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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 2, 2013 20:59:18 GMT -5
Cory Schneider Returns to Play; Andrei Vasilevski Traded to Edmonton
Cory Schneider made his anticipated return to play on tuesday December 9th and celebrated a victory against Calgary by the score of 2-1. Tampa Bay only allowed 14 shots on goal to give Schneider an easy time while Steven Stamkos and Corey Perry handled the team's scoring. Coach Guy Boucher was satisfied with the team's performance, although it could have been better.
"We won a game by scoring only two goals, so it's good news. This proves that even on night where only one line is working, we still have a shot at winning because our team plays well defensively and limits scoring opportunities. It's good to see Schneider back as well as he is a solid, steady presence in goal and that's something a contending team needs to be on top." Boucher said.
In other news, Andrei Vasilevski was just traded to Edmonton in return for the Oilers' 1st round pick in the 2014 draft. This gives Tampa Bay three first picks in that draft. Leq considers these picks can either be used to fill up the team's prospect bank, or as trade value to improve the current team.
"With the presence of Schneider on the team, we have no need for Vasilevski in the long term, even if he has excellent potential, and we decided to trade him in return for a first pick, which is an universal currency that can be used to improve the team, or to draft a good young player." Leq, GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, said.
As a side note, Matheiu Garon and Tom Gilbert have been placed on waivers and claimed by NHL teams, as Tampa Bay struggles to meet the salary cap obligations. The team now stands at around 63.9 million for 22 roster players.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 4, 2013 2:24:00 GMT -5
Tampa Bay Struggling: 9th in the East after 27 Games
27 games into the season and the Lightning is just out of a playoff spot, with 29 points in 27 games which ranks them 9th in the East, just behind the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, tied at 30th points. Experts point out at Cory Schneider's long injury and Eric Brewer's ongoing injury as an explanation for the team's badluck, but apparently the team is not scoring enough goals. Even though the team's three star forwards, Steven Stamkos, Marian Gaborik and Corey Perry are all above a point per game, the team as a whole is way below par for goals for, although surprisingly they are better than some playoff teams for goals allowed. It is worrying to see that a team filled with high quality snipers cannot score more often.
"We will have to find a solution to make our depth players produce more. We can't be a top team unless we score more goals than we currently do." Said coach Guy Boucher. "Maybe by changing strategy, our 3rd line is a hitting line and the 2nd and 4th are playing trap. I might have them act more offensively..."
It is still early in the season, and Tampa Bay's poor performance can still be attributed to bad luck, but points will need to be gathered fast if the team is to have playoff hopes. Hopefully the injuries are over as well, as it is crippling to lose core players for significant periods of time.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 7, 2013 12:40:25 GMT -5
On Fire: Three Bolts Among League Top Ten
As we are rapidly approaching the month of January and the beginning of 2013, three Lightning players are among the top 10 scorers of the NHL so far. They are the three stars of the team, Steven Stamkos, Corey Perry and Marian Gaborik. Together they form one of the most fearsome lines in the NHL, and the coach's strategy has them facing off against lesser offensive forwards night after night, allowing for a steady production of points.
Steven Stamkos is second of the league, right in between Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin with an impressive 42 points in 34 games. It is the highest point per game ratio in the league, as Crosby (45 points) and Malkin (41 points) both have played 37 games so far. Corey Perry comes in 4th place, right behind Evgeni Malkin with 39 points in 34 games. Marian Gaborik comes in 10th place of the league with 36 points in 34 games. They are the only three players in the top ten who have played less than 37 games, however, so it is likely that they would be even higher up with the same amount of games played.
This situation is exactly what the Tampa Bay GM Leq had in mind when he designed his strategy for the direction of the team. He stated time and time again that he wanted an elite line to fill the stadiums and give the fans all the offensive beauty they could ask for. He has delivered on his promise so far, although at the cost of the team's future talent. Names like Brett Connolly, Slater Koekkoek, Vladislav Namestnikov and Andrei Vasilevski had to be sacrificed to bring those superstars to Tampa Bay, but even then the Lightning is not a one line team either. Driving the second line is Jason Pominville with a rather impressive 29 points in 34 games, while his linemate Ryan Malone is currently boasting 21 points in 34 games.
