Tampa Bay Lightning: Ondrej Palat, Andrej Sustr Named To Czech Republic Roster

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat and Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr have been named to the Team Czech Republic Roster at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

There is no denying that sitting back and watching your favorite team battle it out on the ice for the hopes of making it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and fighting for the greatest prize in all sports is the excitement of a lifetime. At the same time, it is incredibly exhilarating when some of those same players represent their respective nations in a worldwide tournament like the Winter Olympic Games.

While we may not be in an Olympic year, there is still plenty of international competition to take in. Starting on September 17, 2016, some of the greatest players in the National Hockey League will be making their way to the Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, to represent their native countries in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

As most of you know by now, the Tampa Bay Lightning is filled with talented young players who deserve a chance to shine in the international spotlight. It just so happens that two of the Lightning’s young players will be making the trip to Toronto to represent the Czech Republic at the upcoming 2016 World Cup of Hockey; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat and Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr.

It really comes as no surprise that Ondrej Palat was one of the players selected to represent his native Czech Republic. Along with his linemates Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat has proven to be one of the most vital players in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s offensive core.

Last season, which would be considered the sophomore slump for some players, proved to be one of the best seasons for Palat and his partners in crime. The Triplets, as they are known here in the Bolts Nation, were responsible for more than half of the team’s total offense.

While Palat has more than a couple games due to injury, Palat has played in 43 games so far this season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In that amount of time, the 24-year-old Czech forward has scored 7 goals and 13 assists for a total of 20 points. This is definitely not shabby for someone who has sat almost 20 games with an injury.

One of the newest faces to the Czech Republic roster is Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr. If you would have asked us last season if we thought the 25-year-old Czech defenseman would be representing his country at an international tournament, we may very well had laughed at you. Fortunately, Andrej Sustr has proven us wrong this season.

While he still has some issues to work out on the blue line, you can tell just how much the young defenseman has grown over the course of the last year. Not only is Andrej Sustr making a name for himself on the defensive side, with his six foot seven inch, 220 pound frame, but he is also getting hotter on the offensive side of the game.

Sustr has played in 61 games thus far with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. In that amount of time, Sustr has scored 2 goals and 14 assists for a total of 16 points. Sustr is currently third place among Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen in terms of overall points this season.

There is definitely a lot of young talent making their way to the Czech Republic’s roster this year. Here is a look at who will be making the journey to Toronto along with Ondrej Palat and Andrej Sustr later this year courtesy of NHL.com.

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While there is certainly a lot of talent on the Czech Republic’s roster this year, there is one name that is suspiciously missing from the roster; veteran forward Jaromir Jagr. At 44 years of age, Jagr is arguably one of the best players in the National Hockey League. Jagr has already scored 21 goals and 26 assists for a total of 47 points as a member of the Florida Panthers. As you can imagine, the veteran forward is leading the way for the Panthers in both goals and overall points.

When you look at the makeup of the roster, it is clear the Czech Republic decided to go with a youth movement this year. A roster shakeup may be just what the Czech Republic needs to make it to the top. If there is one thing we do know, it will be interesting to see how the Czech Republic fares against the other countries in the tournament.

Next: Valtteri Filppula Named To Team Finland Roster

What do you think of the Czech Republic’s roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey? Who comes as the biggest surprise? Who do you think the Czech Republic should have chosen for their roster? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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