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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning

Sep 14

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Simon Gagne, Mike Smith, Sean Bergenheim

Key Offseason Additions: Mathieu Garon, Bruno Gervais, Matt Gilroy

Last Season Ranking: 5th in the East

Offense: While a few new faces will grace the roster of the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, the core of the team stays intact – a positive for a team that finished 7th in goals scored per game last season.

Martin St. Louis, Steve Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier again form the foundation of the offense. At 36, St. Louis shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Stamkos seemed to struggle with consistency in the second half last season, although 45 goals and 91 points is hardly anything to complain about. Look for these two to tear it up again this season as Stamkos looks to regain his crown as league scoring leader.

Injuries limited Lecavalier to only 65 games last season, but when he’s on the ice he is an effective player scoring 54 points. However, he really came alive in the playoffs with 19 points in 18 games. Seventy points seems like the norm for Lecavalier in a healthy season, but falling just shy of a Stanley Cup Finals berth could light the fire and push Lecavalier back to 80-90 points.

Although the team lost 17 goals and 40 points with the departure of Simon Gagne, they should be able to overcome his departure and make up that scoring elsewhere. Players such as Ryan Malone and Steve Downie will help fill the void if they stay healthy, and Teddy Purcell proved last season he is ready for more responsibilities and quality minutes. A hefty new contract doesn’t necessarily mean production, however, and Purcell will need to prove that he belongs in the top six.

Expect Tampa Bay to post lots of goals this season and be an offensive force again.

Defense: While getting sniper Steve Stamkos under contract was a priority for Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, he failed to give his blue line a significant boost through trade or free agency. Perhaps that’s because 60 percent of the team’s blue line will be free agents of some sorts next summer.

Victor Hedman continues to grow with each season. Expect a breakout year for Hedman as he enters a contract year and needs to prove that he is a franchise blue liner. Along with Hedman, expect Eric Brewer, Mattius Ohlund and Pavel Kubina to shoulder most of the load.

Tampa Bay finished 22nd in the league in goals allowed per game while only 10 players on the roster finished positive plus/minus ratings. Even then, no player finished better than plus-8. The Lightning are a team that help overcome their defensive deficiencies with strong offense. Expect more of the same this season with no real changes made to the blue line in the offseason.

Goaltending: One problem plaguing the team is recent years has been inconsistent goaltending. That changed last season when they traded for veteran Dwayne Roloson, who made an immediate impact and helped give the team confidence in net. This season, the question is whether lightning can strike twice for the 41-year-old goaltender?

Roloson doesn’t need to be spectacular every night, but he needs to be consistent and give the team a chance to win every time he starts.

The team also let loose backup Mike Smith in favor of veteran Mathieu Garon. Smith struggled with consistency during his years in Tampa and, if nothing else, the Roloson/Garon tandem should provide a more stable net presence for the Lightning than they have had in years.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff bound.

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Steve Stamkos signs 5 year deal with Lightning

Jul 20

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Former Rocket Richard Trophy winner Steven Stamkos signed a five year, $37.5 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday that will count as a $7.5 million cap hit each season toward the salary cap.

“Steven is extremely important to this franchise and is part of the foundation of our hockey team,” general manager Steve Yzerman said in a statement.  “We are very pleased to have him signed and look forward to seeing him in a Lightning uniform for years to come.”

Terms of the contract fluctuate yearly and are heavily stocked with bonuses. Stamkos will receive $4 million this upcoming season with a $4 million signing bonus. In 2012-13, Stamkos will receive $5 million with a $3 million bonus, $8 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and $5.5 million in the final year of the contract. All said and done, Stamkos could earn $8 million per season for the next four seasons, ranking him right there with some of the NHL’s elite talent, such as Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Jason Spezza – all of whom will make $8 million this upcoming season.

Stamkos exploded in his sophomore season in 2009-2010 when he scored 51 goals, tying Sidney Crosby as co-league leaders at the end of the season. Those 51 goals alone where five points more than Stamkos scored throughout his entire rookie season.  Stamkos followed up that performance with 45 goal and 91 points this past year, solidifying him as one of the games most prolific and dangerous goal scorers.

After signing Stamkos, the Lightning have 21 players under contract with $7.3 million available in cap space. Forward Teddy Purcell, a restricted free agent, will have his arbitration hearing today unless an agreement is reached before then. Purcell could command between $2 and $3 million a season after having a breakout season last year. After Purcell, the Lightning will likely focus their attention on another forward to round out their roster.  

