Speculation: 2023-2024 General Lightning Discussion - Part 5

[Hockeyville USA]

Holes that I noticed:
1. We don't have a 2nd line RW + Cirelli is not good enough as a 2nd line center
2. 3rd line is just terrible. Eyssimont-Paul-Sheary? lol one big hole. Eyssimont and Sheary are 4th liners in any contender (If they even make the roster)
3. our best RD is Erik Cernak looks terrible last year + injured all the time.
4. no backup for Vasy
let's not forget that Kuch may not score 150 points again. so overall this is still a WC level team.

Wouldn't be surprised if Goncalves and/or Duke become mainstays in Tampa. Eyssimont has had stretches of looking like a good 3rd liner, but then does little for awhile.

 

[DFC]

I thought we had another move coming but now I'm not so sure. We are a lot closer to the cap with a 23 man roster than I thought we would be. My guess is JBB feels it out, but there might not be anything out there to do. I'm also not sure who we could even trade to make it work.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

It's interesting that the only player we were attached to (other than Guentzel) was Henrique. Seems like we pitched him pretty hard. I honestly don't know much about him. What is his profile? Might give a good insight of what they are looking for for that top 6 spot.

 

[Rschmitz]

Or they just threw all the newly signed names on the roster site until camp.

I mean is anybody thinking Pouliot is our 7th defenseman over Corzier or Lilleberg?

Wouldn't be surprised if Goncalves and/or Duke become mainstays in Tampa. Eyssimont has had stretches of looking like a good 3rd liner, but then does little for awhile.

Gonclaves being waiver vulnerable has to mean he's NHL bound, right?

 

[Felonious Python]

It's interesting that the only player we were attached to (other than Guentzel) was Henrique. Seems like we pitched him pretty hard. I honestly don't know much about him. What is his profile? Might give a good insight of what they are looking for for that top 6 spot.

Henrique is a 34-year-old lefty shot C/LW, who is more of a scorer. He also plays bumper (Point's role) on the PP.


Columbus has taken a while naming a coach, but once we know that, we can figure out if Laine will be on the move.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

It's interesting that the only player we were attached to (other than Guentzel) was Henrique. Seems like we pitched him pretty hard. I honestly don't know much about him. What is his profile? Might give a good insight of what they are looking for for that top 6 spot.

Looks like JBB's plan is to get better 5v5 and defensively as a team. Every move this off-season fits into those 2 categories.

1. Did it make us better defensively?
2. Did it help us 5v5?

McDonagh, Moser, Girgensons, Guentzel all 100% fit both of those categories.

Ylonen, Atkinson are kind of up in the air which one of those they will fill.

I expect if there is another move, they will have to fit one if not both of those categories.

 

[Rschmitz]

Yeah it's clear, big emphasis on shot suppression heading into next season.

 

[Outl4w]

We had like 5 holes in the lineup last year and now we have 1 and "we're not a better team", you guys are too funny.

The defense improvement alone is significant.

We have yet to see it improved yet with a year older mcd and hedmonster .

I think they're just all that's left for guys with a shot at playing top6.

Do we have any players we could trade aside from Cirelli (we can't open up a hole at C to fill one at W)? Doesn't seem like there are any decent things UFA options left.

Perbix or raddysh could easily trade for a top9 forward who can slot up and down the lineup

 

[ccman68]

raddysh disrespect here is crazy. man played more 5v5 minutes than hedman last year and people still act like he's some third pair D

 

[Todd1a]

PuckPedia is also presuming that Jesse Ylonen is on the NHL roster.

It's more like we have $1.5m in cap space.

Correct

Or they just threw all the newly signed names on the roster site until camp.

I mean is anybody thinking Pouliot is our 7th defenseman over Corzier or Lilleberg?

I’d say they start with Lilleberg but it could be crozier

I still think perbix will be traded and Lilleberg and crozier will both be on the roster

 

[barriers]

Gonclaves being waiver vulnerable has to mean he's NHL bound, right?

I was wondering the same thing. Quite a few people penciling Ylonen into the lineup.