The leading defensemen are Marc-André Bergeron with 16 points Alex Goligoski with 14 points and Victor Hedman with 10 points, all in 34 games.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 8, 2013 22:05:16 GMT -5
GM Leq Frustrated by Salary Cap, Options Limited Until Next Year
Leq, General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, admitted today that he was frustrated by salary cap issues and that he would like to make more moves to improve his team, but that the financial reality of the team severely limited his options in that regard. The team is currently right on the salary cap, but injuries reduce the counted salary by a little over 5 million. Byron Bitz, out for 6 months, will not be counted this season at all and that is 2 million freed on the cap. Brewer, however, is due to return and his 3.5 million salary cannot be filled by another player without risk.
Still, even with a 2 million margin, Leq cannot address the main issue of his team, which is to add a top 6 player to play with Jason Pominville and Ryan Malone. Currently, this position is occupied by Benoit Pouliot, but he is proving to be more of a 2-way hitter than a scoring forward, and the need for an extra scorer is being felt as Tampa Bay cannot prove to be a premier scoring team in the leaque, even with three superstar producing massively. Some extra talent is necessary to add depth to the team, but for the moment, the salary cap is an obstacle to the General Manager, who would have no problem trading some picks to address the issue otherwise.
Next year, however, will be another business. Two key players will renegociate their salary, which will probably be lower than what it is now. Marian Gaborik, 7.5 million, and Jason Pominville, 5.3 million, will renegociate, and the team will probably be able to save 1.5 million off those 2 players upon the new contracts. Byron Bitz will also be renegociated, probably below 1 million, saving between 1 and 1.3 million additionally. This additional space will allow the team to improve the 2nd and 3rd and 4th lines in order to put a deep team on the ice. On the bottom lines, the space of 2 or 3 million can make a big difference in bringing quality players to fill the grinding roles.
"Next year will open up a lot of opportunities for the team" Leq said. "We have three first picks next year, which will be great value next year but not so much this year, as GMs value the picks of the current year more than those of future years. Next year, we will be able to put those first picks in the market and get a great value for them. We are satisfied with the team's first line, although it could still be improved, but the team kind of lacks one top 6 forward and the bottom 6 could be better as well. We recently signed Adam Mair who is a good third line center, but if he was our 4th line center and we had a better 3rd center things would be even better. Also, if Benoit Pouliot was our 3rd line winger and we had a better offensive 2nd line winger, the team would be better."
With these things in mind, the fans of the Lightning can look forward to more changes in the future, although they could come nexxt year rather than this year. However, the GM admitted that Ryan Malone could be traded for a younger, better player with an equivalent salary if an opportunity arises. A first pick could be given to make this trade happen.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 10, 2013 9:14:44 GMT -5
Good Surprises of 2012-2013
A number of players are proving to be better at their role than originally expected by the coaching staff of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since the beginning of the season, many young players are settling into a more prominent role, giving the kind of depth and energy any team needs to compete in today's NHL.
The players who are impressing the most are definitely Tampa Bay's two home grown stars, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Both have tremendously improved their play, according to experts, and many would agree that Stamkos is the best all-around forward in the entire NHL. Victor Hedman, on the other hand, has become a feared shutdown defenseman, capable of dictating the play in the defensive zone, while also possessing some ability to participate in the offensive play. Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, both 22 years old, are the face of the franchise for many years to come.
Other players have significantly improved their play and developped beyond their projected role this season. These players are the defenseman Alex Goligoski and the forwards Benoit Pouliot and Patrick Kaleta. Goligoski was acquired from the Dallas stars in return for Matt Carle and a second round pick. It was originally intended that Goligoski would fit right into Carle's role, which is a powerplay specialist and second pair defenseman with below average defensive skill, with a lesser cap hit as well. However, since Goligoski joined the team, his checking abilities have increased, and his overall defensive abilities have rise significantly, turning him from a powerplay specialist to a versatile two-way defenseman who can play first pair minutes. The traded turned to the clear advantage of Tampa Bay, through a stroke of luck that no one could have predicted.
