Steve Yzerman is a genius.
As a result of the New York Rangers’ win tonight in game seven of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired New York’s first round selection in this year’s NHL entry draft.
The pick was a conditional selection included in the deadline deal that sent Marty St. Louis to the Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan. Originally slated to be a second round selection, the pick became a first tonight as New York moved on to the Conference Final. This means that Steve Yzerman and the Bolts will have not one, but two first round selections with which to play. The best part is that the basket of goodies continues into next year, as the Bolts also have control of New York’s first round selection in 2015.
It’s not exactly a secret that the Tampa roster is loaded with a bevy of young talent. Potentially adding two more quality prospects this year and two more in 2015, or using the picks to fix a position of weakness on the current roster via trade, will only serve to make the Lightning that much better. The fact that Yzerman was able to turn a disheartened St. Louis into such a shiny package of goods is nothing short of a miracle.
The Lightning’s own pick will sit somewhere in the late teens or early twenties, while New York’s will sit right near the end of the first round. It’s true this year’s draft is generally viewed as shallower than others, but that doesn’t mean that the Lightning won’t be getting two quality prospects should they choose to keep the picks. Next year’s draft, on the other hand, is widely expected to be one of the best in recent memory.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend that all resentment towards Marty St. Louis has faded. This is a player who turned his back on the Lightning and left town on a sour note. Even so, Bolts Nation should be incredibly thankful tonight that he and his Rangers were able to seal the deal and eliminate the Penguins from Stanley Cup contention. As a hockey fan, I’m still disappointed that the greatest Bolt in history wanted out. As a human being, however, I’m thrilled to see Marty win tonight’s game only a handful days after losing his mother to a sudden heart attack.
Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the first round, the reality is that the future is incredibly bright for hockey in Tampa. As we move closer to June’s festivities, I’ll be looking at potential picks on the draft board in addition to trade targets.
Thanks for reading.