Tampa Bay Lightning Season Forecast: Forward Edition

Apr 21, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing

(16) skates with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

#16 Teddy Purcell
2013 (NHL): 48-11-25-36

It wasn’t the best season for Teddy Purcell. Despite finishing 3rd in team scoring, he was widely criticized during the middle of the year for passing up opportunities to shoot the puck, instead looking for a prettier play (that usually wound up being broken up). He bounced around between the top two scoring lines for most of the season.

Still, Purcell put up solid numbers. He’s a quick-skating winger with good hands and decent vision — primarily a playmaker. He has good instincts on the powerplay, but is all too often used on the blueline on the man-advantage, which he’s not ideally suited to.

Purcell would be a lot more valuable if he could use his solid frame (6’3, 200) more to his advantage. As it is, he’s something of a soft offensive-minded winger, which at this point, given the players coming down the pipe, might make him a bit of a redundant weapon in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. Harsh, but true. Or at least plausible.

But Purcell, for the first time in a while, is going to have some consistency this season. He should play most of the year alongside Valtteri Filppula (although there could be a revolving door on the other wing – I believe Brett Connolly will see some time there eventually, which would benefit Purcell).

What he provides: Excellent secondary scoring.

Where he’ll play: 2nd Line, occasional 1st Line duty, regular PP duty.

Best case scenario: Improved two-way game, more shots, 30 goals.

Worst case scenario: Traded for defense to make room for top-six prospects.

Forecast: Thrives on consistency, 25 goals, 65 points. Possible career year. (Still might be traded.)