Tampa Bay Lightning Will Pick 27th In The 2016 Draft

Though focusing on Free Agency may be a higher priority for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2016 NHL Entry Draft is certainly not an event to overlook.

When the NHL Entry Draft begins in late June at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, the Tampa Bay Lightning will have pick number 27 in the first round. After trading out of the opening round in last year’s draft and giving up the 28th selection, I suspect the Lightning will keep this pick and take advantage of the many talented players available.

Since the team reached the Eastern Conference Final and lost in Game 7, the Lightning has a higher pick, but the organization should still be able to choose who its looking for when it’s time to go up to the podium. There are a few key prospects the Lightning might select that could still be available once the 27th pick is announced.

According to multiple mock draft sites and other models, the Lightning is projected to select defenseman Logan Stanley of the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL. He is ranked 19th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and will likely be taken in the first round. Stanley is a tall, physical defenseman who uses his size well to land a crushing hit, if needed, and clear the crease.

His 6’7″ 225 pound-frame would add another towering body to the Lightning blue line, and in addition to defending well against speedy forwards and most rushes, the Waterloo, Ontario product can also chip in offensively when needed. Stanley’s booming shot is reminiscent of Jason Garrison‘s in a way, so maybe he could be utilized on the power play. In my opinion, he’d be a good fit here, but he might go earlier in the round or the Lightning might go in a different direction.

Next on my list of potential draft picks is defenseman Kale Clague of the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL. He is ranked 27th among North American skaters by Central Scouting and could potentially be a good fit for Tampa Bay. Clague is an offensive defenseman by nature who can create plays off transition, skate smoothly, and has great overall vision.

The 6’0″ 177 pound blue liner is your prototypical puck-moving defenseman and can make a solid first pass out of the zone. The Lightning is in search of another smooth skating, offensively-minded defenseman on the back end outside of Victor Hedman. He might be the perfect fit for the Lightning and will likely still be available when the 27th selection comes around.

On a side note, he also had six goals and 37 assists for 43 points and a plus-25 rating in 71 games for the Wheat Kings and helped lead the team to a WHL championship this past season (14 points in 21 playoff games). In sum, he has a ton of potential.

According to Bolt Prospects, Will Bitten of the Flint Firebirds in the OHL could also be on the list of enticing prospects the Lightning is looking at. He is ranked 43rd among North American skaters by Central Scouting and has the potential to be a great two-way forward in the NHL. Offensively, he’s a firework (just take a look at some of his highlights) and has the ability to stay ahead of the play in all three zones. Bitten has the speed, vision, and creativity to get around the opposition, make smooth passes, and the ability to fire the puck quickly off his stick.

Defensively, he’s a reliable forward who can create turnovers because of his strong positioning and vision to read plays. In essence, he can be counted on to be responsible in his own zone. Bitten is projected to be taken in the second round, but could go higher and would be a great pick up by the Lightning, if that plays out.

According to some mock drafts, Tage Thompson of the Univ. of Connecticut Huskies in the NCAA will be selected somewhere in the middle of the first round. But, the Lightning could pick the 6’5″ 185 pound freshman center towards the end of the opening round on June 24th. He is ranked 20th among North American skaters by Central Scouting and could address a much needed area for Tampa Bay in the coming seasons. Thompson led the NCAA with 13 power play goals last season and was credited by his coach, Mike Cavanaugh, in an NHL.com article for having a Alex Ovechkin-like shot on the man advantage.

"“Our power play was set up very similar to how the Washington Capitals set theirs up,” Cavanaugh said. “[Thompson] was in (Alex) Ovechkin’s position. Max, who played (Nicklas) Backstrom’s position, was able to find him quite a bit for one-timers. Tage didn’t miss often. If he gets the puck in space and can one-time it, he can bury it. He also had some goals crashing the net with his big body.”"

In addition to his skills on the power play, you’ll also likely find Thompson in and around the net, looking for rebounds and loose pucks that he can bury into the net. So, he poses a threat on the man advantage and can provide screens in front of the net while doing well with the puck. He’s also a hard worker and is willing to do anything to have a larger role on any team. Look out for where this talented prospect goes in the upcoming draft.

Finally, and this player was also brought up on BoltProspects.com, Rasmus Asplund of Farjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) is an interesting prospect to look out for in the draft. He is ranked 4th among European Skaters by Central Scouting and though he lacks a bit in size (5’11” 176 pounds), he makes up for it through his hockey IQ and ability to use his space on the ice effectively.

Though he only had 12 points in 46 games this past season, he compensated for that by having the best faceoff win percentage among juniors in the league, winning 50 percent of the draws he took, and averaged 13:40 of ice time per game with a plus-10 rating. Asplund also scored three goals and two assists in seven games for Team Sweden at the 2016 World Junior Championships.

The reason why he’s in the conversation for potential Lightning draft picks is that despite a lack of high scoring numbers on paper, he has the ability to create offense and fire off his quick, but accurate shot. In addition to that, he can make passes while skating quickly on the ice and is strong on the puck. Overall, Asplund is a great competitor and works hard on every shift, contributing to an aggressive forecheck in order to create turnovers and drive possession.

Adding him to the Lightning organization would only deepen the depth of the farm system and he could be called up in the future after some seasoning in the minors. Asplund is projected to be selected early in the second round, but could go higher only if the Lightning saw something greater in him than the others.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: Should They Look In Or Out For Next Season?

There you have it. Those are several potential players the Tampa Bay Lightning might select once its turn at the podium comes around in the first round on June 24th. These predictions are mainly based off of several mock draft models and professional opinions and aren’t necessarily accurate, as it’s ultimately up to the front office to speculate and make these decisions. It should be an interesting draft for the Lightning and an even more interesting offseason and free agency period for the team.

You can also follow the NHL Scouting Combine, which is currently going on this week, here as some of the world’s top prospects meet with teams and officials in Buffalo for various interviews and fitness tests. The combine ends on June 4th.