The same can be said for Patrick Kaleta. Originally an addon in the trade that sent the Lightning's star forward prospect Brett Connolly to Buffalo in return for the established scoring center Jason Pominville, Kaleta seemed destined to be a marginal 3rd or 4th line grinder, who could accomplish his role but would not stand out from his peers in the hitting and grinding role. However, since joining the Lightning, Kaleta turned from just another grinder to the prototypical hit & grind player that any team wants on the checking line. His offensive abilities have improved to a decent level, while defensively his checking and hitting technique as well as position play have improved far above the NHL average. Any coach would love to have Kaleta on the roster, a stable bottom sixer that you can count on to grind the opposition and deliver solid shutdown minutes both at 5 on 5 and on the PK.
The third player who has surpassed expectations is the young forward Benoit Pouliot. Pouliot's career seemed to be on the decline since the former 4th overall draft pick failed to become an offensive threat in the NHL. At 26 years old, Pouliot seems to have realized that if he wants to continue playing in the NHL, he must adapt into a new role where his solid physic will make up for the lack of offensive instinct that crippled his chances of becoming a point producer. With average offensive and defensive skills, Pouliot added the hitter's outfit ontop of the package and suddenly turned from a failed top 6 winger to a solid third line power forward. With a four year contract with Tampa Bay, Pouliot will have time to get comfortable in his new role, and become recognized as a quality grinder with above average offensive skills for a third line player.
The unexpected rise of certain players gives the Lightning a new kind of depth that the General Manager did not think he had.
"This makes it alot easier for us in the management team. We thought we had to fill a few key roles in the roster with players coming from the outside, but it turns out guys within the organization are fulfilling these needs. It makes me very happy as it makes my to-do list as a GM that much shorter." Leq said in an interview.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 12, 2013 17:28:26 GMT -5
Brandon Dubinsky Joins the Tampa Bay Lightning
Leq, the General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, managed to pull another rabbit out of his hat by bringing the excellent two-way forward Brandon Dubinsky to Tampa Bay in return for a package of youth and picks. The package sent to Columbus in return for the 26 year old center is rather impressive, as it includes a first, second and third pick in 2014, and the promising youngs Richard Panik, Nikita Kucherov and Keith Aulie. It may prove to be an overpayment in the future, but it fits within the team philosophy which is to bring some talented players for the present at the expense of the future.
The arrival of Dubinsky fills the most pressing need of the team at the moment, a final top 6 forward to complete the second line composed of Jason Pominville and Ryan Malone. Dubinsky, a natural center, is being shifted to the wing in order to let the team captain Jason Pominville assume the center role on this line. Dubinsky was having a terrible year in Columbus with a disappointing 7 goals and 13 points in 43 games with the Blue Jackets, and an appalling -21 differential. This may have been caused by a poor utilization from the coaching staff who firmly believed his role was on a team's third line to hit and grind the opposition. Guy Boucher, however, intends to use his offensive skills by placing him with quality offensive teammates in order to play some big minutes on the team's second line. The strategy right now will be oriented towards the first and second line playing the overwhelming majority of minutes, with the first line adopting a brazing run and gun strategy while the second line plays the neutral zone trap in order to keep the score low and score the occasional goal.
With Dubinsky having joined the lineup while no present roster player left for Columbus, Tampa Bay is now that much stronger a team, and can now count on six high quality forwards to punch through the opposition night after night. The first line composed of Corey Perry, Steven Stamkos and Marian Gaborik, is delivering as promised, and now the 2nd line will also be elite. Hopefully, Dubinsky will be able to turn his season around as he plays with Pominville (38 points) and Ryan Malone (30 points).
The Tampa Bay Lightning, currently 7th in the east with 53 points in 45 games, will be looking to rise in rankings and secure an advantageous playoff spot from which to shoot for the Stanley Cup.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 15, 2013 8:15:30 GMT -5
Columbus GM Proves a Fraud! All Trades Rescinded!
A new development has shocked the entire league yesterday, when the new Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager admitted that he had only accepted his position so that he could cheat the league and transfer the team's best value to another team, which has remained unnamed. The GM may have also lied about his or her sexual identity, which remains unknown to this day. This shocking truth reveals that not only is the league's anti-cheat system deficient (or inexistant according to many opinions), but that the culprit is still enjoying management of their original team, and hides among us, ready to strike again.
Apparently, the only thing that brought the fraudulous GM to light is his or her own guilty feelings, who pushed this GM to come forward and admit their crimes. Still, suspicion was present before that, as many GMs, prominent among them being the New Jersey Devils GM, had complained about the recent trading that had been going on, and have been lopsided to in the eyes of many, while still acceptable to the league's trade commitee.
