Confirmed Trade: [TBL/SEA/DET] Y. Gourde (75% ret.), O. Bjorkstrand, K. Aucoin, 2026 5th to TBL; M. Eyssimont, 2026 1st, 2027 1st, 2025 2nd to SEA; 2025 4th to DET

[DFC]

We have and did. We just traded them for immediate help or they priced themselves out. Look at Colton, Verhaeghe, Marchessault. The same will happen with Chaffee, Perbix, Goncalves (if he keeps the same pace). We churn out solid middle 6 players like clock work. Always finding value in late rounds to keep our top end talent accommodated. Its just hilarious that the statement that Tampa doesn't develop players can come out of people's mouths.

Colton etc, again, all 27 or older.

The rest are kind of meh. The reason we need trades like this is we aren't actually developing great depth anymore. Which is fine, but I think it's a stretch to think we are still developing great players, or even impact players, left, right, and Center. Since Colton, we've been okay with fringe NHLers.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

This is TBL pushing all their chips in before this run of success is over

When you find success, you gotta make the most of it. Can’t be looking 5 years ahead when you’re nearing the end of your contending window

 

[creg]

Fans of franchises who have won nothing in the last 30 years coming in here to talk about what quality management is lol

Like genuinely what is the fair value here that makes it a massive overpay? Maybe one of the firsts is instead a second?

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Colton etc, again, all 27 or older.

The rest are kind of meh. The reason we need trades like this is we aren't actually developing great depth anymore. Which is fine, but I think it's a stretch to think we are still developing great players, or even impact players, left, right, and Center. Since Colton, we've been okay with fringe NHLers.

Its hard to develop depth when all the picks get traded, but its a different thing to say Tampa sucks at developing. There is a difference between not developing players because we suck at it, and not developing players because we trade every prospect and pick away because we are trying to win cups rather than sitting idle.

 

[DFC]

Its hard to develop depth when all the picks get traded, but its a different thing to say Tampa sucks at developing. There is a difference between not developing players because we suck at it, and not developing players because we trade every prospect and pick away because we are trying to win cups rather than sitting idle.

We've traded a lot of picks. Not a lot of prospects that have become impact players. We don't find late round gems anymore. Which is fine, because we trade those same picks for current, established players.

 

[Rschmitz]

We've traded a lot of picks. Not a lot of prospects that have become impact players. We don't find late round gems anymore. Which is fine, because we trade those same picks for current, established players.

JBB needs to find another March/Gourde/Verhage

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Solid for Seattle. They're pretty much gonna be a basement team for the next 3 seasons at most, best they rebuild.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

"Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning by the Seattle Kraken as part of a three-team trade also involving the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.

Gourde was traded to the Red Wings for unsigned defenseman Kyle Aucoin. The Red Wings, who retained 50 percent of Gourde's contract, then traded him to the Lightning for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft".

Ah the loopholes, what would humanity be without loopholes

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Should I have left it in there? I could replace it with two or three other players they traded picks for.

I see that neither you nor the previous responder could answer the question. They drafted Cirelli in 2015 and the only worthwhile players they've drafted since then are Ross Colton in 2016 and Nick Perbix in 2017. Two players in nine years. How is that "the best in the league?" It's putrid.

Great move of the goal posts.

Where did I ever stated that they were "great at drafting"?

 

[Ducati Boy]

Yzerman and Al Murray excelled at mid-late round drafting and player development. JBB’s main contribution has been to identify undervalued or potential breakout players on other teams, players that fit in to the Bolts’ needs and plans, and make the moves necessary to acquire them- after which they further developed in Tampa, with the Jeannot fiasco being the obvious exception.

 

[OilersFanatics505]

"Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning by the Seattle Kraken as part of a three-team trade also involving the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.

Gourde was traded to the Red Wings for unsigned defenseman Kyle Aucoin. The Red Wings, who retained 50 percent of Gourde's contract, then traded him to the Lightning for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft".

Ah the loopholes, what would humanity be without loopholes

It’s not a loophole if it’s specifically written that it can happen.

 

[DFC]

Yzerman and Al Murray excelled at mid-late round drafting and player development. JBB’s main contribution has been to identify undervalued or potential breakout players on other teams, players that fit in to the Bolts’ needs and plans, and make the moves necessary to acquire them- after which they further developed in Tampa, with the Jeannot fiasco being the obvious exception.

Pretty much. JBB identifies contracts he wants to acquire.

The Jeannot trade was objectively awful, but yet more evidence that he's the boldest GM in the league. The only other move that I think was bad was letting McDonagh go rather than a forward. Which has been corrected.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

It’s not a loophole if it’s specifically written that it can happen.

spirit of the law

same for LTIR

and regardless, it contradicts the concept of the cap

i'm all for it, so let's just remove the cap

 

[DFC]

spirit of the law

same for LTIR

and regardless, it contradicts the concept of the cap

i'm all for it, so let's just remove the cap

So does retention in general. Double retention has been happening for years.

 

[OilersFanatics505]

spirit of the law

same for LTIR

and regardless, it contradicts the concept of the cap

i'm all for it, so let's just remove the cap

It’s not the spirit of the law when it’s specifically written that it can only be retained twice. It’s literally just “the law”.

 

[kihei]

You have Kakko!

And a damn good thing we do. He and Wright have been the two bright lights in a dismal season.

 

[Fantomas]

Assuming that this was the best Tampa could get at the deadline, then what the hell why not. You gotta go for it. This year may be their only chance to win a cup in a good long while.

