With Las Vegas being named the location of the NHL’s newest expansion team, an expansion draft in 2017 could be catastrophic for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Finally, we reach the last portion of our expansion draft breakdown. As mentioned previously, my personal belief is that the Lightning will go with the 7-3-1 approach when choosing which players will be protected from the expansion draft, meaning that they will be able to protect seven forwards, three defenders, and one goalie.
So far my prediction is that our goalie will be Andrei Vasilevskiy, and our defenders will be Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman, and Andrej Sustr. There are only seven more names that can make this list, so who’ll it be?
For a team with as talented and deep an offense as the Lightning, only being able to protect seven forwards is a crushing blow as more than one of the players who are not protected will likely be selected to go to Las Vegas. This being the case, the Bolts have to use the seven slots they are allowed to their fullest.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The first of those, of course, goes to the Lightning’s Captain, Steven Stamkos. A talented player, electrifying (pun intended) goal scorer, and excellent leader for his team, Stamkos will undoubtedly receive protection from the draft.
Next on the list, should be Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov further proved himself as an emerging star, undeniable playmaker, and a very talented scorer last season. During the playoffs when Steven
Stamkos was still recovering from his surgery, Kucherov emerged as the Lightning’s top scorer and registered 11 goals total. Only beginning to enter his prime, Kucherov will certainly be given immunity from the draft providing he will be resigned.
Nikita Kucherov is a Restricted Free Agent and must be given a new contract if he is to remain with the Lightning, The Lightning have issued him a qualifying offer, along with other notable Restricted Free Agents Alex Killorn, Nikita Nesterov, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Tye McGinn to name a few. From there, a contract must be signed. Kucherov will more than likely be a high priority when the Lightning
Kucherov will more than likely be a high priority when the Lightning are issuing new contracts, so I expect him to be in a blue sweater again next season. The Lightning have issued him a qualifying offer, along with other notable Restricted Free Agents Alex Killorn, Nikita Nesterov, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Tye McGinn to name a few. From there, a contract must be signed. Kucherov will more than likely be a high priority when the Lightning
From there, a contract must be signed. Kucherov will more than likely be a high priority when the Lightning are issuing new contracts so I expect him to be in a blue sweater again next season.
Next up, Tyler Johnson. After a somewhat lackluster and injury riddled season, Johnson was able to find his groove again in the playoffs. The Tyler Johnson we know and love is a good centerman and brings the all important element of speed to the Bolt’s offense. While he isn’t a very physical player, he is a talented goal scorer and an important piece of the Lightning’s scoring ability.
Another talented centerman that deserves protection is Valtteri Filppula. Boasting a team-high 52.4% faceoff win percentage, Filppula is able to get his team the puck reliably which is useful in every zone on the ice. With 23 assists on the season, Filppula plays an important and usually overlooked support role for the Lightning. His nine seasons in the NHL also provides a rare veteran presence for the young Lightning team.
Four spots down, three to go. It’s my belief that these three spots will go to Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, and Jonathan Drouin. Killorn and Palat are talented goal scorers and playmakers as they proved further last season and during the playoffs.
Earlier this year, Jonathan Drouin would be a very strange choice for this list. A level head and steady hand on the part of the Lightning’s GM Steve Yzerman and a successful return to the main roster for the post season by Jonathan Drouin changed that completely.
During his return, Jonathan Drouin kept his head down and focused on playing his best and he made an impact. With time and practice, Drouin can turn into a prominent scorer in the NHL. The Lightning just need the patience to see that through.
This leaves several important names off of the list such as J.T. Brown, Brian Boyle, and Ryan Callahan. Of course, in a perfect world, the Lightning would be able to keep their entire offense intact but this is the best the league’s expansion policy allows for. This list is completely subject to change next, however, and will depend on each player’s production next season as well as trades and contract signings. (Or the lack thereof)
Next: Lightning C Steven Stamkos Proves Money Isn’t Everything
I hope you enjoyed the Bolts By The Bay expansion draft breakdown. We encourage you to tell us your thoughts on this subject in the comments below and compare our predictions to yours.