Finally. The National Hockey League and the Players’ Association have reached an agreement. In the coming days, documents will be drafted, ratification will take place and teams will begin to gear up for what will be an incredibly entertaining and bizarre season. With so many new additions to the roster, the Tampa Bay Lightning is certainly a team to watch during this shortened campaign. However, despite high expectations from many, the Lightning is going to have its fair share of obstacles to overcome.

Looking back to last season, it is clear that the Lightning’s top end talent has a lot of chemistry. Teddy Purcell, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone and Vincent Lecavalier all work incredibly well together; they feed off each other. As Bolts Nation knows, that wasn’t a problem last season. The problems for the Lightning were on defense and in goal. Here at HockeyBuzz, we have discussed the additions General Manager Steve Yzerman made to address those concerns at length.

So, how does this play into what is going to happen during a shortened season? Well, the Lightning’s new additions haven’t had any time to adjust to life as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Matt Carle, Sami Salo and Anders Lindback are all key guys who will be counted on to play big minutes and important roles. However, as hockey fans know, it takes time for players to develop into those roles on new teams. Without time to adjust, these players may not light the world on fire as desired by fans.

A shortened season means a sprint to the finish line, if you will. Teams that come in with the most chemistry and history are going to have the best shot at succeeding. There is going to be lots of games over a very short period of time. Players need to come together quickly and know each other’s tendencies on the ice.

The Edmonton Oilers should provide a perfect example of just how important chemistry and preparedness are. The majority of the Oilers’ core is playing with the Barons in the American Hockey League. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have been firing on all cylinders and working incredibly well together while a lot of other teams’ core groups have been spread around the globe.

The Los Angeles Kings will ice virtually the same line-up that won the Stanley Cup last season, minus Anze Kopitar for a couple of weeks. Given that group’s history and relative youth, it’s not a stretch to think that the Kings will pick up right where they left off.

Unlike the cores of the two teams previously mentioned, the Lightning’s core hasn’t played together at all. Neither Anders Lindback nor Sami Salo has played one game in Lightning blue and Matt Carle hasn’t been here in years. Add to that the fact that the majority of the Lightning’s veteran stars haven’t been playing and, all of a sudden, it looks like the Bolts could be in trouble during a shortened season. Too many teams have too much built up chemistry; the Lightning will need time to develop that.

The point of this piece isn’t to scream that the sky is falling; it isn’t. However, it’s important to keep expectations realistic for a group that hasn’t played one game together. From a rational perspective, think of this shortened season as a way for the Lightning’s new faces to mesh with the old. Hopefully by next season the team will be able to dominate and take home the Southeast Division crown.

Thanks for reading, as always! Let’s drop the puck.

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