This signing is a great move by Yzerman, who is set to begin his second full season as the team’s general manager. The number is cap friendly to give the Lightning some wiggle room but still gives Stamkos his due credit as one of the league’s elite goal scorers. The five-year term of the contract gives Yzerman a lot of time to build a winner, although only a handful of pieces may be needed after the team advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals this season after missing the playoffs the season before. As much as Vinny Lecavelier is the team’s franchise player, Stamkos is an essential part to the team’s success and Yzerman recognized the need to sign him. This contract is a win-win for both sides.

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Brooks Laich signs extension; Who else is available in NHL 2011 free agency?

Jun 28

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

A free agent class of forwards that was already considered highly weak just took another blow as Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich decided to forgo free agency and opted instead to sign a six-year, $27 million deal with the Washington Capitals.

“I’m thrilled to make the commitment to remain a Capital,” said Laich in a statement. “It is a wonderful organization with terrific fans and I’m very happy to continue to call Washington home for many years to come.”

Laich was largely viewed as the second hottest commodity of free agency behind forward Brad Richards thanks to his point-producing consistency, size and ability to play effectively at both ends of the ice. Not to mention Laich would be a much more cost effective addition to a team’s roster than Richards, who could command upwards of $7-$8 million per season. Teams such as the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings were all rumored to have interest in Laich.   

Besides Richards, most of the available forwards in the free agent pool are either advanced in age or come bundled with injury concerns. At 31-years-old, Simon Gagne may be the next best forward available, but two injury-plagued seasons cause concern for a long-term commitment to a player capable of producing at almost a point-per-game pace when healthy. Gagne contributed 12 points in 15 playoff games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season.

Colorado forward Tomas Fleischmann could be a good steal for a team looking to boost their offense as long as past injuries have been remedied. After getting traded to the Avalanche last year from Washington, Fleishmann posted 21 points in 22 games, including eight goals, before getting sidelined with a pulmonary embolism. But health remains a concern after suffering from blood clots two years in a row.

Buffalo Sabres center Tim Connolly has a great offensive upside but has only played in 70 or more games in five of his 10 NHL seasons. At 30-years-old, a team might be willing to take a chance on Connolly for the right price, however.

Alexei Kovalev, Michael Nylander, Teemu Selanne, Steve Sullivan and Cory Stillman are also available free agents this season, but all of them are over the age of 35.

Jason Arnott could be an interesting player to watch when free agency begins. Although 36-years-old, Arnott was stymied in New Jersey where the entire team struggled offensively and only produced 24 points in 62 games. However, Arnott is one year removed from a 57 point season and contributed seven points in 11 games for the Washington Capitals after getting traded at the trade deadline last year. Arnott also tallied six points in nine playoff games. For a team looking to add a potential 50-point player, Arnott could be a reasonable choice.

And the good news remains that if your team has plenty of cash to blow they will likely take a run at Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos, who appears more and more unlikely to sign with the Lightning with each passing day. Stamkos himself claimed that the two sides were close to reaching a deal last week, however reports surfaced today that the two sides are in fact very far apart in negotiations. An offer sheet, or several, is 100 percent certain to come through on Friday if Stamkos is not signed by the Lightning. Expect a trade to come in the next few days if Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman feels like he won’t be able to re-sign the young superstar so Yzerman can at least get something in return.

Philadelphia and Toronto are rumored to have interest in Stamkos, but the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers have money to blow on a huge offer sheet.

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Steve Stamkos rumors heat up prior to draft, free agency

Jun 21

Posted by Chris in Rumors | 1 Comment

What team wouldn’t want a player who is one year removed from scoring 50 goals on their team? And what would a team be willing to sacrifice to obtain that player?

Questions are abound concerning the future of Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos, a restricted free agent come July 1 if Tampa Bay can’t lock up the gifted goal scorer before then to a contract extension. And rumors circulating on the internet indicate that Tampa Bay might not be able to.

Some reports indicate that Stamkos and the Lightning are not close to reaching a deal, and as the days move closer to the draft and free agency, the likelihood that Tampa Bay trades his rights becomes higher. If Stamkos does make it to July 1 without signing a contract extension, it’s nearly 100 percent certain that someone will deliver an offer sheet for Stamkos. At that point the Lightning could choose to match the offer sheet or they could choose to let Stamkos get away in exchange for a compensation package of draft picks.

