Tampa Bay Lightning reassign Louis Domingue to Syracuse Crunch
The Tampa Bay Lightning has reassigned goaltender Louis Domingue to the Syracuse Crunch ahead of their battle with the Ottawa Senators.
The Tampa Bay Lightning made a rather interesting move this morning. As the Bolts prepare to take on another Atlantic Division rival in the Ottawa Senators, the Lightning has reassigned goaltender Louis Domingue to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
The move has left many Lightning fans scratching their heads. There are no roster limits on teams after the NHL Trade Deadline, so the Lightning could have carried three goaltenders for the remainder of the season without any sort of penalty.
However, the good news is, there is a perfectly good explanation for the move. With the Lightning having three goaltenders on the roster, this means someone is going to sit more than the others. The Bolts can’t afford to let someone like Louis Domingue collect rust sitting on the bench.
According to Lindsay Kramer at Syracuse.com, Syracuse Crunch General Manager Julien BriseBois was adamant Louis Domingue would continue to get time with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. Domingue will get starts against the Binghamton Devils on Wednesday and Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday. At this point, Domingue should find himself on his way back to the Sunshine State.
Tampa Bay Lightning
It may seem counterintuitive to send Domingue back to the Crunch at this late stage in the game; especially since they have a full goaltending complement at the moment, but in all honesty, it is the best thing the organization can do to ensure Domingue’s continued development.
The one thing they will have to be leery of is the number of games Louis Domingue plays in between now and the end of the regular season. Once Domingue crosses the 10-game threshold, of which he has played eight thus far, he will have to clear waivers in order to be sent back to Syracuse.
There is no denying, a goaltender like Domingue will be claimed by another team in a heartbeat should he be placed on waivers. This is not something the Lightning will be willing to risk at this point. It’s pretty safe to say if Domingue crosses the 10-game mark this season, he won’t be returning to Syracuse anytime soon.
Considering after tonight’s contest with the Ottawa Senators, the Lightning doesn’t play another game until Saturday night when they take the ice against the Boston Bruins, it would make sense for the Lightning to start Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes tonight.
He’ll have plenty of time to rest and recoup before the Bolts battle the Bruins. From then, it will be time to give Vasy a rest to prepare for the postseason.
Next: Lightning Recall Peter Budaj From Syracuse Crunch
In any case, there is no need for panic here in the Bolts Nation. This is certainly not the last fans have seen of Louis Domingue this season. The Yzerplan hasn’t truly failed the Tampa Bay Lightning up until this point, so until proven differently, our trust lies with Steve Yzerman, Jon Cooper, and the Lightning coaching staff.