John Gove: Defense Remains Tampa Bay's Weakness

Oh please, Tampa has 77. Im pretty sure he can play 60 min and still dominate.

I know I am in the minority but I do not think they makes the playoffs. Even with Hedman, Kucherov and Stamkos I think this team will miss. Like the article states the D is a weakness, I am not a fan if Kunitz at all. He is a guy who benefits from other players skills. First it was Peryy and Getzlaf, then Crosby and now Stamkos and Kucherov. Him and Callahan are guys I feel will hold the team back. The team is also riding a goaltender who hasnt been in the starter role for a full season. He is a good young goalie but there is always some growing to be done. Maybe Budaj can take some of the load of maybe not. Budaj isnt the most consistant goalie in the league

I know I am in the minority but I do not think they makes the playoffs. Even with Hedman, Kucherov and Stamkos I think this team will miss. Like the article states the D is a weakness, I am not a fan if Kunitz at all. He is a guy who benefits from other players skills. First it was Peryy and Getzlaf, then Crosby and now Stamkos and Kucherov. Him and Callahan are guys I feel will hold the team back. The team is also riding a goaltender who hasnt been in the starter role for a full season. He is a good young goalie but there is always some growing to be done. Maybe Budaj can take some of the load of maybe not. Budaj isnt the most consistant goalie in the league
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

I never cared for Kunitz, but don't think of him like you mentioned. He's the type of utility player than complements very well. Thats why it might seem like he benefits. Every team should have at least 2 Kunitzs'.

Tampa will be fine, but their defense IS pretty average after Hedman.

Vasilevsky is good enough to compensate and make this team a contender, I'm confident about this.

Sergachev will be a very good player.... but he still has some growing up to do... the kid is crazy talented but sometimes either tries to do too much or gets surprised because he's not careful enough in his defensive plays.

Maybe he makes the team this year, but if he does, it won't be in a major role imo.

Down the line though.... a Hedman-Sergachev pairing will be scary for the next 10 years.

I agree that our bottom 4 defense is our biggest question mark but I don't believe it will cost us the playoffs. As I see it, we have bottom pair defensemen and unknowns.

Bottom Pair: Coburn, Girardi, Sustr
Unknowns: Dotchin, Koekkoek, Serg

The optimist in me HOPES and believes that 2 of these 6 can step up and be top 4 defensemen! Idc what combination, I don't care if the 6 dmen take turns being that 2nd line defense. Just during the year, it shouldn't be too much to ask for the 6 (well 5..I have no faith in Sustr being top 4) dmen to form a reliable 2nd pairing!

Let the camp games begin!!!

I know I am in the minority but I do not think they makes the playoffs. Even with Hedman, Kucherov and Stamkos I think this team will miss. Like the article states the D is a weakness, I am not a fan if Kunitz at all. He is a guy who benefits from other players skills. First it was Peryy and Getzlaf, then Crosby and now Stamkos and Kucherov. Him and Callahan are guys I feel will hold the team back. The team is also riding a goaltender who hasnt been in the starter role for a full season. He is a good young goalie but there is always some growing to be done. Maybe Budaj can take some of the load of maybe not. Budaj isnt the most consistant goalie in the league
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Kunitz has never held any team he was on back. Dude is one of the hardest working guys on the ice. His hands may have left him a bit, but he's still good for 30-40 points. Kunitz was never meant to be "the guy." He's really just a solid hockey player. Sure, he rode Crosby's coat tails a few seasons, but who cares? He did it and did it well. No team is made up of all superstars. The Lightning need those players that can chip in while playing responsible 2 way hockey, and that's something Kunitz does.

Goalie's aren't that important if your team can score 3+ goals a game, which the Tampa forwards have the capabilities to do when healthy. Average to slightly above average goaltending is all they'll need.

I know I am in the minority but I do not think they makes the playoffs. Even with Hedman, Kucherov and Stamkos I think this team will miss. Like the article states the D is a weakness, I am not a fan if Kunitz at all. He is a guy who benefits from other players skills. First it was Peryy and Getzlaf, then Crosby and now Stamkos and Kucherov. Him and Callahan are guys I feel will hold the team back. The team is also riding a goaltender who hasnt been in the starter role for a full season. He is a good young goalie but there is always some growing to be done. Maybe Budaj can take some of the load of maybe not. Budaj isnt the most consistant goalie in the league
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

You are an idiot. Thanks.