"The trade commitee is a lame duck that blindly accepts anything that is sent their way. I have yet to see a single trade be outright rejected by the TC so far this year, and there have been many bad trades. Nobody wants to be the one who's trades are rejected, because everyone thinks they can be the one to rip off the other, but for the good of the league we might want to tell those TC members to be more critical about trades." Leq, GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning admitted.
According to the New Jersey Devils, many of the trades that have been passed recently are utterly bad and unacceptable, and in his personal experience he has seen these kind of trades be rejected many times, but not on this league. He was recently criticized for being too vocal with his criticism of trades, but in the light of recent events, he appears as the guy who was right all along.
It is still unknown what the league commish will do to rectify this bad situation, but apparently all trades conducted by the Blue Jackets in the recent days will be retroactively rescinded, which means that Brandon Dubinsky will not be coming to Tampa Bay after all.
However, the commish does not seem eager to punish the cheater, and instead may actually reward him with GM points in return for his "honesty". The writer of this article finds this attitude totally unacceptable. The commish's work is to make sure this kind of situation does not happen again, and there he is contemplating giving away free candies to a damned fraudulous cheater who was well on his way to permanently damaging our beautiful league. Not only should this person be fired from all his teams and from the league, but we need a more critical trade commitee, who doesn't just get fucked in the ass all the time and ask for more. This, of course, if only the humble opinion of yours truly, and does not in any sense represent the views of The Shockwave or the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 18, 2013 23:54:57 GMT -5
The Lightning's Offensive Domination Continues
The Lightning's offense is producing at an impressive rate lately, and the team is slowly rising in standings as a result. Tampa Bay is now ranked 5th in the league for goals scored, with 185, after having spent most of the season in the average. The Lightning is now clinging to the 7th place in the eastern conference, tied with the Devils in 8th place and 2 points behind the Rangers in 6th place.
Most remarkable, however, is the fact that the Lightning's three top scorers rank respectively 2nd, 3rd and 6th in the league after 60 games. Steven Stamkos is the team's lead scorer with an impressive 36 goals and 74 points in 60 games. Corey Perry comes just one point behind, with 29 goals and 73 points in 60 games. Marian Gaborik comes third of the team, and 6th of the league, with 28 goals and 63 points in 60 games. There has been a net progression in personal rankings over the past several weeks, but this might simply be due to the fact that Tampa Bay's players have caught up with the number of games played by the other top scorers and are now among the average.
Another interesting development is that the Lightning's defensemen are also beginning to show up among the leaders at their position, with Tampa Bay's two top producing defensemen, Alex Goligoski and Marc-André Bergeron, being tied in 6th place for the top scoring defensemen with 36 points each in 60 games.
The team's excellent offensive production is certainly influenced by the Run & Gun and long shifts strategy adopted by the head coach Guy Boucher. Corey Perry and Steven Stamkos come first and second of the league for the number of shots taken this year, with 241 and 234 respectively, while the third most proficient shooter, Joffrey Lupul, is far behind with just 213 shots.
"We wanted to renew the image of the Tampa Bay Lightning as an extremely offensive team. I'm aware the the General Manager wanted to give the fans a good offensive show, and he brought players such as Corey Perry and Marian Gaborik to assist Steven Stamkos who is, in my opinion, the best player in the NHL. On my end, I adopt a strategy that goes in that direction, I give these guys big minutes every night and expect them to score goals, which they do. They make my job fairly easy as a coach." Guy Boucher admitted.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 21, 2013 8:33:15 GMT -5
Jaromir Jagr Joins Tampa Bay For the Playoffs
GM Leq has announced that the veteran superstar forward Jaromir Jagr has been acquired from the Dallas Stars in return for a 2014 third round pick. Jagr, 41 years old, will be retiring after this season, but Leq felt he needed to add some skill to the lineup to maximize his team's chances of a Stanley Cup. In a way, Jagr is an insurance policy in case one of the team's top forwards get injured in the late season. The coach has announced that Jagr will be used in a limited role at 5 on 5 but he will be a part of the 2nd wave powerplay. Jagr is currently the Dallas Stars' top scorer with 22 goals and 41 points in 64 games. With a total of 180 career playoff games played, Jagr has all the experience required to help the superstars of the team and show them what it takes to get to the Stanley Cup.
