Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

How Anthony Cirelli Can Buoy Mikhail Sergachev

August 2, 2018, 8:18 AM ET [10 Comments]
Sam Hitchcock
Tampa Bay Lightning Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It wasn’t that long ago that the third forward line in the NHL was viewed strictly as a checking line. The checking line’s function was to neutralize the opponent’s best line and offer energy. Analytics and common sense helped shatter that archetype. Now third lines are stocked with skill and talent, and counted on to score. Franchises recognize that it is almost impossible to win in the playoffs without depth scoring. And the most successful organizations strike a balance between players on their second and third contracts and young pups on entry-level deals.

The Lightning’s most obvious contributors who are on their first contracts are Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev. Both are cheap and have the potential to be even more influential this season. But Anthony Cirelli is also a Lightning player worth focusing on. As a rookie, he played No. 3 center for the Lightning after winning a spot in the last quarter of the season. How Cirelli can fit in is interesting. There is a rationale for Coach Jon Cooper using Cirelli to prop up and enhance Sergachev’s value.

During their 2018 Cup run, the Capitals demonstrated that there is no such thing as too many creators in a defensive group. The more the merrier. Dmitry Orlov, John Carlson, and Matt Niskanen all possess offensive skill, and Orlov especially was a dangerous playmaker who juked Lightning forwards out of their skates when they challenged him at the blue line. The Lightning have Victor Hedman, whose gifts are ineffable and whose impact is undeniable. But with his acceleration and puck-handling, Sergachev certainly flashed the potential to make forwards look like fossils. With two potent defensive creators, the Lightning can have a significant advantage over their adversaries.

Which is why bundling Cirelli with Sergachev is so tempting. Nikita Kucherov will likely stay with Stamkos, and maybe they also play with J.T. Miller. One of those three needs the puck while they travel from Point A (leaving their own zone) to Point B (the opposing net). Point, Tyler Johnson, and maybe Ondrej Palat or Yanni Gourde are their own ecosystem. They can race down the ice; they can retrieve and cycle on repeat. Better not to disrupt their milieus. But pair Cirelli with Sergachev and on paper it makes sense. Cirelli is not puck-dominant, and neither are his likely linemates. In theory, that role could be ceded to Sergachev.

Instead of countervailing the opponent’s first line like in the traditional checking role of years past, Cirelli can act as a form of accountability for Sergachev. The regular season is very long, and the Lightning will likely make the playoffs. Using 82 games as a testing ground to try to train Sergachev to become a Roman Josi-type playmaker would be invaluable come postseason. Having that type of versatility on the back end to complement the forwards would prevent Tampa Bay’s offense from stultifying like it did last year.

If they proceed with this course, there will inevitably be growing pains for Sergachev. The young defenseman will have bad turnovers and missed assignments. Assuming Cirelli plays with Alex Killorn and either Gourde or Palat, this will be an opportunity where Sergachev can lead the transition and get imaginative in the offensive zone. All three Lightning forwards can play off the puck. More attempts as a playmaker means more errors by Sergachev. But it would be a worthy investment. Sergachev could be the fulcrum of the third line.

While Cirelli’s 2017-18 shot attempts percentage was substandard and he wasn’t great on faceoffs, it should be noted that he’s still an inexperienced NHL player. Counting the postseason, he has played in 35 NHL games. Year two could bring a big leap. As his first NHL goal against Dallas demonstrated, he has quickness on the outside. Despite having the same diameter as a chair leg and weighing as much as a backpack, Cirelli is a fighter. He battles in the slot and is persistent on the forehceck. He scores ugly goals. That is meant as a compliment. What makes him a candidate to be a consistent, successful NHL player is his instincts for getting into scoring positioning and his balance to stay upright in high-traffic areas, such as on deflections.

With Cirelli’s speed and tenacity there is every reason to believe he could be an excellent two-way player. If you can retrieve the puck on the forecheck and chase your opponents down, you are almost there. Most good individual defense is effort. The rest is awareness.

During the end of the Lightning’s postseason run, I remember a broadcast where Pierre McGuire crowed something to the effect of, “Eddie, I think (Cirelli) is going to be a star!” When a skeptical Eddie Olczyk pressed Pierre to elaborate on Cirelli’s future potential, Pierre, who had clearly lapsed into characteristic hyperbole, admitted he thought Cirelli had No.-2-center upside.

Lost in that moment’s equivocation was an important thought: If Cirelli develops into a player who could play No. 2 center on most squads, but who plays in the No. 3 spot for Tampa Bay, then his impact could mirror what Lars Eller did for Washington last season. The difference is that Cirelli would be facilitating the growth of Sergachev, who, unlike Cirelli, does have star potential.

While I don’t see Cooper actually implementing this, in the dog days of summer I get to pontificate and engage in hockey theory. And it is a useful exercise because it illuminates where hockey is headed. The Lightning should use the third line as a lab for Sergachev experimentation. After all, Sergachev’s maturing into a consistent creator from the back end would be the type of development that could move a team from postseason competitor to Cup winner. Sometimes it takes a supporting cast member to buoy a featured actor to new heights.
Join the Discussion: » 10 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Sam Hitchcock
» Verhaeghe's Role if Stamkos is Sidelined
» Stamkos's Linemates Should Feed Him in the Crease
» Three Personal Goals for the Grinders
» How COVID Could Test the Bolts' Depth
» What Happens to Cooper If TB Loses