You are an idiot. Thanks.
- Feds91Stammer

Making friends as usual lol

Making friends as usual lol
- Rinosaur

You know it.

Kunitz has never held any team he was on back. Dude is one of the hardest working guys on the ice. His hands may have left him a bit, but he's still good for 30-40 points. Kunitz was never meant to be "the guy." He's really just a solid hockey player. Sure, he rode Crosby's coat tails a few seasons, but who cares? He did it and did it well. No team is made up of all superstars. The Lightning need those players that can chip in while playing responsible 2 way hockey, and that's something Kunitz does.

Goalie's aren't that important if your team can score 3+ goals a game, which the Tampa forwards have the capabilities to do when healthy. Average to slightly above average goaltending is all they'll need.
- j.boyd919

Yeah, I pretty much agree here. Vas should be good enough to not purge too many goals on a consistent basis and you combine that with what should be a fierce offense(if healthy) and they should be able to score enough goals.

All this being said, it wouldn't hurt them to re-shape the defense a little. Adding a sieve like Girardi didn't do much to help their cause.

Yeah, I pretty much agree here. Vas should be good enough to not purge too many goals on a consistent basis and you combine that with what should be a fierce offense(if healthy) and they should be able to score enough goals.

All this being said, it wouldn't hurt them to re-shape the defense a little. Adding a sieve like Girardi didn't do much to help their cause.
- Rinosaur

Oh their defense is suspect, i completely agree. Adding Girardi was a bonehead move. If they were willing to play their younger guys they could have a more dynamic defense, but I doubt Coop will do that...

Hedman-Dotchin
Sergachev-Stralman
Koekkoek-Coburn
Sustr

could be solid... buuuut... somehow Coburn, Girardi, & Sustr will probably be in the lineup all the time.

Oh their defense is suspect, i completely agree. Adding Girardi was a bonehead move. If they were willing to play their younger guys they could have a more dynamic defense, but I doubt Coop will do that...

Hedman-Dotchin
Sergachev-Stralman
Koekkoek-Coburn
Sustr

could be solid... buuuut... somehow Coburn, Girardi, & Sustr will probably be in the lineup all the time.
- j.boyd919

I dont see them going into the season with 8 defenders who have to go thru waviers on the active roster which they currently have, having depth is great but sitting 2 guys per game is not - the young ones have to play and the old ones won't like sitting. I think 1 of them will be traded, not sure which one or what the return will be. If I took a guess it will be Sustr to someone for a bag of pucks... lol.

From what they have and knowing Cooper likes his Vets I see this taking into account a Sustr trade:

Hedman-Stralman
Coburn-Dotchin
Sergachev/Koekkoek/Girardi (mix and match 3rd line)

Oh their defense is suspect, i completely agree. Adding Girardi was a bonehead move. If they were willing to play their younger guys they could have a more dynamic defense, but I doubt Coop will do that...

Hedman-Dotchin
Sergachev-Stralman
Koekkoek-Coburn
Sustr

could be solid... buuuut... somehow Coburn, Girardi, & Sustr will probably be in the lineup all the time.
- j.boyd919

Yeah, there's no way Girardi won't be in the line (sorry for the double neg). Maybe him reuniting with Stralman will make him look again? lol I don't remember if they were paired together on the Rangers though.

I dont see them going into the season with 8 defenders who have to go thru waviers on the active roster which they currently have, having depth is great but sitting 2 guys per game is not - the young ones have to play and the old ones won't like sitting. I think 1 of them will be traded, not sure which one or what the return will be. If I took a guess it will be Sustr to someone for a bag of pucks... lol.

From what they have and knowing Cooper likes his Vets I see this taking into account a Sustr trade:

Hedman-Stralman
Coburn-Dotchin
Sergachev/Koekkoek/Girardi (mix and match 3rd line)
- stammerman

Who had 8 guys in the lineup? I only had 7, and was posting what the D could have looked like without signing that bum Girardi lol

Tampa's D is not as weak as it looks on paper. A combination of factors hurt the D's numbers and advanced stats last year. While defense has never been Tampa's strong area, we have had long stretches over the last handful of seasons where our D was better than average.

Hedman is arguably the best D-man not named Karlsson. Most teams are not lucky enough to have any D-man nearly as good as Hedman. Stralman is the perfect partner and he can be moved down the lineup to shore up a weak pairing. It's often overlooked how good Stralman is because he doesn't put up gaudy numbers. I think Stralman is right on the cusp of being an elite D-man - not quite there, but far better than average. He's top-pair on almost any team.