"Retiring players are always a viable option to fill some team needs at the deadline. Teams are willing to part with these players easily, especially when they're not making the playoffs. They know they will have to accept whatever a team is willing to offer, because the player will be gone at year's end anyways. I felt the team needed an extra offensive forward for some time now, and with Jagr I managed to bring such a player to the team while not sacrificing much of the team's future." Leq said.
The Lightning is currently 7th in the east, but only 2 points behind the 5th position, with one game in hand. The 9th place team is 10 points behind and with 17 games to go the playoff teams in the east seem more and more set in stone.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 22, 2013 8:23:21 GMT -5
Eric Brewer Will Return for the Playoffs
Eric Brewer, who is sitting on the sidelines since the month of november, is eager to finally get back to play following a long term injury. According to the Lightning's medical staff, Brewer is expected to come back to play in two weeks. Brewer, who only has played 13 games this season, is expected to be a pillar shutdown defenseman who plays big minutes against skilled forwards, and his absence this season has had a negative effect on the team. The team may be 5th in the league for goals scored, but in terms of goals allowed it does not fare very well. According to Guy Boucher, head coach, the presence of Eric Brewer in the lineup could play a role in reducing the number of goals allowed.
"Beyond the talent of someone like Eric Brewer in shutting down the opposition while he's on the ice, his presence would allow me to shift a defenseman currently on the 2nd pair down to the 3rd pair, and add overall depth to the team. His return will not just improve one position, it will improve two. I'm looking forward to a Hedman-Brewer duo and then play Ohlund with Beauchemin on the bottom pair. This will hopefully help the team win a few more games and allow a little less goals." Boucher said.
"This injury comes at a critical point in my career, and that's what is so bad about it," Brewer said. " When you reach 33 years old and get hit with a major injury that keeps you out for almost 6 months, you don't know what effect it will have on the rest of your caeer. I really want to come back and help the team, and prove I can still play the role that people want to see me play at the NHL level."
Brewer's expected return will take place barely 2 weeks before the end of the season. He will be able to help his team in a promising playoff run. Byron Bitz, however, will not return until next season.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Feb 27, 2013 0:12:39 GMT -5
Lightning Now Assured of a Playoff Spot; Perry and Stamkos Lead the League
It had been a foregone conclusion for some time now, but now it's mathematical. The Tampa Bay Lightning will participate in the playoffs. After 76 games, the team as an impressive 94 points, for a win % of .618, but this is only enough for a 6th place in the east, as the top 7 eastern teams are all comprised within a meager 8 point margin, between Pittsburgh (101) and Carolina (93). There is still room to move, but the participants to the playoffs in the east are mostly set in stone although Toronto has a mathematical chance of catching up to the Devils in 8th place.
A bad news shook the team, however, as Benoit Pouliot fell injured for 3 long weeks, meaning he is likely to miss most of the first round of playoffs. Brewer, however, has returned, and his presence in the lineup may ultimately be more significant than Pouliot's.