 

[Bartleby]

A new "Lightning Power Lunch" just dropped. Unquestionably a post-Stamkos PR attempt to try to justify all of the moves. To be clear, I support all of the moves, incl. Sergy, whose game I have never liked given his salary, but it's still a bit pathetic and transparent when you listen to it.

 

[The Gongshow]

Henrique is a 34-year-old lefty shot C/LW, who is more of a scorer. He also plays bumper (Point's role) on the PP.


Columbus has taken a while naming a coach, but once we know that, we can figure out if Laine will be on the move.

I'd be down for 2 years of Laine, but even at 50% retained we can't afford him now. I guess players would go back to make the cap room. Kuch could make that guy turn his career around.

 

[Bartleby]

I'd be down for 2 years of Laine, but even at 50% retained we can't afford him now. I guess players would go back to make the cap room. Kuch could make that guy turn his career around.

We're not going to get him for the reason you mentioned, but I wouldn't touch him. For a team that has struggled over the past few years with total team defense, Laine would be the last thing you need.

 

[TampaIceman]

Gonclaves being waiver vulnerable has to mean he's NHL bound, right?

No one is claiming Gonclaves

 

[T REX]

Vasy or bust!

 

[DFC]

Barry Trotz was on TSN's Overdrive (yesterday, I think), and an interesting tidbit came out. McDonagh asked if Trotz could trade him back to TB, specifically. I'm not sure if that was out there before.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Barry Trotz was on TSN's Overdrive (yesterday, I think), and an interesting tidbit came out. McDonagh asked if Trotz could trade him back to TB, specifically. I'm not sure if that was out there before.

I think it was mentioned how Trotz was a total gentleman about the situation and made the trade happen that McD was asking for.

 

[Todd1a]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811520845610971260

 

[AHockeyFanatic]

Were getting old boys but look at Nashville:

 

[Rschmitz]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811520845610971260

Been saying this for 3 years now

I think it was mentioned how Trotz was a total gentleman about the situation and made the trade happen that McD was asking for.

Yeah Trotz said they were looking to shed salary and since we were offering a pick it made sense for everyone.

 

[bov]

1.505 m in cap still isn't enough for 2 players unless they sent down Lilleberg and replace him with someone making 775ish. The 12 and 6 seem obvious, I guess everyone else will batle it out in training camp for the depth spots. It's a shame we'll have such a soft and tiny team and it will cost them eventually, but that group should at least make the playoffs.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Were getting old boys but look at Nashville:
View attachment 894366

Nashville trying to bridge the gap between their current core and their future core. They didn't want to have to rush Askarov, Svechkov, Kemell, Wood, Molendyk into the league. We will see if that works or if those guys get blocked & stagnate. We will see.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

I thought we had another move coming but now I'm not so sure. We are a lot closer to the cap with a 23 man roster than I thought we would be. My guess is JBB feels it out, but there might not be anything out there to do. I'm also not sure who we could even trade to make it work.

I think we’re done for now. We’ll enter training camp with a lot of players competing for forward spots.

Atkinson, Goncalves, Gauthier, Ylonen, Geekie, Groshev are all possibilities for the 2nd line. If two of those guys perform well we could even push Sheary down.

If that doesn’t work, make a trade in season. Waiting until the trade deadline may be too late.

 

[These Are The Days]

I think we’re done for now. We’ll enter training camp with a lot of players competing for forward spots.

Atkinson, Goncalves, Gauthier, Ylonen, Geekie, Groshev are all possibilities for the 2nd line. If two of those guys perform well we could even push Sheary down.

If that doesn’t work, make a trade in season. Waiting until the trade deadline may be too late.

I don't know if we have a single viable forward prospect ready to make the jump outside of Goncalves. If there is any one consistency in the Jon Cooper era other than defenders not playing on their off hand, it's the near refusal to develop prospects at the NHL level. In 10 years we developed Point and Sergachev without some 150 games and 2 years of AHL time. Like thats it. Maybe Killorn too. If the Lightning have a role in mind for you and you don't meet it, you either get traded or turned into another ABB or Slater Koekkoek. For Goncalves' sake he better hope they see a career 4th liner and they don't yeet him back to Syracuse if he plays like one in his *checks* 3rd career game onwards