Coburn is not terrible and I would argue he is a solid 2nd pairing with a more mobile partner and a very solid 3rd pairing guy. He's still got gas in the tank and is rarely a liability in any situation.

So you have half of the defense that is either elite or solid.

The remaining half is a battleground, but not as bleak as it seems.

I agree that Girardi is likely a mistake. I can't justify putting him in the line-up over anyone else in our system, but since he's here, we have to account for him, and unless he becomes a dumpster fire, he is going to take a top-4 spot. I think he crashes and burns and gets replaced, but let's see what happens.

So now you have your top four solidified - Hedman, Stralman, Coburn, Girardi. The drop off after Coburn is steep, but thankfully we have a wild card - Sergachev. If this kid lives up to his billing, he is one of those rare d-man youngsters who can step right in to the NHL and play. If so, then now you have a problem for Girardi and everyone else below him in the depth chart. Because Sergachev could easily bump Coburn or Girardi from the top-4.

Then we would have something like : Hedman/Stralman - Coburn/Sergachev - Girardi/Koekkoek/Dotchin

I really think we end up trading a D-man before the deadline if we don't have a rash of injuries on the backend. Sustr, Koekkoek, Dotchin, Girardi are going to be fighting for three available spots (assuming we carry 7 defense and not 6)

I just still can't get over Girardi. One year at like 1-2 million would have been OK. Even that seems silly given what was potentially available on the market at the time. Yzerman could have done better with bringing in a solid d-man. Girardi is not that.

Who had 8 guys in the lineup? I only had 7, and was posting what the D could have looked like without signing that bum Girardi lol
- j.boyd919

Sorry didn't realize I quoted your post. I am fine with your projection without Girardi and that could make d corp should be able to get to the post season, Im not a fan of Girardi but he is here to stay, I was more just talking about the defense in general for this year. I don't see them carrying 8 dman to start the year... who is the odd man out to be traded? I think that is the question. Could any of Sustr/Koekkoek/Dotchin return a decent 3rd line RW with some scoring ability?

Sorry didn't realize I quoted your post. I am fine with your projection without Girardi and that could make d corp should be able to get to the post season, Im not a fan of Girardi but he is here to stay, I was more just talking about the defense in general for this year. I don't see them carrying 8 dman to start the year... who is the odd man out to be traded? I think that is the question. Could any of Sustr/Koekkoek/Dotchin return a decent 3rd line RW with some scoring ability?
- stammerman

I'd take Koekkoek in a heart beat. I'd rather have him over Sustr or Dotchin.

Kunitz has never held any team he was on back. Dude is one of the hardest working guys on the ice. His hands may have left him a bit, but he's still good for 30-40 points. Kunitz was never meant to be "the guy." He's really just a solid hockey player. Sure, he rode Crosby's coat tails a few seasons, but who cares? He did it and did it well. No team is made up of all superstars. The Lightning need those players that can chip in while playing responsible 2 way hockey, and that's something Kunitz does.

Goalie's aren't that important if your team can score 3+ goals a game, which the Tampa forwards have the capabilities to do when healthy. Average to slightly above average goaltending is all they'll need.
- j.boyd919

My concern is the fact that sleeper teams like Carolina and Islanders can slide past Tampa. Carolina has a very under rated Defence and while they dont have any super stars like Stamkos or Kucherov, they still have 3 quality lines that could be considered 2nd line level. Darling will also improve the team tremendously. Islanders are another team that was actually strong last season but inconsistency from Griess killed them. Going into this Season Halak will be back to take some of the load off Griess. I fully expect him to bounce back from that awful year that had him banished in the first place and JT and Eberle and Anders Lee is going to be a deadly line..

You are an idiot. Thanks.
- Feds91Stammer

We will see. Come march when I am right try not to take it too hard.

My concern is the fact that sleeper teams like Carolina and Islanders can slide past Tampa. Carolina has a very under rated Defence and while they dont have any super stars like Stamkos or Kucherov, they still have 3 quality lines that could be considered 2nd line level. Darling will also improve the team tremendously. Islanders are another team that was actually strong last season but inconsistency from Griess killed them. Going into this Season Halak will be back to take some of the load off Griess. I fully expect him to bounce back from that awful year that had him banished in the first place and JT and Eberle and Anders Lee is going to be a deadly line..
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

These are completely different opinions than Kunitz holding Tampa back? Only way he might hold them back is with the weight of his 4 cup rings.