The Bolts are stacked!

[hammer]

Forwards: Stamkos, Fillpula, Callahan are solid veterans in the top 6. Morrow and Boyle are solid bottom-6 vets.

Palat and Johnson were Calder finalists, Killorn wasn't far behind. All are legit top-6 players, for sure top-9.

Kucherov, Connolly, Panik and JT Brown have all shown in the AHL that they are probably legit NHLers. Kucherov and Connolly (finally) potential stars and legit contenders for top-6 position this year.

Plus Jonathan Drouin! TBay is going to have 3 young, fast scoring lines.

Defense is not too bad either- Hedman turning into a star, solid support with Stralman, Carle, Brewer, Gudas, Garrison.

Bishop emerged as a great goalie last year and they have Kirsters Gudlevskis the Latvian wonder and Andrei Visilevsky who some call the best goalie not in the NHL.

This team is looking scary and should be for years to come.

[E.L.]

Stralman and Garrison were excellent pickups for the team. Exactly what they needed on the blueline.

I'm no fan of Stevie Y, so I have a headstart on hating the Lightning, but it looks like the Tampons could be the Habs' biggest divisional rival going forward.

Stamkos v. PK in the playoffs could become a yearly occurrence.

[Bosc]

Yup, great-looking squad for sure.

[Pokecheque]

They'll be lucky to get 48 games outta Cally, but for once that's not a problem. When he went down for the Rangers, their offense went with him. That won't happen with the Bolts.

[Bosc]

EL I think I asked before but either didn't get an answer or forgot it...why not a fan of Stevie Y?

[hammer]

I jinxed them with this thread. Drouin out with a fractured thumb.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/jonathan- ... 49837.html

Not good for him to miss pre-season. Wonder if that will mean he starts the season in the AHL?

[Pokecheque]

Not good for him to miss pre-season. Wonder if that will mean he starts the season in the AHL?

If I recall the rules correctly, he's not yet old enough to play in the AHL, but I think they could keep him on injured reserve and then give him the 9-game tryout. They could try a "conditioning stint" but other than that I don't think he can be in the AHL.

[Fogghorn]

Not good for him to miss pre-season. Wonder if that will mean he starts the season in the AHL?

If I recall the rules correctly, he's not yet old enough to play in the AHL, but I think they could keep him on injured reserve and then give him the 9-game tryout. They could try a "conditioning stint" but other than that I don't think he can be in the AHL.

The rules are weird, Horvat is in the same boat for the Canucks but Shinkaruk can go to the AHL even though same draft year. Saskhab will know why that is, and I'm too lazy too look it up. So Drouin may or may not depending.

[scratchham]

Shinkaruk is considered 20 by IIHF/CHL standards because he turns 20 before the end of the year. Draft years run from Sept 16-Sept 15 as per NHL rules since they don't want to employ anyone under the age of 18. Shinkaruk is then born somewhere between Sept 16-Dec 31 1994 while Horvat was born in 1995.

[Fogghorn]

Shinkaruk is considered 20 by IIHF/CHL standards because he turns 20 before the end of the year. Draft years run from Sept 16-Sept 15 as per NHL rules since they don't want to employ anyone under the age of 18. Shinkaruk is then born somewhere between Sept 16-Dec 31 1994 while Horvat was born in 1995.

Thanks, I knew you'd know.

[hammer]

Wow Kucherov leads preseason in goals and Namestikov leads in assists and one or both probably doesn't make the team.

[hammer]

Looks like:

Palat-Stamkos-Johnson
Killorn-Flipper-Callahan
Kucherov-Namestnikov- Connolly
Morrow-Boyle-Brown
Palat

Then Drouin comes back from injury and maybe something like this:

Palat-Stamkos-Kucherov
Killorn-Flipper-Callahan
Drouin-Johnson-Connolly
Morro-Boyle-Brown
Palat

Add in the much-improved D, if Bishop has another Vezina nominee quality season this is a bad ass team!!!

[scratchham]

That can't be right. Ondrej Palat has to be in the lineup somewhere.

[hammer]

That can't be right. Ondrej Palat has to be in the lineup somewhere.

He's there beside Stamkos in both scenarios. Although a couple preseason games they had Kucherov-Stamkos-Callahan and Palat was with Filpulla.

[scratchham]

That can't be right. Ondrej Palat has to be in the lineup somewhere.

He's there beside Stamkos in both scenarios. Although a couple preseason games they had Kucherov-Stamkos-Callahan and Palat was with Filpulla.

Oh nevermind, you had him listed as both 1LW and the spare forward in both lists! heh

[hammer]

That can't be right. Ondrej Palat has to be in the lineup somewhere.

He's there beside Stamkos in both scenarios. Although a couple preseason games they had Kucherov-Stamkos-Callahan and Palat was with Filpulla.

Oh nevermind, you had him listed as both 1LW and the spare forward in both lists! heh

Ah my bad, good catch. Spare forward is Panik!

[Pokecheque]

Who'da ever thunk the Tampa Bay Lightning of all teams would have the league's 2nd highest payroll going into the season (Philadelphia has the highest, which is effin' hilarious)? And that's not even counting the vast amounts of go-away money currently being paid to Ryan Malone and Vinny Lecavalier.

BTW, is this the first season Tampa can honestly say they're free of the many roster mistakes made by Brian Lawton's disastrous tenure?

[scratchham]

Was Ohlund Lawton? I mean, yeah, insurance pays for it but it's still a hassle to deal with from an employee's perspective.

[Pokecheque]

Shit, forgot about Ohlund. So no, not free quite yet.

Wait...did Yzerman sign him?

EDIT: Okay, never mind, he was signed the year before Yzerman bolted Detroit.

[Pokecheque]

Incidentally, are the Bolts stacked enough now they can actually afford to shop Voltron? Seems like he's been shuffling around the lineup, spending time on wing even.