After reaching the Conference Finals this season, Tampa Bay probably doesn’t want draft picks in exchange for Stamkos. With aging veterans like Martin St. Louis on their roster, the Lightning have the tools and the desire to win now, not after years of rebuilding with potential draft picks. The alternative for Tampa Bay involves trading away the rights to Stamkos in exchange for roster players ready to contribute immediately. This actually seems like a legitimate scenario, and here’s why.

Consider who the general manager of Tampa Bay is and the model he is used to seeing on the ice. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks have been very successful in recent years building teams around depth and defense rather than one or two superstars, like the Capitals or Rangers. General manager Steve Yzerman may choose to trade away Stamkos in order to solidify the depth on his roster.

Yzerman may have another move up his sleeve as well. Free agent forward Brad Richards has supposedly expressed interest in returning to Tampa Bay where he won a Stanley Cup in 2003. Could Yzerman attempt to trade away Stamkos in exchange for second-and-third line depth players and then sign Richards to a deal? Hockey Gods help the East if Yzerman can swing an incredible move like that.  

Teams supposedly interested in Stamkos include the Islanders, Rangers, Red Wings and, of course, the Maple Leafs. As a Canadian, Stamkos may relish the opportunity to play for a Canadian team like the Leafs. The Islanders have the cap space and a lot of young talent, but would Stamkos be willing to sign with a team seemingly so far away from winning a championship? The Rangers likely do not have enough cap space to absorb Stamkos while the Red Wings are probably the least likely team to extend an offer sheet to anyone, although they might be able to work up a juicy trade package, but cap space would still be a huge concern.

Heed any rumors regarding Stamkos with a grain of salt. As arguable Tampa Bay’s greatest offensive weapon, the team will do everything in their power to re-sign Stamkos to a long term deal and alot can happen over the next few days. If a contract appears unlikely, however, Yzerman may opt to explore other options and get the maximum in return. Expect trade talks to heat up the closer we get to the draft this Friday.

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NHL salary cap set to increase by $5 million

Jun 20

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

Several general managers received good news today when they were informed that the NHL salary cap would be set at $64 million for the upcoming season, an increase of nearly $5 million from last year’s cap.

Speculation occurred for some time that the cap would raise again, although most believed the increase would be more moderately set around $62 million. Last year’s salary cap was $59.4 million.

Several teams will be thankful for the increase with free agency set to begin in two weeks on July 1. The Philadelphia Flyers were in arguably the worst shape with less than $500,000 available to round out their roster. The $5 million increase will give the Flyers more room to negotiate with goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov without having to trade away too many other assets to create cap room.

The increase also bodes well for teams like the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils who are trying to retain their young restricted free agents, namely Shea Weber, Steve Stamkos and Zach Parise respectively.

For free agent players this season, the increase could mean a bigger pay day. While Brad Richards remains the most highly coveted free agentof the summer, this increase means a huge bidding war could break out for his services due to the lack of quality goal scorers available in this summer’s market. A player like Brooks Laich could also benefit heavily. Laich has already been linked to several teams as a possible free agent target due to his consistent offensive numbers and his hard-working style of play. A cap increase means Laich could see a higher pay day than otherwise expected and will certainly see an increase from the $2 million he made previously. Defensemen such as James Wisniewski, Andrei Markov and Tomas Kaberle could also cash in this offseason thanks to the increase.

The salary cap has risen every season since the NHL lockout in 2004-05 where it was originally set at $39 million. The salary cap floor for the upcoming season will be $48 million.

Give us your feedback! What do you want to see your team do with the $5 million increase in the salary cap?

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Will the NHL have a 50-goal scorer this season?

Mar 31

Posted by Chris in News | 3 Comments

In the NHL, a player scoring 50 goals in a single season might be one of the greatest individual feats a player can accomplish, something that potentially elevates players from offensive-threat to superstar status. Throughout the NHL’s illustrious history, this feat has been accomplished 185 times by 87 players. However, for the first time since the 2003-04 season, and for the first since the lockout, the threat of not having a single 50-goal scorer is imminent.

Corey Perry (pictured) of the Anaheim Ducks and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning are closest to attaining the feat as Perry has 46 goals and Stamkos trails with 44 while Tampa Bay has six games remaining to Anaheim’s five. While it’s an outside shot, both players have the skill to average six goals over their remaining games to attain 50 on the season. Daniel Sedin currently ranks third in goals scored with 40, which is a personal best for the Vancouver forward, but is unlikely to make a push for 50 this year.

