Speculation: 2024-2025 General Lightning Discussion II: now accepting backup goaltenders
- Thread starter These Are The Days
- Start date
Hockeyville USA
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Just go get Devin Cooley from Calgary, who is killing it in the A right now. Flames have Wolf and Vladar ahead of Cooley. I liked most of Cooley's work in front of a bad San Jose team in limited sample last season.
Wouldn't mind giving up Groshev at this point.
Wouldn't mind giving up Groshev at this point.
Seems fair from the Athletic. JJ is terrible this year. 11. Tampa Bay Lightning, 10-6-2
Last week: 12Sean’s ranking: 12
Dom’s ranking: 11
Sean grade: B
Dom grade: B
The Lightning deserve two grades: one for Andrei Vasilevskiy games (yay!) and one for Jonas Johansson games (boooooo). The difference between the two has been stark, enough to leave the Lightning at a solid B. Tampa Bay is playing at a 100-point pace and is pretty much right in line with expectations so far — no complaints here.
Hockeyville USA
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Byrddog
Lifer
- Nov 23, 2007
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While I can agree for the simple fact Vasi will need a replacement at some point as long as he can carry the load I don't see them paying above Goodwill money to a backup.
It is a fact that JJ is not a NHL goalie. This could be even more problematic due to the geopolitical climate right now. It would be really ugly if the Russians in the league lost their work visa's. Talk about a kick in the nads, I can't imagine a team that would be crippled more than the Bolts if something does happen.
I’d really like to see Guentzel Point Kuch reunited. Coop continues use to toy with Hagel Cirelli Kuch and I d9 t get it. Cirelli and Kuch together just doesn’t make sense.
Trying to split up Point and Kuch so it’s harder for the other team to match up? I wouldn’t bother, let those three eat, they are fun to watch together.
Trying to split up Point and Kuch so it’s harder for the other team to match up? I wouldn’t bother, let those three eat, they are fun to watch together.
Peacefool
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- Nov 15, 2019
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Can we call Amir Miftakhov and say that, yes we know that you dont wanna be behind Vasy but pleeeeaseee pleeeaaseeee come back we promise you 20-30 starts at least for 2 seasons? Lightning GM can give me phone, Russian is my mother language I can speak with Amir...and my best friend wife is from Tatarstan, she can also help xD
Hockeyville USA
Registered User
Miftakhov wasn't good in the A and went back to the K because he wanted to make real money. Most of these Europeans don't want to spend much time in the A because you're making 75k taking bus rides from Syracuse to Bridgeport to Laval, etc etc. They want to be in the NHL & live that lifestyle or go back home & make real money in a familiar culture, language, be around family, etc.
Peacefool
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- Nov 15, 2019
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wasnt good is better enough than backup we have now xD Miftakhov went back cuz he said that he knew that he will not have a true chance to become nr 1 goalie behind Vasy) But he had potential.
But I agree with you that Europeans a lot of times just dont want to grind to NHL from AHL
- Jan 23, 2017
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For a few years now I've wanted us to look for a backup from Europe on a league minimum and hope they're at least decent, e.g. Vejmelka, Lankinen. Surely couldn't be worse than signing has-beens who can fall off a cliff any minute, or JJ who, well, has never been good at any point. We don't have the luxury anymore of being good enough of a team that the backup doesn't matter.
Peacefool
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I am not soooo hyped for Geekie even though I really like him playing. But I would like to see him with Kuch at same line what he can do, and what Kuch can do for him, guy has great hockey IQ, and awesome shot...but from other side Geekie and Kuch defensively would be total disaster
Peacefool
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ace chafee paul
and we are playing 3 lines and Vasy 73 games in a row xD
This is more or less what I think the focus should be on, trying to get our third line going. With respect to that, hard not to address the elephant in the room.
Ace hasn't done jack this year, we need him to find his game if we want a third scoring line.
Maelmoor
Registered User
Kevin Lankinen was available before the season started and would've been a cheap upgrade, oh well, easy to say in hindsight!
Doubt we are in on the Jiricek rumors, but wish that we were. Now that is a project I'd be more than willing to pony up for. We have nothing in the pipe on D.
Felonious Python
Minor League Degenerate
- Aug 20, 2004
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Hard to put your finger on why this is a .500 team. Sure the PP hasn’t been great but seems to be coming around. Scoring isn’t a problem and they are better 5v5 this season. Guentzel has allowed Hagel to play with Cirelli and now the Lightning have two legit scoring lines.
The bottom six isn’t great but is that the issue? Again, they score plenty as a team. I think Moser has been sound defensively. The bottom pair D isn’t great but I can’t put all these blown leads on them. McDonough is 35, Heddy is 33 and Father Time is undefeated. Maybe it’s as simple as that.
The bottom six isn’t great but is that the issue? Again, they score plenty as a team. I think Moser has been sound defensively. The bottom pair D isn’t great but I can’t put all these blown leads on them. McDonough is 35, Heddy is 33 and Father Time is undefeated. Maybe it’s as simple as that.
Special teams, schedule, JJ
They pass the eye test for me, over 3/4 of the season I have no concerns about playoff seeding.
For a team that prides itself on limiting quality shots, protecting leads, and winning tight games, we definitely suck at that though. The bulk of that blame goes on Cernak and McDonagh. They've very quietly been the largest disappointment this year. I remember one year they had like one ES goal given up when they were on the ice over the course of the entire year or something absurd, those days seem to be gone.
These Are The Days
I need about tree fiddy
I don't want to see Cernak with McDonagh anymore. I am done with it. Put Cernak with Hedman and Moser with McDonagh. That pairing is about 3 more bad games from being a sunk cost fallacy
Felonious Python
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Renopucker
Registered User
I get to see a fair amount of Rantanen out here. Guy is a big, solid, stud. That line would be puck murder. Wonder what he would cost..?
