Steve Yzerman sent waves thorugh the hockey world yesterday, as his Tampa Bay Lightning dealt forwards Teddy Purcell, B.J. Crombeen and Nate Thompson in separate deals.
Purcell and his $4.5-million cap hit were sent to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Sam Gagner, who was then immediately flipped to the Arizona Coyotes with B.J. Crombeen for a sixth round pick. The wheeling and dealing didn’t stop there, as Yzerman then traded Nate Thompson to the Anaheim Ducks for a 2015 fourth round pick and a 2015 seventh round pick.
The news didn’t come as much of a surprise, as the Lightning’s GM had indicated earlier in the week that he wanted to clear salary cap space heading into free agency and next season.
Even so, I’m not sure that anybody could have predicted the flurry of activity that took place yesterday. The Lightning now have plenty of cap room, which gives them oodles of flexibility heading into July 1st. Maybe the odds of landing a Matt Niskanen or an Anton Stralman are a little bit higher now than they were before. It certainly sounds like Yzerman has something in mind.
It’s worth noting that, with Purcell and Thompson gone, there is now plenty of room for more young talent to work its way into the Lightning roster. You can basically guarantee Jonathan Drouin a spot in the 2014-15 lineup, and guys like Brett Connolly, Richard Panik and perhaps even Cedric Paquette will be given long looks in positions that fit their respective styles.
Overall, it’s hard not to like what Yzerman managed to pull off. While the Lightning will retain one third of Gagner’s $4.8-million salary, they’ve also opened up a bunch of space to make the moves and promotions that could turn them into a serious contender as early as next season. More cap space, more draft picks for Al Murray and his staff to work with, and more ability to promote deserving young players – getting those three things seems to be a priority for Tampa’s management team.
Thanks to Nate, B.J., and Teddy for all the memories.
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:
»