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Tampa Bay Lightning Blogger •
Come Wednesday, you won’t see anything resembling last off-season’s “staggeringly aggressive” approach to free agency for the Tampa Bay Lightning, in all likelihood. The results from that strategy didn’t quite work out as intended and the Bolts are moving forward in “remold” mode. (The term “rebuild” is just about taboo in these parts.) Though the biggest off-season addition may have already been made in #2 overall draft choice Victor Hedman, free agency still provides the Bolts an opportunity to fill a few holes on their current roster and make some necessary upgrades.
Before I get to those holes and areas where improvement is clearly needed, let’s address the club’s own free agents one last time.
Of the restricted group, only goaltender Mike McKenna did not receive a qualifying offer by today’s noon deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent. Forward Martins Karsums along with defensemen Lukas Krajicek, Matt Lashoff, Mike Lundin and Matt Smaby were all qualified. I would expect Karsums, Lashoff and Lundin will simply accept their QOs, while Smaby could lobby for a slightly larger bump in pay. Krajicek is said to be close on a 1-year deal, as reported by the Lightning via Twitter during draft weekend. Forward Radek Smolenak and goaltender Karri Ramo, also restricted free agents, each have signed to play in the Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League next season, while the Lightning will retain their NHL rights.
Unrestricted free agent forwards include Wade Brookbank, David Koci, Matt Pettinger, and Jason Ward, with Brookbank and Ward not expected to return. Koci's agent, Rich Evans, indicated that his client's preference is to remain in Tampa, though they'll hit the open market on July 1st.
Koci at least appears to remain a fit for the Bolts, who lack the presence of a traditional tough guy otherwise.
Brandon Segal, who appeared in two games for Tampa Bay last season and is coming off of a 26-goal campaign for AHL Norfolk, is a Group VI UFA and can negotiate with any team. (The Lightning are not interested in his return, according to agent Jarrett Bousquet.)
Defensemen Richard Petiot and Noah Welch are also Group VI. Other unrestricted blue liners - Marek Malik, Josef Melichar, Cory Murphy and Janne Niskala - will likely end up elsewhere.
Europe is a feasible destination for that particular group, save for Murphy, whose status is rather intriguing.
A real find for the Bolts off the waiver wire in January, Murphy put up 15 points in 25 games and positively impacted a stagnant Lightning power play. One would think there would be some Tampa Bay interest in keeping him around but the fact that he appears headed to test the market leads me to believe that the team could very well have a bigger name in mind to further bolster the back end.
So just what might Tampa Bay’s focus be come Wednesday? I see potential free agent target areas as follows, in order of perceived priority:
A veteran defenseman to help Hedman with his transition to the North American game
A veteran backup goaltender
A second line, scoring winger
A veteran grinding forward for the third line
An overall upgrade to the fourth line
As a reader suggested yesterday, the Lightning might be wise to take care of the first task on this list and then call it a day, favoring a less is more approach this year, but Ramo’s departure to Russia makes the backup goaltender void significant and something that definitely needs to be addressed. The whisper in the wind about bringing over Hedman’s MoDo defense partner, former NHLer Mattias Timander, looks to be just a whisper indeed at the moment. Possible, I’m sure. But don’t count on it.
Lower down on the priority list, my suggestion of a second line scorer raised a couple of eyebrows yesterday for one reason or another. My assumption, for the purposes of this preview, is that Vincent Lecavalier will remain in Tampa. I hoped to be able to proclaim as much as fact by now but have still been warned by multiple sources to hold off on doing so. (That is, you’re not out of the woods yet, folks. I’m back to 50/50, personally, on that front, down from 60/40 but not yet convinced to let it go completely.) Remaining with Lecavalier will almost surely be Vinny Prospal, whose no-movement clause (and no desire to go elsewhere) and undesirable contract will keep him in Tampa next season. Since Prospal’s due for his trademark bounceback season, another go-round for the MVP line would appear to be a logical forecast.
But I’m not really into predicting line combinations in June so let’s look at this another way:
As of this very moment, your top six forwards are Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone, Prospal and … Who, pray tell? I see Steve Downie as having that potential but not just yet. And thus, the need for a second line winger.