Stamkos finds himself in familiar territory this year after netting 51 goals last year in his sophomore season. Talks early this season suggested that Stamkos could score 50 goals in 50 games with the pace he was on, but the pace didn’t hold. Still, Stamkos has become one of the league’s most potent goal scorers joining the likes of Ilya Kovalchuck, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. With 88 points, Stamkos also has a real shot at his second consecutive 90-point season.

At 25-years-old, Corey Perry is a surprise at the top of the goals leader board this year. While he already has two 70-point seasons under his belt, Perry has already shattered his personal best of 32 goals from 2008-09 and could achieve the first 90-point season of his career. Perry remains a triple threat as a player capable of scoring, making plays and someone who doesn’t shy away from a fight or time spent in the penalty box. Perhaps more importantly, Perry has emerged as a leader and a superstar on the ice for the Ducks and will remain an essential part of the organization for years to come. His incredible play this season, especially when Ryan Getzlaf went down due to injuries, is a big reason why the Ducks are in the playoff hunt.

Notably absent from this year’s goal scoring leaders are Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Ovechkin has struggled this season and is on pace for the lowest output of his career in terms of both goals and total points. Ovechkin has scored 40 or more goals in each of his five NHL seasons and has cracked the 50-goal mark four times. This year he will barely reach 30.

Crosby, however, only played in 41 games before going down with a concussion in early January. Despite playing in nearly half the games as the rest of the league, he still ranks 10th in the league in goals with 32 and 20th in the league in total points scored with 66. While Crosby certainly won’t reach 50 thanks to injuries, he very well could end the season with the best goals per game percentage in the NHL.

With a handful of games still left in the regular season, both Perry and Stamkos still have time and both have the talent to reach 50 goals. The Ducks are barely clinging to a playoff spot in the West, so Perry could continue with his offensive barrage and make a last ditch effort at 50. Stamkos, on the other hand, plays with one of the best wingers in the game in Martin St. Louis, who has been on an offensive tear lately, and Stamkos could benefit as he makes a bid for 50.

What do you think? Do either of these players have what it takes to make 50 or will the NHL go without a 50-goal scorer this season?

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Tampa Bay Lightning

Sep 14

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Antero Nittymaki, Alex Tanguy, Ryan Craig, Kurtis Foster

Key Offseason Additions: Dan Ellis, Simon Gagne, Dominic Moore, Pavel Kubina, Randy Jones, Brett Clark

Last Season Ranking: 12th in East

Offense:

Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis have been the foundation of this team for several years now, but last season, former number one draft pick Steve Stamkos gave Lightning fans 51 reasons to hope for a better and brighter future. In only his second year in the league, Stamkos tied Sidney Crosby for the league lead in goals with 51 and added 44 assists for 95 total points. These are the three players who will lead the charge again this season.

steven-stamkosStill, what hindered this team was their lack of depth. Newly crowned general manager Steve Yzerman quickly took care of those issues with several decisive moves. On offense, Yzerman added forward Simon Gagne through a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers. Gagne will help give Tampa Bay two sturdy scoring lines and will certainly help on the power play. Although injury-prone, Gagne is capable of producing at nearly a point-per-game pace during the season.

Both Ryan Malone and Steve Downie will both be called upon to continue their physical style of play this season, but both players are capable of producing offensively as well. Malone notched 21 goals last year while Downie tallied 22 and also added 208 penalty minutes and a plus-14 as well. Both of these players not only give Tampa a physical prowess, but they help give the team that additional scoring depth that will help them win.

Dominic Moore, a free agent signing, will not only bring secondary scoring depth to the lineup but he also works hard and has a good defensive game as well – which Tampa sorely needs.

Defense:

Yzerman made some adjustments on defense as well by adding some grit with the addition of defenseman Pavel Kubina. As a former Stanley Cup winner, Kubina not only lends a veteran presence, but he plays tough and can also chip in 30-40 points per season, which will hopefully help fill the void left by the departed Kurtis Foster. The team also inked blueliners Randy Jones and Brett Clark. Both players have been in the NHL long enough to help bring some experience to the team while giving Tampa more options on the blue line.

Sophomore Victor Hedman, the second-overall draft choice during the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, should benefit from the experience of an entire NHL season under his belt. Another season under the wing of veteran defenseman Mattius Ohlund should help Hedman continue to improve rapidly.

