Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect Profile: Slater Koekkoek

Syracuse Crunch defenseman Slater Koekkoek could be ready to take his game to the next level and make his way to the Tampa Bay Lightning roster.

Thanks to a series of injuries over the course of the season, one of the positions that has suffered the most has been the Tampa Bay Lightning’s defensive line. The only thing that has brought some solace to the minds of those of us in the Bolts Nation has been the abundant amount of players in the Lightning’s developmental system that are ready to answer the call at a moment’s notice.

One of the players who received one of those aforementioned calls last season was Tampa Bay Lightning defensive prospect and Syracuse Crunch defenseman Slater Koekkoek. Koekkoek has been with the Lightning organization for quite a while now. The Winchester, Ontario native was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the First Round (10^th Overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

During Koekkoek’s first two seasons with the Lightning organization, he spent his time with his junior team; the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. In his final season with the Spitfires, which was the 2013-14 season, Koekkoek brought home career-high numbers. In 62 games with the Spitfires, Koekkoek was able to score 15 goals and 38 assists for a total of 53 points.

Last season, Koekkoek made the jump to the States where he would take his place with the Syracuse Crunch. It was then he had an opportunity to show just how good of a two-way defenseman he can be. In 72 games with the Crunch, he was able to score 5 goals and 21 assists for a total of 26 points. Koekkoek led all Crunch defensemen in terms of points and assists.

While the Syracuse Crunch may have had an incredibly short run in the postseason in the 2014-15 season, Koekkoek not only earned some invaluable playing experience, but managed to keep his mojo flowing. Koekkoek once again led the team’s defensemen in points.

As most of you are well aware by now, the Tampa Bay Lightning was forced to deal with their fair share of injuries on the blue line last season. This opened the door for Koekkoek to make his NHL Debut. The twenty one year old defenseman may not have found his way to the scoreboard in the three games he played before heading back to the Crunch for the remainder of the season, but he certainly put on a good show.

There is only one thing that has been holding Slater Koekkoek back from making a real impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. Since taking his place in the organization, he has been plagued with injuries. If Koekkoek can keep himself from any unwanted injuries, he will have a very good chance of making his way to the main roster in the next season or two.

Koekkoek will soon get one of his first opportunities to impress Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman and Head Coach Jon Cooper before the start of the coming 2015-16 season. Koekkoek is one of the eight defensemen selected to participate in the Prospect Tournament that will take place between September 12 and September 15 at the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida.

We don’t know about you, but we are excited to see what this young Lightning prospect can bring to the table this season. While he will more than likely be spending the season with the Syracuse Crunch, it won’t be long until we see Koekkoek on the Tampa Bay Lightning bench on a more permanent basis.

What did you think of Slater Koekkoek’s performance last season? What kind of an impact do you think he could have on the Lightning’s main roster? How long do you think it will be before he makes the jump to the next level? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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