On other news, Corey Perry and Steven Stamkos are proudly leading the league in points, with 94 and 93 respectively. Malkin is tied in points with Stamkos, but with 12 less goals than the Lightning center. Crosby comes far behind in 4th with 83 points. Gaborik is in 6th place with 81 points. More surprisingly, Marc-André Bergeron and Alex Goligoski are 2nd and 3rd for points in defensemen with 51 and 50 respectively. This is an amazing achievement for the two men who are not considered superstar defensemen in the league but are still helping the team produce offensively. With games left to play, they may well pass Duncan Keith (51 pts) and finish first and second like Perry and Stamkos. What glory it would be for Tampa Bay to have not only the first and second top scorers, but also the first and second point producing defensemen! This is a clear proof of Leq's successful offensive philosophy, and fans can be proud.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Mar 2, 2013 23:27:47 GMT -5
Stamkos Wins Maurice Richard Trophy With 50 Goal Season
The season is over and it is time to pass judgement on the year 2012-2013. Tampa Bay finishes 6th in the east after a season that was caracterized by a slow start and then an excellent second half of the season that have seen the team's top scorers rise in standings and a high victory percentage. The Lightning ends the year with 102 points in 822 for a .622 win percentage. The team's lead scorer, Corey Perry, also has 102 points in 82 games, but it is Steven Stamkos who scored the most goals this year with a stunning 50 goals. Marian Gaborik is the team's third more prolific scorer with an impressive 87 points in 82 games. Two of those three players were brought in this year via transactions. Together they form the most powerful line in the NHL, totaling more points than the fearsome Crosby-Malkin-Nash line in Pittsburgh. General Manager Leq wanted to give the team an offensive face and bring superstars that would fill the stadium, well he certainly didn't lie. He paid heavily in terms of the team's futures in alot of trades and managed to bring those top class players to Tampa Bay. He also brought key players such as Alex Goligoski and Jason Pominville who are a big part of the team's success. Piloting the second line and asked to adopt a defensive strategy, Pominville still notched a solid 54 points in 82 games, while his linemate Ryan Malone hit the 45 points mark. On the blue line, the team's two leading defensemen, Alex Goligoski and Marc-André Bergeron both had 53 points and are amongst the very best of the league at their position.
Now the final test is beginning as the team's chemistry will be asked to win against the Boston Bruins and hopefully even make it to the Stanley Cup. According to the coach Guy Boucher, anything is possible now.
"The team we have on the ice right now is one of the very best in the NHL, no doubt about it. We may have finished 6th in the east but we didn't start out the season very well, especially when Andrei Vasilevski was keeping the nets. We can send the first line to play massive minutes and keep the opposing team's net filled with pucks. We got defensemen who can support the first line's offense and others who can keep the score low when the other lines are out. We have a goalie in which we can trust, and better yet, we have the best coach around heheh." Guy Boucher said.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Mar 6, 2013 8:35:43 GMT -5
Lightning Eliminated Against Boston Bruins
The Lightning suffered a heart crushing defeat at the hands of the powerful Boston Bruins during the first round of the NHL playoffs. Tampa Bay lost in 5 games, and even though most games were harshly disputed, the single win managed by Tampa Bay in this series is casting a doubt on the ability of Tampa Bay to win the cup with their current team and strategy. No one could argue that the team's first line is doing an excellent work and should not be changed, but the depth of the current team might not be properly used. Currently, the 2nd line is operating on a neutral zone trap strategy and the offensive skill of Jason Pominville and Ryan Malone is used to keep the score low rather than rake up the goals. Guy Boucher and Leq are thinking that perhaps, the 2nd line must be put to use in scoring even more goals, under the "best defense is a good offense" concept.
"The Lightning has given itself an offensive face, we might as well go the entire way." Boucher said.
"I am extremely satisfied with the team's top line. I am very satisfied with Jason Pominville on the second line, but if we are going to be more offensive on that 2nd line, we will need another top 6 player to assist Pominville and Malone. It will need to be a purely offensive player who can score alot of goals. We are looking at a pair of players who could fill this role right now. Michael Cammalleri and Martin Havlat are potential candidates. On the defense, I must say I'm impressed at Goligoski and Bergeron's performance this year. They did way better than I expected from them, and I think the first line of the team doesn't need anyone else than those two. It is fortunate that someone like Bergeron has found the perfect place for him to play in the NHL, so he can use his tremendous offensive skill while not being overly burdened by the defensive side of the game. We really got ourselves a top pairing defense out of a guy whom some coaches would be afraid to even use in their lineup." Leq admitted.
Recently, the team agreed to a transaction with the San Jose Sharks, sending Tampa Bay's 2nd pick to San Jose in return for two defensemen, Doug Murray and Jason Demers. Murray is a rock solid shutdown defenseman on a 1.5 million per year contract and Jason Demers is a young defenseman who is considered to be NHL ready, although he has spent the entire 2012-2013 season in the AHL. Coaches and scouts believe he has the potential to improve once he reaches the NHL, but just how much is a question that remains to be answered.
