June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Cal Foote poses for photos after being selected as the number fourteen overall pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Cal Foote poses for photos after being selected as the number fourteen overall pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the 2017 NHL Entry Draft with some future picks in mind, and the organization came away with several new prospects, including four forwards and the son of a former top NHL defenseman.
The 2017 NHL Entry Draft was held at the United Center in Chicago this weekend, and the addition of one extra team to the mix created some excitement around the league. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, the excitement came after selecting several new prospects, who add to the depth of the organization.
In seven rounds, the Lightning had six picks to choose new prospects or trade away for other picks or players, and with those picks, Tampa Bay selected four forwards and two defensemen. The Lightning chose to not draft a goaltender despite shoring up a bit in depth at that position recently.
Tampa Bay had no picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, and with the 169th pick, the Lightning chose their second defenseman of the draft in Nick Perbix. The 19-year-old Elk River, Minnesota native last played with Elk River High School and will start his collegiate career for the 2017-18 season at St. Cloud State University.
Also in the sixth round, the Lightning chose center Cole Guttman with the 180th overall pick. The 18-year-old California native played with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League and will wear the captain “C” this coming season. Last year, Guttman scored 54 points in 53 games played, including four points in six playoff games, and he will also begin his college career with St. Cloud State in 2018.
Finally, in the seventh round, Tampa Bay selected center Samuel Walker with the 200th overall pick. Walker, a native of Minnesota, played for Edina High School and the Lincoln Stars of the USHL last season, and he has committed to play for the University of Minnesota starting in 2018.
As you can see, the Tampa Bay Lightning decided to focus on adding more depth at the center position while also addressing needs on defense. Going into the draft, there was some speculation the Lightning might go after a goaltender to add more depth to that position, but this turned out to not be the case.
Tampa Bay continued the theme of drafting Russian players with two in consecutive rounds, and the organization drafted several American players as well. No Canadian players were taken, though Foote has dual citizenship (United States and Canada).
In the coming pages, we will take a closer look at the newest additions to the Tampa Bay Lightning and get a better idea of what each of them bring to the table and how they will fit into the Lightning’s system.
Callan Foote, Defense
Just like his father, Cal Foote has the size and ability to play big minutes and make his presence known on the ice. Though he says he wants to work on the physical side of his game (in terms of temperament), Foote has the skills and size to be a top right-handed defenseman for the Lightning in the NHL. He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds and has the potential to get bigger and stronger with great upside.
According to BoltProspects, Foote is a “big, strong defenseman with excellent blood lines. Has an advanced understanding of positioning, a good stick, and good gap control. Calm under pressure and is an above average passer with a low, hard shot that should translate to the point on the power play.” As far as weaknesses, “Skating has been panned as average, and while he is big and strong, he isn’t nasty or mean.”
Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman shared his thoughts on the team’s first round draft pick, saying,
“He’s a very smart player,” Yzerman said. “He sees the ice. He gets it, he moves it. When he’s eventually ready to play on our team, our forwards are going to really enjoy him. He gets the puck. He moves it up to the forwards.”
“You just get chills,” the younger Foote said about hearing his name called at Friday’s draft. “I didn’t really believe it at first. It was special to give my parents a hug. It’s an unbelievable feeling. I can’t describe it.”
“Smart, good with the puck and competitive. Is just scratching the surface of his potential.”
Alexander Volkov, Right Wing
With the 48th overall pick, the Lightning selected an above-average right winger in Alexander Volkov, who has spent his playing career in Russia thus far. Volkov is listed at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds and has quick hands. The 19-year-old Russia native played for SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (junior hockey) last season and recorded 11 points in 16 games, including four points in four playoff games.
With the 48th pick, we have selected forward Alexander Volkov from St. Petersburg, RUS. #NHLDraft
Volkov also played for Russia Selects U20 in the Jr. Super Series in 2016-17. According to a report from CBS Sports, “He struggles with consistency on a game-by-game basis and can disappear for long stretches of time. Volkov will remain in Russia for the immediate future.” Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murraysaid Volkov could potentially come over to North America,
“In Lipanov’s case, he’s coming over and going to Barrie and in the case of Volkov, he purposely did not re-sign a contract because he’s interested in trying to work out a contract to come to the American Hockey League next year. So, if you find people that want to come play in the league and show themselves to be good people and motivated, then those are the guys we want but it doesn’t matter where they come from.”
Alexey Lipanov, Center
After drafting one Russian forward, the Lightning chose another one and selectedAlexey Lipanov in the third round. Lipanov is listed at 6-foot, 170 pounds and is considered a solid two-way playmaker. Some experts thought his size would limit his draft position, but he ended up being taken in the third round, which is not to be overlooked.