 

[Vergil]

And why wouldn't they be? These players brought them back to back Cups.
Even though the core is aging out, the Lightning still continue to be a top notch organization and a Cup contender. Gotta respect it

The only problem that I have with it is that these other teams are aware of Tampa's obsession with their own former players and are making them pay a premium for them.

Well, better that than giving up 2000 draft picks for Tanner Jeannot. I say that in jest... but he is also a former Bolt, lol.

Assuming that this was the best Tampa could get at the deadline, then what the hell why not. You gotta go for it. This year may be their only chance to win a cup in a good long while.

As long as Kuch and Hedman aren't in wheelchairs, they're gonna compete no matter what. Cooper might even drag their wheelchairs on the ice. Can't help but respect a team that will do anything to win. Yes, even use a loophole to get around the salary cap - which many contenders have been following suit on and abusing in more egregious ways.

Gotta think this is the lynchpin move that starts a tidal wave of other impulse buyers. Who gets Rantanen. That's the million dollar question.

 

[Sky04]

Brisebois took over 6 years ago and he hasn't drafted and developed one player that's currently playing for them

Well wrong, Lilliberg has played almost 100 games in the last 2 years. Goncalves has played 40 this year.

and also because he was busy building a team that made 3 finals out of those 6 years?

 

[PensandCaps]

Giving up two 1sts and a 2nd for Gourde and Bjorkstrand is insane.

Could have gotten a big fish with those assets. What the hell is Tampa doing?

 

[Rschmitz]

Giving up two 1sts and a 2nd for Gourde and Bjorkstrand is insane.

Could have gotten a big fish with those assets. What the hell is Tampa doing?

Who are the big fish that you are speaking of?

This is what our GM does, he doesn’t haggle over the cost, doesn’t mind paying up for depth. He’s not going to shop around to get the best value, he identifies who he wants and pays to get him.

 

[majormajor]

Me too. Bjorkstrand is approximately the kind of player you realistically expect out of the tail end of the first round in the first place anyway, so a team like the Bolts might as well trade it for someone who helps them now instead of waiting a few years to see if the pick develops into the kind of player that Bjorkstrand already is. Yes, there's the chance a late first round pick develops into a star, but that's counterbalanced by the chance that a late first round pick busts entirely instead, when analyzing the overall value of the asset.

Honestly I think even that is being generous. A realistic outcome for a late first is a low-end NHLer, a bottom-6/bottom pair guy who you can plug into a lineup, but won't move the needle. Bjorkstrand is significantly better than that. But otherwise I agree; even if it was a mid-round first rounder, the Bolts should still trade it, since it doesn't fit their window (just like Bjorkstrand doesn't fit the Kraken's current plan).

The average player drafted in that 23-32 range isn't even in the league ten years later.
This thread is trying so hard to find what to realistically expect from those picks and we're still wildly overestimating it.

I'd say on average you get about 2 Bjorkstrand caliber players from picks 23-32 and maybe one All-Star. Then a few average to below-average players and journeyman, and a few outright busts.

Having a look at Bjorkstrand's draft and the drafts the year before and after: there's one superstar in Pastrnak, a couple guys I'd prefer in Theodore and Kempe, a couple with more similar value in McCann and Skjei, then after that its more flawed players. A few that are still occupying a niche, but the majority of those picks from 2012-2014 (20 out of 30) are not in the NHL.

 

[majormajor]

Giving up two 1sts and a 2nd for Gourde and Bjorkstrand is insane.

Could have gotten a big fish with those assets. What the hell is Tampa doing?

Getting the fish they needed.

You should be taking notes about something you don't understand about the league.

 

[Ducati Boy]

The average player drafted in that 23-32 range isn't even in the league ten years later.
This thread is trying so hard to find what to realistically expect from those picks and we're still wildly overestimating it.

I'd say on average you get about 2 Bjorkstrand caliber players from picks 23-32 and maybe one All-Star. Then a few average to below-average players and journeyman, and a few outright busts.

Having a look at Bjorkstrand's draft and the drafts the year before and after: there's one superstar in Pastrnak, a couple guys I'd prefer in Theodore and Kempe, a couple with more similar value in McCann and Skjei, then after that its more flawed players. A few that are still occupying a niche, but the majority of those picks from 2012-2014 (20 out of 30) are not in the NHL.

This.

People in this thread read ‘first round pick’ and imagine their own team’s top 10 or top 20 pick. And laugh. Fact is, Tampa drafts late twenties to thirties. If you get a guaranteed Bjorkstrand and Gourde from those spots you’re usually happy.

As for replacing Hedman and Kuch etc. the same argument holds. You’re not going to replace those guys with picks number 25-32 unless you are very very lucky. And if you are banking on that, you can be just as lucky in the later rounds of the draft.

 

[Zwui21]

Some people here are underestimating Bjorkstrand IMO. He's a top6 winger with a great 200ft game that was on a bad team.And he's now probably gonna be playing PP1 and 5v5 minutes with Hagel and Cirelli. He's also notorious for being clutch come playoff time (same as Guentzel, this has been a trend for JBB's latest acquisitions).
In Tampa he should produce at a 60pts pace when it's all said and done.
I feel only Tuch would have been an even better fit for Tampa, but Buffalo wasn't gonna trade him for futures.

Very happy about this move, JBB is a f***ing legend for going all in year after year.