The team has also taken steps to get rid of Mattias Ohlund, who is aging and on a 3.5 million per year contract. Leq also announced that he was putting Francois Beauchemin on the market. The defenseman was acquired earlier in the season on waivers, and accomplished a fair work for the Lightning, but eventually his 3.5 million dollar salary is unsustainable on a team that is packed with offensive talents like Stamkos, Gaborik and Perry. The arrival of Demers and Murray, on cheap contracts, couples with the probable departure of Ohlund and Beauchemin, will give the Lightning almost 5 million of free cap space. More moves can be expected to clear some extra room, and some players who are reaching their contract renegociation year this summer are expected to be given a pay decrease.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Mar 12, 2013 7:06:12 GMT -5
Mike Cammalleri Joins the Lightning in Offseason Move
The 31 year old sniping forward Mike Cammalleri has been acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Tampa Bay's first round pick of 2014 and the young right winger Nikita Kucherov who spent the last season in the junior. For Leq and the Lightning, this is a pure addition to the team, as no current assets had to be sacrified, only future ones. Now with Cammalleri on the team, the Lightning has two powerful scoring lines, and Cammalleri is expected to play with Pominville and Malone on an offensive strategy.
Mike Cammalleri accumulated 31 goals and 56 points last year, with a +/- of -7 in Carolina. However, he was not a first liner with the Hurricanes either, since Eric Staal, Jordan Staal and Nail Yakupov all had more points than him. The Hurricanes had a deep offensive team not unlike the Lightning, and Cammalleri's role will remain identical in Tampa Bay. He is expected to produce more than 50 points on a skilled 2nd line. The presence of six high quality offensive forwards on a team will influence Guy Boucher's strategy, and the bottom lines will see very little icetime next year.
"We seem to be going even more into an offensive mindset. There is no doubt that our top six forwards will be burning the minutes next year. It's a bit disappointing since we have some high quality defensive minded forwards like Kaleta and Pouliot, but it would be crazy not to give Stamkos, Perry, Gaborik, Pominville, Malone and Cammalleri the overwhelming majority of the icetime on an offensive mindset." Guy Boucher admitted.
With Tampa Bay becoming more offensive, will some defensive assets of the team be moved to convert the team fully to the offensive game? Can someone like Victor Hedman be traded for a more offensive top pair defenseman, can Kaleta and Pouliot be used as value to upgrade over Malone or someone else? Certainly, the Tampa Bay GM will have to think these questions through and the summer might be interesting for the Lightning's fans.
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Post by Leq (Tampa Bay GM) on Mar 18, 2013 0:25:10 GMT -5
Lightning Conservative in UFA Dealings, But Brings Goaltender In From Edmonton
After two days of UFA dealings, none can safely say that GM Leq has been watching the parade, as the only real big name of this UFA season, Mike Fisher, has gone to the Oilers for an overpaid 5 million dollars per year plus NTC, and a flurry of other names went here and there, while the Lightning only signed one player, the young forward Zach Budish who will likely play the next season in the AHL.
"We know the UFA period is an exciting time of the year for the fans, but our team really has limited needs and we can not afford, nor do we have room on the roster for, the top names of this UFA class. We are, however, attempting to fill a need, and that is for a 4th line center. Other than that, we have no real vacant positions on the roster that we can fill." Leq explained.
However, there have been other news, as the Lightning just concluded a trade with the same Oilers that inked Mike Fisher, for the young goalie Devan Dubnyk, who has been burning the AHL last season. In return for the netminder, Tampa Bay has sent two of it's own AHL players, the defenseman Mark Barberio and Tyler Johnson. Barberio is considered by many to have NHL potential, but Johnson is truly a longshot from ever making the NHL. Dubnyk, however, is NHL ready and many believe he has a real shot at becoming a steady first goalie in the NHL.
"We had no room for Dubnyk in Edmonton, since we already have Bernier and Vasilevski who are both young and talented. We preferred to get a return for Dubnyk and allow him to pursue his career elsewhere." Edmonton GM Colton said in an interview after the trade.
Ironically, the goalie who is taking Dubnyk's place, Andrei Vasilevski, was sent to Edmonton by the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this season, for Edmonton's 1st round pick of 2014. Dubnyk, who is regarded by many scouts as being better than Vasilevski so far, was acquired for what many would judge is far less valuable than a first pick. Overall the swap seems to favor Tampa Bay, as Vasilevski is replaced by Dubnyk and Barberio + Johnson are replaced with a first round pick. Time will tell, however, which one of the two young goalies will have a better career in the NHL.
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