Goaltending:

It goes without saying that goaltending has been nothing short of a mess in Tampa in recent years, which is why signing Dan Ellis was essentially the first move that Yzerman made as general manager. With the departure of Antero Nittymaki, the team needed a reliable goaltender and Ellis will hopefully fit the bill. While his stats haven’t been spectacular the past several seasons, he has been relatively consistent and should be a good addition to Tampa’s lineup. Hopefully some healthy competition stirs up between Ellis and backup Mike Smith, causing both players to work hard and play their best.

Season Outlook:

A lot of the pieces seem to be falling into place for the Tampa Bay Lightning and they very well could prove to be one of the most improved teams this season. General manager Steve Yzerman made it a point to add depth to the roster and sign a steady number one goaltender. The team’s additions may be enough to sneak them into the playoffs this season, but if nothing else, the moves made by Yzerman should give the team the foundation to build a contender in the years to come.

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Seven storylines to follow during the final seven games of the NHL season

Mar 31

Posted by Chris in News, Soap Box | No Comments

Playoffs are merely two weeks away with about seven games remaining on the regular season schedule for most franchises. Still, a lot can happen in seven games. As the season winds down and teams gear up for playoffs, here are seven story lines that you might not want to miss as an NHL fan:

7.) Can the Avs Hang On? The Colorado Avalanche are one of two teams that defied preseason expectations this year and found themselves in the top half of the Western Conference for a good portion of the season despite being picked to finish near-dead last. However, over the last month or so as teams jockey for playoff positioning, the Avs have found themselves the odd team out after being leapfrogged by the Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings in the standings. Can the Avs hang on to the eighth seed in the West with Calgary hot on their tail? With a young core full of stars in the making, the Avalanche have a lot to build on regardless of how this season plays out.

6.) Where Will the Leafs End Up? The Leafs got themselves a great player when they traded for Phil Kessel in the offseason. Kessel has 30 goals and 54 points in 65 games for the Maple Leafs this year. However, in order to acquire the sniper from Boston, the Leafs had to trade away several draft picks – including a first-round pick in this summer’s draft. Right now, that draft picks looks to be a number two overall pick for the Bruins. That could mean nabbing either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin, the two highly-touted prospects expected to be taken as the first two overall players in the draft this year. Both players are having incredible seasons with over 100 points in the OHL. But, at 69 points, the Leafs are only three points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and New York Islanders. With a playoff spot out of the picture, the Leafs are focusing on a strong finish to ensure a lower pick for the Bruins. Who will get the better end of the Kessel deal? We’ll see in two weeks.

5.) Outside Looking In: West - The Calgary Flames are the only real threat in the Western Conference outside of the playoff picture but looking to make a strong push at the end. With 85 points on the season, the Flames are four points behind the eighth seeded Colorado Avalanche. The St. Louis Blues are a long shot for a playoff spot with 83 points. Calgary has a tough schedule remaining, but they were able to take down the top-seeded Washington Capitals last weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive. Anything can happen in the NHL at playoff time.

4.) Outside Looking In: East – The playoff picture is much tighter in the East for the bubble teams. Only four points separate the tenth-seeded New York Rangers (78 points) from the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers (82 points), which makes the remaining seven games that much more important for the teams fighting for the last few playoff spots in the West. The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens each have 82 points and sit in the seventh and eighth seeds respectively while the Atlanta Thrashers occupy the ninth seed with 80 points. However, the Canadiens have lost three in a row while the Atlanta Thrashers are playing some good hockey in the ninth seed and could pass the Canadiens with a few more strong performances. These teams are all fighting for their playoff lives, and it may come down to the last day of the season to see who’s in and who’s out in the East.

3.) Does Chicago Have a #1 Netminder? The Chicago Blackhawks, a perennial favorite to go to the Stanley Cup Finals, shelled out big bucks a few years back for goaltender Cristobal Huet. Needless to say, he hasn’t lived up to expectations. In 46 starts for the Blackhawks this season, Huet has a 2.50 goals against average and a .895 save percentage. While going head-to-head with backup goalie Antti Niemi in recent weeks, Huet seems to be doing everything in his power to give up the starting job going into playoffs. Niemi has better numbers than Huet with a .909 save percentage and 2.31 goals against average, but has only won three of his eight starts in March. However, two of those starts were shutouts. Regardless, neither goalie has embraced the starting job like a playoff goalie needs to. Will a starting goalie emerge in the seven remaining games for the Hawks before playoffs start?

