnated in the minors and yet they were still given chances - the organization has definitely gotten more lenient as they're trying to salvage any sort of talent they can.

 

[Byrddog]

100% a function of whether we are winning or losing so if he starts taking those kinds of penalties it will almost certainly mean that we're already cooked.

It's a bit ironic really because while it is virtually impossible to figure out where his passes are headed, it is rarely difficult to know where is head is at.

Kuch is such a talent that only Point is comparable on the team. His mind is far ahead of opposing teams . Points experience with him on a line shows it was also why Palat excelled in a line with him. His offensive mind creates chances something that Hagel struggles with. Hagel struggles with finishing and honestly should have over 30 goals already just from the Kuch effect. Stammer has the ability but when he is moved up that 2nd line just becomes ineffective. The only other player on the roster that could be effective IMO would be Colton but it would require 30 games in the line for it to reach max productivity. Coop just will not do that. At the first of the season if he had put Colton on the 1st it would have solidified. I’m not sure what to do with Hagel third line with Cirelli and x. Reunite Stammer Killorn and Paul. This would align the O better and provide a net front guy on each line Point Killorn Jeannot probably on 3rd and Perry on the 4th. It could not hurt the bottom 9 where only Killorn is scoring at the moment.

 

[Ducati Boy]

There's a reason no one going the NCAA route wants to come here. Who wants to do 3/4 years of college only to see Tampa turn around and basically demand that you pay tribute in the AHL no matter how much you don't need to and your call ups consist of watching Corey Perry's swan song from the press box? Like the last guy whose development we didn't completely f*** up on was Sergachev like 5 years ago and then Brayden Point before that. Cole Guttman and Sammy Walker both told us to pound sand because it might as well be a damn fact we were gonna do this to them. They might have to go the AHL way but the Hawks and Wild aren't gonna dick them the way we do to young guys coming up

We might find diamonds in the rough but no organization in professional sports overthinks young player development like we do

A free agent college stud might look at a roster like Anaheim’s and think, ‘Hey I could jump right in tomorrow’ but that would be forgetting that most of those lower-tier teams have a conga line of hotshot prospects ahead of them on the depth chart.

With the Bolts, they’d move right to the top of that chart and, while there’s little chance they‘d see ice time this year with any contender, next season there’s a good chance they could replace our schoolbus line or 3rd pairing DF. Smarter long term move with a proven organization if I’m that prospect.

Im looking at you, Jake Livingstone.

 

[Felonious Python]

There's a reason no one going the NCAA route wants to come here. Who wants to do 3/4 years of college only to see Tampa turn around and basically demand that you pay tribute in the AHL no matter how much you don't need to and your call ups consist of watching Corey Perry's swan song from the press box? Like the last guy whose development we didn't completely f*** up on was Sergachev like 5 years ago and then Brayden Point before that. Cole Guttman and Sammy Walker both told us to pound sand because it might as well be a damn fact we were gonna do this to them. They might have to go the AHL way but the Hawks and Wild aren't gonna dick them the way we do to young guys coming up

We might find diamonds in the rough but no organization in professional sports overthinks young player development like we do

There probably are undervalued free agents in Europe (Usov, Ryfors) or other colleges (lower D-I conferences, D-III, USports) that they could focus on.

I've always figured that if they added more contract spots to NHL teams, they'd largely use them on Europeans. NA hockey is very efficient at sorting players.

 

[Lightning1995]

I like the look of the top 6 tonight. Obviously the whole team was better. Paul can play a shutdown role with Cirelli but hasnt been able to produce much as the 3C. Maybe Stammer could provide some bottom 6 punch? I have felt like he and Colton have some chemistry at times last year. Jeannot could protect him, but not sure if he can play with Stammer or not…..worth a look thouh

 

[Stammertime91]

Katchouk 1g 2a
Raddysh 3g 0a

6-3 W over Boston. Lol. Hagel trade winning in more ways than one.

 

[DFC]

There's a reason no one going the NCAA route wants to come here. Who wants to do 3/4 years of college only to see Tampa turn around and basically demand that you pay tribute in the AHL no matter how much you don't need to and your call ups consist of watching Corey Perry's swan song from the press box? Like the last guy whose development we didn't completely f*** up on was Sergachev like 5 years ago and then Brayden Point before that. Cole Guttman and Sammy Walker both told us to pound sand because it might as well be a damn fact we were gonna do this to them. They might have to go the AHL way but the Hawks and Wild aren't gonna dick them the way we do to young guys coming up

We might find diamonds in the rough but no organization in professional sports overthinks young player development like we do

...Honestly man, I don't know how you come up with this stuff.

 

[Sky04]

A Brandon Hagel extension is looking like it's going to hit the 7M range at this rate.

 

[Stammertime91]

You have to keep him but he's definitely making things difficult given how well he's producing. He's probably a lock for 60 points on this team and going forward, a part of the core.

 

[These Are The Days]

...Honestly man, I don't know how you come up with this stuff.

This is why I rarely drink. I forgot I even crafted that masterpiece and forgot half the team. I'll mildly defend my blackout shit posting with this: young players will want to avoid Tampa like the plague because they most often get their opportunities out of sheer necessity of roster turnover. Perbix would be on a bus in Syracuse right now if we still had Rutta. We have gutted like half our farm because we can't afford to be patient anyway and when they're not that great here, we trade them off. I have been fine with what we've had to do but it's disappointing as hell to see someone like Raddysh take off elsewhere and the likes of Guttman and Walker going elsewhere so we don't grind them to death. I completely get why they passed us up.



Actually screw you guys my shit posting was glorious.

/Jim Lahey

 

[RussianGuyovich]

i will never apologize for my drunk posting

but i will defend to the death your right to sober post

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

At least Hagel will be an RFA when his deal is up. Worst case scenario we recoup assets for him if he becomes too expensive.

 

[These Are The Days]

At least Hagel will be an RFA when his deal is up. Worst case scenario we recoup assets for him if he becomes too expensive.

If we wouldn't trade a guy like Killorn or a guy like Sergachev who'd have fetched a small treasure trove, we aren't trading Hagel. He'll get $7 million, the cap will go down, we'll collectively curse Bally for ruining everything and pray Goncalves, Finley and Thompson can save us

 

[DFC]

This is why I rarely drink. I forgot I even crafted that masterpiece and forgot half the team. I'll mildly defend my blackout shit posting with this: young players will want to avoid Tampa like the plague because they most often get their opportunities out of sheer necessity of roster turnover. Perbix would be on a bus in Syracuse right now if we still had Rutta. We have gutted like half our farm because we can't afford to be patient anyway and when they're not that great here, we trade them off. I have been fine with what we've had to do but it's disappointing as hell to see someone like Raddysh take off elsewhere and the likes of Guttman and Walker going elsewhere so we don't grind them to death. I completely get why they passed us up.



Actually screw you guys my shit posting was glorious.

/Jim Lahey

Raddysh is scoring goals on one of the worst teams in the league. Somebody's gonna score there.

Our development in general has been among the best in the league. Hagel was 23 when he got here and it wasnt like we held him down.

Yes, it's hard to win jobs in the nhl, and it gets harder on better teams. Our entire success arc is based on young guys coming in and out playing their draft status, or their perceived value.