It's 50 games down and 32 more to go for the Tampa Bay Lighting.
Heading into All-Star Weekend, it would be a complete understatement to claim that the 2016-17 season has not gone the Bolts way. Once viewed as a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference and my pick to win the Stanley Cup, the Lightning sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, only one point ahead of the last-place Detroit Red Wings.
Now don't get me wrong, this franchise still has the pieces necessary to do damage in the National Hockey League in the near future. However, it is looking more and more like this season is a lost cause. The team just cannot seem to get it together and make a push upward in the standings.
So the question now is, what does Steve Yzerman and the Lightning do moving forward?
Actively Explore the Trade Market
This is the most obvious answer. With the trade deadline just over a month away, Yzerman needs to be on the phones constantly seeing what kind of moves he can make.
Although the Lightning may be viewed as "sellers" come deadline time, I think it is imperative that the team obtains assets that will make them contenders next season, not a few years down the road. At the same time, they do not want to acquire any rentals that they will be unable to hold on to this summer because it truly does not help their cause moving forward.
I expect players such as Ben Bishop and Brian Boyle to be involved in most of the trade discussions over the next month or so. Still, Yzerman would be smart to see what the market is like for a player such as Tyler Johnson, who I feel won't be on re-signed over the offseason.
Of course, the Lightning will also look to dump some of their more undesirable contracts such as Valtteri Filppula and Ryan Callahan. The reality is that these two players will be difficult to move but if either of them goes, it will be Filppula.
Don't Touch the Core
As I have mentioned, this Lightning team still has what it takes to be good. Yes, this year has not gone their way but that is what happens when you lose one of the most dominant players in the entire league for months. It is of great importance that Yzerman remembers who the core players of this franchise are and doesn't make a mistake by dealing one of them away.
To me, the Lightning core consists of Steven Stamkos (obviously), Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman, Jonathan Drouin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and possibly Ondrej Palat. I throw Palat's name into this list because I love what he brings to this team and would be a good player to keep around.
Do What's Best for Stamkos
It is true the Steven Stamkos is due to return to the ice for the Lightning some time in March. There is also no evidence that points to this being unable to happen at this point. However, the Lightning are really going to want to evaluate where they are in the standings at that time before they let Stamkos play again this season.
Tampa Bay cannot afford to miss their star player for another extended length of time. They are going to want him with a clean bill of health next season so they can make a real run at a cup. With that being said, if the team is completely out of it by the time Stamkos is ready to return, it may be more beneficial just to shut him down for the year.
Sidenote
I would love to start taking your questions regarding the Tampa Bay Lightning and answering them in a weekly post. If you have a question you would like answered, or maybe a thought you would like another opinion on, feel free to email them to me at johngove21@gmail.com with the subject "HockeyBuzz Lightning Mailbag".