Tampa Bay Lightning: Morning Bolts News Updates
The Tampa Bay Lightning may not be on the ice right now, but there is still plenty of activity going on here in the Bolts Nation to keep fans excited.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have made their way home to the Bolts Nation for the remainder of the season, but there is still plenty of work to be done. In just a few weeks, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s scouting team will be headed to the First Niagara Center, the home of the Buffalo Sabres, for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
After the Lightning have made their selections and moved on from the draft, Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman will be looking at the contracts the Lightning still need to sign, figuring out how to get the job done, while looking at the available players in the Free Agency market to determine if they’ll be a proper fit for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
While we all sit back and wait to see how everything is going to unfold in the off-season, let’s take a moment to see what is currently going on here in the Bolts Nation as well as around the National Hockey League as well.
As some of you may know by now, the Tampa Bay Lightning elected to part ways with Assistant Coach Steve Thomas yesterday. It seems it didn’t take very long for the Lightning to find someone to take up the reins and take over where Thomas left off. The Tampa Bay Lightning has hired Todd Richards as the new Assistant Coach. Hopefully, he’ll be able to do some good work with the Lightning’s ailing Power Play unit. (Bolts By The Bay)
Throughout the course of the season, there has been all kind of talk regarding another expansion in the National Hockey League. Before anyone knew what was going on, there were all kinds of rumors about which cities were being considered for expansion, which cities had the best hockey fanbases, and what not.
However, a new and interesting possibility has risen to the surface. What if the perfect location for an NHL expansion team is a city that already has a hockey team to their name? Could Toronto be the perfect place for a team in the potential upcoming NHL expansion? (Raw Charge)
One of the biggest topics of discussion this season has been the eventual fate of Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. When the Lightning failed to come to terms with the young Lightning captain by the NHL Trade Deadline, many people began to believe the worst, that next season Steven Stamkos may be wearing a different color jersey.
While there are many, us here at Bolts By The Bay included, who believe that signing one player is not worth the potential of having to dismantle a team that, for the most part, works. However, as there is with all good stories, there are always two sides. Our friends over at Lightning Shout believe the Lightning simply must find a way to re-sign Steven Stamkos. (Lightning Shout)
Each summer, the Syracuse Crunch take to the streets of New York to continue to bring bright new faces into the world of hockey. Who knows, the next Steven Stamkos or Tyler Johnson could be living right next door to you and if no one ever opens their minds to the sport, the world of hockey could be down one amazing talent. This is why doing events like the Summer Street Crunch is so important.
At this event, kids will compete in hour long sessions outside the War Memorial Arena. In addition to getting to play against other kids interested in the game of hockey, the participants will get all kinds of cool Syracuse Crunch swag including to a Crunch game. (Syracuse Crunch)
As we have said many times before, the off-season is going to be bittersweet chaos for the Tampa Bay Lightning. There are more than a few contracts that need to be signed before the start of the 2016-17 season and only so much money in which to get the job done. Former Bolts By The Bay Staff Writer Dan Herrejon takes a closer look at the looming changes hanging over the heads of the Lightning. (The Hockey Writers)
News Around the National Hockey League
There is no denying that one of the most outspoken and outlandish personalities in the National Hockey League is Hockey Night in Canada host Don Cherry. Cherry tends to speak every word that’s on his mind whether you like it or not. Whether you agree with his points of view or not, his vivacious spirit and love of the game cannot be denied.
We’re sure this is one of the many reasons why Rogers Sportsnet has come to a multi-year deal with the outspoken hockey icon. If there is anything that can be said about Don Cherry, it’s that he has a style all his own. Now, hockey fans have a couple more years to see how much more amazing his fashion choices will become. (SI.com)
As we mentioned before, the potential for an NHL Expansion has been an incredibly hot topic over the course of the season. What started out as a series of rumors may be making the next giant leap to becoming a reality. Apparently, there has been an executive meeting on the matter. (Yahoo! Puck Daddy)
Should this come into play, which of the many rumored cities do you think could benefit from the NHL expansion and what do you think the city’s new team should be named?
Right now, the San Jose Sharks are in an incredibly compromising position. One the Tampa Bay Lightning are all-too-familiar with. The San Jose Sharks are down 3-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against them, the San Jose Sharks refuse to give up and still believe they have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup. (NHL.com)
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: A Season In Review
The off-season is going to be a very tumultuous time for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The good news is, Steve Yzerman has yet to truly fail the team in terms of the decisions he’s made and the acquisitions he’s brought on during his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. We are interested to see how things play out with the upcoming NHL Draft and more specifically with the upcoming Free Agency Period.