Last season became troublesome when injuries forced various players into roles they were not yet ready for. The remaining forwards under contract are a hodgepodge of cagey veterans and grinders, as well as young players who are probably best served with some additional seasoning in the American Hockey League. Within this group, Ryan Craig, Adam Hall, Jeff Halpern and even fan favorite Evgeny Artyukhin could very well have been the roster player(s) the team was attempting to move for draft picks this past weekend. (I suspect, however, that Artyukhin - a Rick Tocchet project, it appears - will get one more crack at significant progress in the final year of his current contract.) The assumption remains that a deal involving a player or two in this category, to open up a bottom-six roster spot for a free agent upgrade or an emerging youngster, is a strong possibility.
But you want names, I know, and I’ll get to some of my personal suggestions momentarily.
First, a caveat: I don’t expect the Lightning to go “top tier” at all, just a step below rather, at least via free agency. (Trades are a different story and remember I’ve been warned not to discount the biggest potential deal of all just yet.) And, keep in mind, affordability could ultimately be the biggest deterrent of all.
With that out of the way, here (finally) are some UFA names to monitor in the categories identified earlier:
Veteran defenseman: Christian Backman, Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, Paul Mara, Johnny Oduya (Also, believe it or not, Steve Eminger remains a possibility. He’ll likely go to arbitration and Florida could very well walk away from the decision. Update: The Panthers did not qualify Eminger, making him a UFA.)
Backup goaltender: Craig Anderson, Wade Dubielewicz, Robert Esche, Antero Niittymaki, Andrew Raycroft
Scoring winger: Maxim Afinogenov, Erik Cole, Brian Gionta, Chad Larose, Mikael Samuelsson
Third/Fourth liners: Dan Hinote, Tom Kostopolous, Travis Moen, Chris Neil, Joel Ward
So there you have your names, gang, and your 2009 Tampa Bay Lightning free agency preview. I’ll probably end up being more accurate on the types of players they’ll target, rather than the specific names.
But don’t count me out yet. There’s a method to my madness, as always.
I’ll have plenty for you throughout the week and definitely make plans to follow along (here and via Twitter) all day Wednesday as things start cookin’.
JJ
jon.jordan@hockeybuzz.com
JJ on Facebook
JJ on Twitter
Before I get to those holes and areas where improvement is clearly needed, let’s address the club’s own free agents one last time.
Of the restricted group, only goaltender Mike McKenna did not receive a qualifying offer by today’s noon deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent. Forward Martins Karsums along with defensemen Lukas Krajicek, Matt Lashoff, Mike Lundin and Matt Smaby were all qualified. I would expect Karsums, Lashoff and Lundin will simply accept their QOs, while Smaby could lobby for a slightly larger bump in pay. Krajicek is said to be close on a 1-year deal, as reported by the Lightning via Twitter during draft weekend. Forward Radek Smolenak and goaltender Karri Ramo, also restricted free agents, each have signed to play in the Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League next season, while the Lightning will retain their NHL rights.
Unrestricted free agent forwards include Wade Brookbank, David Koci, Matt Pettinger, and Jason Ward, with Brookbank and Ward not expected to return. Koci's agent, Rich Evans, indicated that his client's preference is to remain in Tampa, though they'll hit the open market on July 1st.
Koci at least appears to remain a fit for the Bolts, who lack the presence of a traditional tough guy otherwise.
Brandon Segal, who appeared in two games for Tampa Bay last season and is coming off of a 26-goal campaign for AHL Norfolk, is a Group VI UFA and can negotiate with any team. (The Lightning are not interested in his return, according to agent Jarrett Bousquet.)
Defensemen Richard Petiot and Noah Welch are also Group VI. Other unrestricted blue liners - Marek Malik, Josef Melichar, Cory Murphy and Janne Niskala - will likely end up elsewhere.
Europe is a feasible destination for that particular group, save for Murphy, whose status is rather intriguing.