The 17-year-old Moscow native played with Dynamo Balashikha and HK MVD Balashikha last season and notched 11 points in 32 games. With Dynamo, he recorded three points in six playoff games, and in the 2017 U18 World Junior Championships, he captained the Team Russia to a bronze medal and had three assists in seven tournament games. Lipanov is slated to play for the Barrie Colts next season.
“A fast skater with a very good hockey head and visible determination, Lipanov is a good offensive prospect with some defensive awareness. Lipanov is a player who can be useful in any situation, but of course the highlight of his game is represented by his offensive ability. While he’ll need to work on his defensive game, he is not a one-dimensional player. Should also be working on the physical side, but he is fast and agile enough to escape the bigger guys. A great eye for the pass and a good shot make him a strong offensive weapon.”
BoltProspects lists Lipanov strenghts, saying, “Smart, high-IQ two-way player who plays a complete 200 foot game. Good skater with the above average skill-set you might expect from a classic Russian forward. Can play both center and wing effectively, giving his club some versatility.”
His weaknesses are understandable, as the same report says, “Somewhat undersized, and needs to grow and get stronger. As a consequence, can play a little bit of a soft, perimeter game at times.”
If he rounds out his overall game and finds his way to the NHL, Lipanov is projected as a potential second or third line forward with comparable skills to current Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino.
Nick Perbix, Defense
In the sixth round, the Tampa Bay Lightningselected a second defenseman with the 169th overall pick. Nick Perbix, a native of Minnesota, is now in the Lightning pipeline and could develop into a solid prospect in the coming years. He is listed as a 6-foot-4, 194 pound blueliner and is considered a right-handed defenseman with size, by the looks of it.
Perbix had 40 points in 25 games last season as captain at Minnesota’s Elk River H.S. #NHLDraft
Perbix captained the Elk River High School hockey team last season and notched 10 goals and 40 points. A report from SB Nation describes him as “a later-bloomer that made huge strides later in the high school season last year. He’s big, skates well, and plays a decent defensive game. I don’t think he’ll get drafted unless he ends the year with a strong run in the USHL, but he’s a player worth watching.”
Well, he got drafted Saturday and now has the opportunity to develop with one of the top organizations in the NHL. Perbix committed to play with St. Cloud State starting in the 2017-18 season.
Cole Guttman, Center
Tampa Bay used its second sixth round pick on undersized center Cole Guttman. He is listed at 5-foot-10, 163 pounds and is considered a “high character pivot that produces points,” according to BoltProspects.
Guttman has played for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL since the 2015-16 season, and he will serve as the captain in 2017-18. During his time with Dubuque, Guttman has 27 goals and 54 points in 53 games. He’s committed to play for St. Cloud State beginning in the 2018-19 season.
The Northridge, California native (suburb of Los Angeles) has also been a member of the U.S. National U17 Team and the Los Angeles Junior Kings U16 team. Murray shared his thoughts on the young centerman, saying,
“He’s going back to Dubuque this year where he’ll be the captain, and then he’s also going to St. Cloud State,” Murray said. “He’s a skilled center, right shot, 5’10”, about 170 pounds, high energy, good skater with skill…A point a game in the USHL is a real good total.”
Walker posted 46 points in 25 games for Minnesota's Edina H.S. last season. #NHLDraft
With their final pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected Samuel Walker, another undersized, but speedy center. Walker, who’s similar to Guttman in size, comes in at 5-foot-9, 150 pounds and is a solid skater with good skill and a right-handed shot.
The 18-year-old center has put up big numbers for Edina High School in Minnesota, including 22 goals and 46 points in 25 regular season games and six points in three postseason games. Walker also played in four games with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL but failed to record a point.
Walker is committed to the University of Minnesota and can begin his career there in the 2018-19 season. Murray said Walker has a choice of where he wants to play next season.
“He’s got a choice next year. He can go back to Edina High School or he can go to Lincoln of the USHL,” Murray said.
The last three picks the Lightning selected this year are high school players, and the scouting staff believes each of them has a good development path ahead. The three prospects are set to participate in the upcoming development camp this week starting Tuesday morning (the rosters for the camp were announced today).
The Tampa Bay Lightning made some interesting selections in the 2017 NHL Draft this weekend, and many of these new prospects will have the opportunity to develop with some of the best players in the world.
This new talent, along with players selected in previous drafts, will be on display at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon this week, and this is a great experience for them to show off their skills in front of the scouting staff, front office and fans.
