The Tampa Bay Lightning has announced their roster for the first preseason game of the 2017-18 season, in which they will face the Carolina Hurricanes.
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. The Tampa Bay Lightning are just moments away from taking the ice at the Amalie Arena in Downtown Tampa for their first preseason game of the 2017-18 season!
This will be the first time this season fans will get to see the Lightning, and some of their brightest prospects in actual game-time scenarios and start to formulate in their minds what they can expect from the team in the upcoming season.
As most hockey fans know by now, preseason is not a time where you get to see all of the team’s stars on the ice at the same time. While fans will get to see some of their favorite players out on the ice in various preseason matchups, there will also be a plethora of the Lightning’s talented young prospects in the lineup.
Tampa Bay Lightning
This is their moment to show people like Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman and Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper what they can do and why they deserve a more permanent place on the Lightning roster. The play exhibited under these circumstances makes for some pretty exciting hockey.
Yesterday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced the roster which will be taking the ice tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes.
There is a nice mix of familiar faces intertwined with some of the Lightning’s most talented prospects. Let’s take a look at who will be lacing up their skates in Lightning blue.
Forwards
| # | Player Name | 2016-17 Hockey Club |
| 13 | Cedric Paquette | Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) |
| 23 | J.T. Brown | Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) |
| 36 | Alexey Lipanov | Balashikha (RUS-2) |
MVD Balashikha 2 (Rus Jr)40Gabriel DumontSyracuse Crunch (AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)41Boris KatchoukSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)46Taylor RaddyshErie Otters (OHL)63Matthew PecaSyracuse Crunch (AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)71Anthony CirelliOshawa Generals (OHL)
Erie Otters (OHL)73Adam ErneSyracuse Crunch (AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)79Alexander VolkovSKA St. Petersburg 2 (Rus Jr)
Neva St. Petersburg (RUS-2)89Cory ConacherSyracuse Crunch (AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)90Vladislav NamestnikovTampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
Defensemen
| # | Player Name | 2016-17 Hockey Club |
| 2 | Jamie McBain | Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) |
Arizona Coyotes (NHL)43Libor HajekSaskatoon Blades (WHL)
Syracuse Crunch (AHL)52Cal FooteKelowna Rockets (WHL)62Andrej SustrTampa Bay Lightning (NHL)75Daniel WalcottSyracuse Crunch (AHL)76Oleg SosunovYaroslavl (MHL)
Yaroslavl Jr. (NMHL)
Goaltenders
| # | Player Name | 2016-17 Hockey Club |
| 35 | Nicola Riopel | Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) |
| 49 | Michael Leighton | Charlotte Checkers (AHL) |
Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
While there are no Steven Stamkos or Ryan Callahan in the lineup, there are still plenty of familiar faces for Lightning fans to keep their eyes on. Forwards like Cedric Paquette, J.T. Brown, and Vladislav Namestnikov, along with defenseman Andrej Sustr will be on display against the Hurricanes.
There are also players like Adam Erne, Gabriel Dumont, and Cory Conacher who got a taste of the big time last season and are looking to show Yzerman and Cooper they are ready to remain here in the Sunshine State on a more permanent basis.
In addition to the faces fans know, there are also players like defenseman Cal Foote and forwards Alexey Lipanov and Alexander Volkov who will be making their debut with the team, after being acquired by the Lightning in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Next: Lightning Opponent Breakdown: Washington Capitals
Tonight is going to be an exciting night for players and fans alike. It may be “just preseason,” but it’s also the first time fans get to see the team take the ice this season in real game-time situations. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to see what the Tampa Bay Lightning have in store for fans tonight. The one thing we know for sure is fans won’t want to miss a moment of the action.