A real find for the Bolts off the waiver wire in January, Murphy put up 15 points in 25 games and positively impacted a stagnant Lightning power play. One would think there would be some Tampa Bay interest in keeping him around but the fact that he appears headed to test the market leads me to believe that the team could very well have a bigger name in mind to further bolster the back end.
So just what might Tampa Bay’s focus be come Wednesday? I see potential free agent target areas as follows, in order of perceived priority:
A veteran defenseman to help Hedman with his transition to the North American game
A veteran backup goaltender
A second line, scoring winger
A veteran grinding forward for the third line
An overall upgrade to the fourth line
As a reader suggested yesterday, the Lightning might be wise to take care of the first task on this list and then call it a day, favoring a less is more approach this year, but Ramo’s departure to Russia makes the backup goaltender void significant and something that definitely needs to be addressed. The whisper in the wind about bringing over Hedman’s MoDo defense partner, former NHLer Mattias Timander, looks to be just a whisper indeed at the moment. Possible, I’m sure. But don’t count on it.
Lower down on the priority list, my suggestion of a second line scorer raised a couple of eyebrows yesterday for one reason or another. My assumption, for the purposes of this preview, is that Vincent Lecavalier will remain in Tampa. I hoped to be able to proclaim as much as fact by now but have still been warned by multiple sources to hold off on doing so. (That is, you’re not out of the woods yet, folks. I’m back to 50/50, personally, on that front, down from 60/40 but not yet convinced to let it go completely.) Remaining with Lecavalier will almost surely be Vinny Prospal, whose no-movement clause (and no desire to go elsewhere) and undesirable contract will keep him in Tampa next season. Since Prospal’s due for his trademark bounceback season, another go-round for the MVP line would appear to be a logical forecast.
But I’m not really into predicting line combinations in June so let’s look at this another way:
As of this very moment, your top six forwards are Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone, Prospal and … Who, pray tell? I see Steve Downie as having that potential but not just yet. And thus, the need for a second line winger.
Last season became troublesome when injuries forced various players into roles they were not yet ready for. The remaining forwards under contract are a hodgepodge of cagey veterans and grinders, as well as young players who are probably best served with some additional seasoning in the American Hockey League. Within this group, Ryan Craig, Adam Hall, Jeff Halpern and even fan favorite Evgeny Artyukhin could very well have been the roster player(s) the team was attempting to move for draft picks this past weekend. (I suspect, however, that Artyukhin - a Rick Tocchet project, it appears - will get one more crack at significant progress in the final year of his current contract.) The assumption remains that a deal involving a player or two in this category, to open up a bottom-six roster spot for a free agent upgrade or an emerging youngster, is a strong possibility.
But you want names, I know, and I’ll get to some of my personal suggestions momentarily.
First, a caveat: I don’t expect the Lightning to go “top tier” at all, just a step below rather, at least via free agency. (Trades are a different story and remember I’ve been warned not to discount the biggest potential deal of all just yet.) And, keep in mind, affordability could ultimately be the biggest deterrent of all.
With that out of the way, here (finally) are some UFA names to monitor in the categories identified earlier:
Veteran defenseman: Christian Backman, Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, Paul Mara, Johnny Oduya (Also, believe it or not, Steve Eminger remains a possibility. He’ll likely go to arbitration and Florida could very well walk away from the decision. Update: The Panthers did not qualify Eminger, making him a UFA.)
Backup goaltender: Craig Anderson, Wade Dubielewicz, Robert Esche, Antero Niittymaki, Andrew Raycroft
Scoring winger: Maxim Afinogenov, Erik Cole, Brian Gionta, Chad Larose, Mikael Samuelsson
Third/Fourth liners: Dan Hinote, Tom Kostopolous, Travis Moen, Chris Neil, Joel Ward
So there you have your names, gang, and your 2009 Tampa Bay Lightning free agency preview. I’ll probably end up being more accurate on the types of players they’ll target, rather than the specific names.
But don’t count me out yet. There’s a method to my madness, as always.
I’ll have plenty for you throughout the week and definitely make plans to follow along (here and via Twitter) all day Wednesday as things start cookin’.
JJ
jon.jordan@hockeybuzz.com
JJ on Facebook
JJ on Twitter
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