In early May, Tampa’s situation was extremely sad. In the playoffs, the team proved that its attack was literally based on one person, and when Nikita Kucherov began to be well covered by two, the Lightning’s offense woke up literally for one game. There was no depth in the lineup: the Lightning’s second line in Florida would have passed for the third, and this was even after Duclair’s purchase at the deadline.
At the same time, there was not much room for maneuver. Almost all team leaders have already signed important long-term contracts. The pool of draft picks and prospects was emptied, a standard story for contending teams, but in Tampa’s case they were dispersed quite liberally. Trading five draft picks for a Jeanneau now ranks firmly among the worst trades in the modern NHL. Overall, Tampa followed the gradual fading path typical of many favorites. However, the trades that made waves on Day 2 of the draft could help them become clear favorites again.
Nikita Kucherov is in the spotlight again:
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“At least Kucherov is not a hypocrite.” The Russian star got into another scandal at the NHL ceremony
In fact, Tampa made the first trade of this offseason when it brought back Ryan McDonagh from Nashville. This move went unnoticed amid the closing stages of the Stanley Cup, but to no avail. It was the arrival of McTruck in 2018 that became one of the fundamental steps on the path to the Cup, and his departure dealt a serious blow to the Lightning defense, which was a very sad sight this year. Of course, this is not an ideal step; After all, the American hasn’t gotten younger or faster in two years, and such “nostalgic” transfers turn out to be successful from time to time.
But yesterday there was an exchange that no one expected. Yesterday, about Mikhail Sergachev, one could read that for Tampa he did not become the second Hedman and did not play with his own money. This is still not entirely true. The 2022/2023 season was the most productive for the Nizhnekamsk defender from all points of view: 64 points, more than 23 minutes on average per game. At the same time, Sergachev was used a lot in both the majority and minority, and in equal compositions he spent only 19 seconds less on average per match than Hedman. In addition, this season was not a contract season for the hockey player, because the parties agreed to conclude a big deal in the summer of 2022. Of course, the unsuccessful start of this year and two serious injuries changed a lot.
Mikhail Sergachev
Photo by: HC Tampa Bay Lightning
You have to understand that Tampa needed not only cap space, but also some assets to create depth. However, the Lightning, partly and through their own fault, found themselves in a situation where they could get something they needed by selling something else they needed. They had no options in attack; the situation there was already terrible. Sergachev in this sense was almost the only option that could bring the Lightning a big prize, and in principle Tampa would not be disappointed with the price.
Janis Moser was Arizona’s second-highest defenseman last season, scoring 26 points and virtually no power-play time (but he did have two 4-on-5 assists). Functionally, he will not replace Sergachev; However, at this time Tampa does not have a clear candidate for the second special team defender position, perhaps they will find him on the market; The great Conor Geekie was selected 11th overall in the 2022 draft; He is unlikely to develop into a creative full-line player, but he can become a great defensive center for the second line. Players of this type are very popular in today’s Tampa.
How to perceive this exchange:
What’s going on?! Tampa sensationally handed over the Russian star to a newcomer to the NHL
After the Sergachev trade, Tampa management corrected its old mistake by sending Jeanneau to Los Angeles. It’s true that the Lightning received only two picks in response, but considering Tanner failed miserably at his new club and missed a lot of time due to injury, getting the second and fourth round picks for a player in this form is more of a success. Let’s not forget that a fourth line hockey player receives 2.65 million dollars, so Julien BriseBois and his staff corrected his mistake with the maximum possible benefit, without even keeping a cent.
The Lightning currently have $16.5 million in cap space. That number will decrease once Moser, who is now a restricted free agent, re-signs, but Tampa is expected to shop for Conor Sheary, who is firmly on the bench in the playoffs. -off. The Swiss could well get a contract worth between $4 and $4.5 million a year at the new club; Buying Sheary would save about $1.5 million, and those estimates still leave the Lightning with $14 million for seven roster spots.
Before the draft, it seemed like the front office’s main goal was to extend Stamkos’ contract. Now there is enough money not only for Stamkos, but also for a big fish. It is true that Stephen himself is no longer in a hurry to sign a contract with his almost native team: Tampa offered him 3 million dollars, but for eight years. Mortgaging for 42 years is still too risky, especially when the market can give between $4 and $5 million, which Stamkos is asking. BriseBois has already stated that both sides will consider possible options on July 1; However, this doesn’t mean the door is closed on Stamkos’ return. There are cases where players on the market simply listened to offers from other teams and chose the previous one.
Jake Guentzel
Photo by: Carolina Hurricanes HC
“Our cap space, our tax situation, and the opportunity to play with great teammates should make Tampa a desirable destination for free agents making decisions on July 1,” BriseBois told reporters. According to insider Elliott Friedman, the Lightning set their sights on Jake Guentzel, whom Carolina, which bought the sharpshooter at the deadline, really wanted to re-sign, but obviously couldn’t. Gunzel will give the Lightning a chance to build a full second line without trying to place role players on stronger centers. Admittedly, we ourselves don’t know which team Jake’s priority is – for example, Vancouver also cleared space under the ceiling, supposedly for the sake of the American.
However, even without Guentzel, Tampa will have a lot of interesting options, for example Jeff Skinner, who has proven that he can score 40-50 goals a season with great partners. Tampa has survived for years and years under the pressure of a ruthless salary cap, managed to find methods that some thought were fraudulent, exploited all the loopholes in hockey legislation and will now finally be able to spend money for the first time in a decade. And these expenses determine whether Tampa’s life as a Stanley Cup contender will continue or whether the decline will not be stopped.
