Thanks to everyone who took the time to submit their questions to Mike’s Mailbag! We have a fair amount to cover as the Bolts get started with their prospect showcase and prepare for the season. Let’s get to my answers:

Ryan asks: Can the TBL reconstruct the 3rd and 4th line via the waiver wire or will the ‘black aces’ or the farm system win out?

I don’t know that there’s much of a choice. With the Tyler Johnson / Brent Seabrook deal, Julien BriseBois has essentially balanced his salary cap to the penny. There probably isn’t room to go out on the waiver wire and bring in additional bodies. It certainly feels like the team is expecting the farm system to see a few graduations to full-time duty, which quite honestly is probably the best-case scenario anyways. The roster being as good and deep as it’s been has prevented us from seeing whether some of these multi-year pro prospects are capable of taking the next step. They’ll have every opportunity to make it or break it this year.

Eric asks: Will JBB move Palat or Rutta or will he let them walk for nothing? We all know AZ is open for business and they have some depth players that are nice and cheap… and then there’s Chychrun.

As long as the Lightning are competitive this year and have even the slightest potential of going on another run, I don’t expect to see a key body like Palat shipped out, even if salary cap concerns over the next summer necessitate some kind of move. By winning back-to-back Championships, they’ve bought themselves enough fan currency to miss out on opportunities to recoup picks in situations like this… at least for a few years.

Tommy asks: Who do you think will be the next big-name player to be moved off the Lightning roster as a result of their cap crunch?

The question above hints at this, but I think it’s probably Ondrej Palat. As important as he’s been to this team, an objective look at the roster suggests that he isn’t in the same tier as some of the other players who either have new contracts kicking in or will need new contracts. While Alex Killorn has been the popular pick over the last two off-seasons, cap inflation since he signed his contract has made his AAV incredibly palatable (no pun intended). If Ondrej Palat is looking for a raise, he seems like someone who could be first out the door if the need arises.

CJL asks: Will NHL players go to the Winter Olympics, and if so which Lightning players are likely to go?

See my blog, which was written after you submitted :)

Justice asks: Do you think the trading of Mitchell Stephens and the signing of other fringe players was a mistake? Before his early season ending injury, Stephens looked to be our fourth line centre after Johnson left. And do you think Mathieu Joseph is the better option?

First, I’ll say that I think Joseph is most definitely the better option; he’s certainly shown more to be than Stephens has in their respective cups of coffee at the NHL level. The trouble for Stephens, from my perspective at least, is that he never did anything at an incredibly elite level. He had a very well-rounded skill set dating back to his junior days, but that doesn’t often translate to the NHL. Guys who rely on a meat and potatoes style to earn success in junior aren’t usually the players who can then thrive in the bigger, faster NHL. Stephens might still turn into something, but I really don’t think this is too much of a loss or risk given the number of other names in the system that are worth getting a look at over the next year or two.

Galactic Stone asks: Mike, in your opinion, have the Lightning improved or regressed in the following areas?

Forwards: The entire third line is gone. Johnson is gone. Perry, Bellemare, and Syracuse guys will fill the void.

Defence: Schenn is gone, Bogosian is in. Sustr is back on the depth chart.

Goalie: McElBackup is gone, Elliott is in.

Bonus Question: How many goals does Seabrook score this year?

Forwards – regressed… significantly. That third line was as good as it gets.

Defence – improved… marginally. I think Bogosian was a better fit back there than Schenn. Savard didn’t impress me all that much in his limited time with the team. And the organization made a point of ensuring that its top-four was protected from Seattle expansion.

Goaltending – treading water. If Andrei Vasilevskiy goes down, none of this matters anyways.

I expect Seabrook to score 18,000,000 goals this year.

Stu asks: Whom do you project as the Lightning’s third line?

My guess is that a lot of this will depend on how things shake out at camp, but I do wonder if they won’t consider “demoting” Anthony Cirelli from top-six duty in order to provide a higher quality presence in the bottom-six as opposed to throwing a bunch of random bodies together and hoping it sticks. Something like Ross Colton and Anthony Cirelli flanked by… someone else could be a decent combination.

Marek asks: Top 5 in defence is pretty much set, but who do you think will win the last spot (or at least play in more games), Bogosian or Foote?

I think this will pretty much come down to whether Foote has improved his foot speed over the summer. If he hasn’t, it’s really tough to see him getting consistent minutes unless Jon Cooper is going to go with his 7/11 lineup combination.

Marek asks: Is there a chance that one more forward (more experienced) will be signing for $750K? Or will the last two spots out of 13 be grabbed by Barre-Boulet and probably Raddysh/Katchouk?

I’d bet on the latter.

Marek asks: How do you think the bottom six will look? Could we see the ultimate veteran line Maroon-Bellemare-Perry?

That’s probably the best spot for each of those players. If the Lightning are committed to having them all play regularly, I don’t imagine they’ll want them playing any higher in the lineup. That leaves the third line to be composed of younger pieces looking to make their mark – see my response to an earlier question.

MiJo asks: Where does ABB fit on the team this year? …Good undrafted talent that’s ready for the show.

If he’s going to stick in the NHL, it probably has to be in an offensive role. I could see him filling one of the wing spots on any of the top three lines quite easily, depending on where Jon Cooper decides to put some of his bigger ticket pieces in the lineup.

Lance asks: How much young talent will be lost or moved in future years due to having so much core locked up? Especially with the cap expected to stay flat for two to four years.

My expectation is that the cuts will become progressively less painful as the years move along. Most of the true heartbreaking damage has been done at this point. With the true core pieces largely locked up to long-term contracts, it’s easy for BriseBois to map things out well into the future. Sure, it might prevent a prospect or two from cracking the roster… but it won’t be like losing a Yanni Gourde, or a Blake Coleman, or a whoever else. Most fans won’t even notice, because most fans won’t ever have the chance to get attached to the players that might have been.

Of course, the unfortunate reality of that is that it becomes death by a thousand paper cuts. The Los Angeles Kings were a great example of what happens when your Cup winners are locked in with long-term deals while they decline. Thankfully, the Kings are also an example of how quickly the right rebuild can get off the ground and build up another elite prospect crop.

Bobby asks: Who do you think will be the next major piece to go? I think it’s probably Palat.

As my previous answers indicate, I think you’re probably right.

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As always, thanks for reading.

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