It’s time for the final installment of that multi-part series, in which I’ve released my ideal Tampa Bay Lightning lineup for 2014-15 piece by piece.
So far I’ve built four forward lines and two defense pairings. Here’s a snapshot:
Jonathan Drouin-Steven Stamkos-Ryan Callahan
Alex Killorn-Valtteri Filppula-Brett Connolly
Ondrej Palat-Tyler Johnson-Richard Panik
Brenden Morrow-Brian Boyle-J.T. Brown
Victor Hedman-Jason Garrison
Matt Carle-Anton Stralman
Naturally, today we’re left to build a third defense pairing. I’m not going to bother blogging about the goaltending. We know that Ben Bishop will be the team’s number one guy, and we know that Evgeni Nabokov will be the backup to start the year.
I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t surprised by the amount of third pairing chatter on the comments board over the last few days. People have their ideas, and they’re passionate about them. That’s a good thing.
There’s really not much analysis to do here. The only names left to choose from are Eric Brewer, Radko Gudas, Mark Barberio, and Andrej Sustr. I’m not going to go off the board; my bottom pairing consists of Eric Brewer and Radko Gudas.
One of the great things Jon Cooper did last season was reduce the role of Brewer. That’s not meant to be a slight at Brewer; in fact, it should be read as the opposite. With a smaller, more sheltered role on the blue line, Brewer thrived. He was a solid presence on the team’s third pairing last year, and I expect that he’ll be a solid presence on the team’s third pairing this year. That’s all the team needs out of him.
Getting Gudas off that second pairing with Matt Carle and relocating him to a safer spot on the third pairing should pay dividends, too. I’ve written a lot of blogs this summer outlining my thoughts on Gudas’s 2013-14 campaign. For a young player with a few glaring deficiencies in his game, Gudas was relied upon too heavily. The acquisitions of Stralman and Garrison allow Cooper to shift Gudas to a place where he’ll be able to contribute in a more defined way, and develop in a more controlled environment.
Seeing as the Bolts often dress seven defensemen, it probably makes sense to pick an alternate guy as part of my lineup. Most people seem to want Andrej Sustr in that spot. Me? I’m going to pick Mark Barberio for two reasons.
1) Andrej Sustr is waiver-exempt. Like Nikita Kucherov, Sustr can be sent to Syracuse without being exposed to waivers. On a team faced with tough roster decisions like the Lightning, I would be truly surprised if this didn't play a factor.
2) Sustr needs to play. I’d wager that playing top-pairing minutes in the American League is better for his development than being a fill-in guy at the NHL level. Getting big minutes, playing in all situations, and acting as a leader are three things Sustr can do in the AHL that he probably wouldn’t be able to do in the NHL. Those three things would be fantastic for his development.
Mike’s Third Pairing: Eric Brewer-Radko Gudas
Mike’s Seventh Defenseman: Mark Barberio
What does my completed lineup look like?
Jonathan Drouin-Steven Stamkos-Ryan Callahan
Alex Killorn-Valtteri Filppula-Brett Connolly
Ondrej Palat-Tyler Johnson-Richard Panik
Brenden Morrow-Brian Boyle-J.T. Brown
Victor Hedman-Jason Garrison
Matt Carle-Anton Stralman
Eric Brewer-Radko Gudas
Mark Barberio
Ben Bishop
Evgeni Nabokov
What does your completed lineup look like? Let me know in the comments section.
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter. 
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»