With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement settled and business set to begin shortly, lots of Tampa Bay Lightning news is becoming public. With so much to take in and only a few minutes before a flurry of trades and signings will begin, here are some Lightning news, notes and randoms to hold you over until the real activity begins.

*The Lightning released its preliminary training camp roster this evening and while most of the information was expected, some surprises were present. Brett Connolly, currently lighting things up with the Syracuse Crunch, won’t be playing with the Lightning this season. As much as this may upset certain fans, it’s important to consider that the AHL seems to be treating Connolly really well right now. He’s gaining confidence, learning how to win and succeeding in both the offensive and defensive zones. Leaving him in the AHL will be better for his development.

*Given that neither Connolly nor JT Brown was invited to camp, it looks like Cory Conacher has been penciled in on the second line with Vincent Lecavalier. Conacher, last year’s AHL MVP, is one of the Lightning’s prized prospects. He has had a lot of success with the Lightning’s AHL affiliate and it’s very clear that the brass think incredibly highly of him. As said – look for him to get a very long look on that second line.

*Keith Aulie got an invite to camp despite not being overly impressive in the AHL this season. It’s fairly clear that the Lightning thinks very highly of him, his size and his ability to mesh with some of the Bolts’ other defenders. Whether or not Aulie makes the final roster remain to be seen, but the fact that he did get an invite while other good prospects did not indicates that the Lightning is okay with him possibly playing in the NHL this season.

*Four defensemen (Keith Aulie, MA Bergeron, Brendan Mikkelson and Matt Taormina) are fighting for the final two roster spots on the blue line. Given the addition of Sami Salo and Matt Carle over the summer, it’s reasonable to think that the Lightning might move away from Bergeron’s unique powerplay skills in favor of a more well-rounded option. Brendan Mikkelson will probably make the team given his play last season meaning that the final spot could be given to either Aulie or Taormina. Inviting 10 defensemen to camp gives Guy Boucher options, a luxury he hasn’t had in a long time.

*The Lightning’s full schedule was also released this evening. The team will open at home on Saturday the 19th against the Washington Capitals. January consists of four home games and two road games against opponents that the Lightning will be battling with for position all season long. With games against the Capitals, Panthers and Hurricanes in January, it’s important that the Lightning gets off to a good start. Every game during this shortened season will prove to be so important; the Bolts cannot afford too many losses early in the year.

***UPDATE 01:00***

*Per Norbs and the Lightning's official Twitter account, Gudas, Barberio, Johnson and Wyman are also joining the Bolts' camp. Looking at the roster, it seems as though Johnson will get a long look in the third line center spot. Gudas, Barberio and Wyman are long shots at this point with more established players ahead of them at camp. Still, nothing is impossible.

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That’s all for now. If any trades, signings or other activities happen tonight, I’ll post an update. It’s great to be talking hockey again!

If you’re interested in joining a Yahoo! fantasy hockey league, the following link is the invite to my league. The draft is on Sunday evening so be sure to sign up fast.

http://y.ahoo.it/uiFiR4u1

As always, thanks for reading.

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