2.) The Detroit Red Wings Sweepstakes - Detroit has won six games in a row and has garnered at least one point in each of their last ten. They are streaking up the standings and up the power rankings and are easily the hottest team in the NHL right now with all of their players healthy. The Wings are becoming that low-ranked team with a lot of potential that you don’t want to meet in the first round of the playoffs. One blogger went as far as to say that San Jose was purposely throwing games in order to avoid meeting the Red Wings in the first round. That might not be a bad strategy seeing that the Wings have had San Jose’s number all season. Can the Wins continue their impressive pace and finish the season strong in the standings? More importantly, can they keep up that impressive pace once playoffs begin in April?

1.) The Rocket Richard Race – Sidney Crosby leads the race with 47 goals, but Alexander Ovechkin and Steve Stamkos are right on his heels with 46 goals a piece. Ovechkin has won the trophy the past two years, but this could be Crosby’s year to shine as a goal-scoring machine. Stamkos came out of nowhere during a huge sophomore surge to stay on pace with Crosby and Ovechkin and could easily take home the trophy as well. All three players have cooled off in recent weeks, making the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals in a season anyone’s to step up and grab at this point.

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Steve Stamkos House Tour

Mar 29

Posted by Matt in Media | No Comments

Steve Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been on an absolute tear this season, only his second in the NHL. After a good rookie campaign, which could have been better if it weren’t for Barry Melrose, the young Stamkos has blossomed this season into the top goal scoring threat on a Tampa Bay team that also features Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. But have you ever wondered what kind of home a 20 year old NHL star lives in? Thanks to Bauer Hockey, we now know. Check it out.

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Tampa Bay Lightning

Sep 14

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | 1 Comment

There may be no other team in the NHL more eager to start the current season than the Tampa Bay Lightning. Instability in ownership and coaching dogged this team for a great deal of the season while relentless trade rumors and nagging injuries hampered the play of Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier. The rest of the squad stumbled through the season trying to find chemistry and the ability to score goals while keeping the puck out of their own net. To say the team had to deal with distractions is an understatement. With most of the distractions behind lecavalierbolts533them, the Lightning made several acquisitions in the offseason that should help the team in the standings, but how much it will help remains uncertain.

The primary offense of the Bolts will again be lead by the tandem of Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Small and speedy, St. Louis may be the less dynamic of the two, but he has certainly been consistent. The 34-year old right wing has accumulated 80 or more points in four out of his past five NHL seasons and finished last year with 30 goals and 50 assists. Fighting through injuries, Lecavalier still played in 77 games for the Bolts but only managed 67 points – a far cry from the 92 he contributed the season before. If healthy this season, Lecavalier could again find himself over the 90 point plateau with at least 40 goals.

The off-season acquisition of Alex Tanguy should help provide some desperately needed secondary offense for the Bolts. Tanguy had 41 points in an injury-shortened 50-game season last year with the Canadiens. Center Steve Stamkos, the first overall pick in the NHL draft in 2008, should also help with the secondary offense. Stamkos began to find his stride late last season and ended up contributing 46 points in 79 games. With more confidence and experience under his belt, expect Stamkos to build on those numbers this year and be a vital part of Tampa Bay offense.

The problem with the Bolts, however, is still defense. While Tampa Bay may have improved the defensive core with the addition of veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund and second-overall pick Victor Hedman, the Lightning generally lack the ability to back check and play a viable defensive game and keep the puck out of their net. The highest plus/minus rating of any player on the team last season was plus-5. Martin St. Louis was plus-4. Lecavalier was minus-9 while Stamkos was minus-13. Both offensive and defensive players need to tighten up and play good defense if this team is to be successful.

Goaltending is always a question in Tampa Bay, but the Lightning may finally have a consistent duet to share time in net and compete for the starting job. Goaltender Mike Smith started most of the season last year, but the addition of Antero Nittymaki from Philadelphia will give Tampa Bay a strong second-string goalie who is more than capable to step in if Smith begins to falter. Expect a strong and healthy competition between the two for most of the season as they fight for the number one job. If nothing else, however, Tampa Bay will have two solid goaltenders capable of making the saves they are supposed to make and maybe even steal a game or two throughout the season.

Even if this team can put the distractions from last season behind them, the question marks on the roster are still there. Can Lecavalier regain his scoring touch and 90-point hands? Will Stamkos continue to build on last season’s late success and avoid a sophomore slump? Will Tanguy stay healthy and be the dominant offensive threat he is capable of becoming? Most importantly, can this team learn to play defense and keep the puck out of their own net? This team may have more holes than most, but in a competitive Eastern conference, those holes can be quickly exploited. Expect the Bolts to fall short of the postseason again this year.

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