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Tampa Bay Lightning: What to expect against the Nashville Predators

ByBenjamin Henderson|
TORONTO, ON - MAY 10 : Warm up pucks hit the ice prior to action between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Five of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 10, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Lightning 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 10 : Warm up pucks hit the ice prior to action between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Five of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 10, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Lightning 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty images)

One night after the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped its opening preseason contest to the Carolina Hurricanes, the boys in blue are back on the ice for another preseason contest tonight against the Nashville Predators.

Much like last night, and for most of the preseason, the Lightning will be fielding a squad of main roster guys along with a vast number of prospects.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Don’t expect much

There still won’t be Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, or Nikita Kucherov in the lineup tonight. The only main forwards to take the ice for Tampa tonight will be Mikey Eyssimont, Luke Glendening, and Tyler Motte, the latter two of whom came to Tampa via free agency.

Tampa will also be playing new defenseman Calvin de Hann, along with Erik Cernak and Nick Perbix.

Jon Cooper will be trotting out a number of guys who are fighting to make one of the final roster spots:

  • Cole Koepke – 6th round pick from Tampa in 2018, Koepke did play 17 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, picking up just one point with a plus/minus of -5.
  • Waltteri Merelä – Prospect from Finland who scored 33 points in 41 games playing for Tappara in Liiga in Finland last season.
  • Mitchell Chaffee – Former undrafted prospect from Michigan who put up 39 points in 49 games for the Iowa Wild during the 2021-22 AHL season.
  • Felix Robert – Former undrafted prospect from Quebec who scored 34 points in 55 games with Syracuse last season.
  • Austin Watson – A former first-round draft pick with nine years of NHL experience, Watson signed with Tampa last month on a professional tryout deal and is hoping to crack the lineup as a bottom-six option.
  • Maxim Groshev – Third round pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 draft, Groshev had 18 points in 22 games with Neva St. Peterburg in Russia last season.
  • Tristan Allard – An undrafted prospect who scored 77 points in 68 games playing in the QMJHL last season.
  • Tristan Allard – An undrafted prospect who scored 18 points in 48 games with Syracuse last season
  • Gabriel Szturc – An undrafted prospect who scored 55 points in 56 games last season in the WHL and had five goals in seven games for Czechia during the World Junior Championships Under 20 tournament.
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