Tampa Bay Lightning: Four standout players from preseason so far

In one week, the Tampa Bay Lightning will take the ice for real against the Nashville Predators as the Bolts embark on their 2023-24 campaign. As such, training camp is already winding down, as the Lightning have already trimmed their roster and only have a few cuts left to go.

Preseason hockey can be tough to judge as players aren’t skating at full speed just yet, and squads are usually all jumbled up during the opening week of exhibition contests.

But here are four players we here at Bolts by the Bay have had our eye on during the first four preseason games that have stood out thus far for the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Honorable Mention

For this list, we are going to list guys that are either new to the squad or some under-the-radar guys.

But there are a couple of the mainstay guys for the Lightning that have looked solid in their limited preseason time.

Victor Hedman logged 24 minutes of ice time on Saturday against the Predators and looked as fresh and as solid as ever. While the Lightning gave up four goals on the night, Hedman was only on the ice for one of them during a 4 v 4 opportunity.

He was also on the ice for two of Tampa’s goals and was credited with an assist. His underlying numbers were great, as during 5 v 5 play, Tampa generated 20 shot attempts with him on the ice while giving up just 12.

Tampa also had an expected goal rate of 68.9% while Hedman was on the ice.

Anthony Cirelli has also looked great in the two games he has played in. Tampa has only given up two high-danger chances in 25 minutes of 5 v 5 ice time, and his individual expected goals so far are 5th best on the squad during the preseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning Preseason Standouts: Michael Eyssimont

Heading into the season, pairing Cirelli and new free agent Conor Sheary made sense. We figured Brandon Hagel would be the third forward on that group.

But at least through the first week of preseason action, Eyssimont has been that third forward and has excelled in the role.

Eyssimont leads the team in shot attempts and individual expected goals.

He also has two assists in his two games.

At 6’0″ and 180 pounds, he will potentially enter the 2023-24 season as the lightest player on Tampa’s roster. But after coming to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline last season, Eyssimont has shown flashes of offensive upside that could lead to some big goals this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Preseason Standouts: Waltteri Merela

We highlighted Merela last week as a potential hidden gem for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24.

The 6’2″ and 196-pound center from Finland had two productive seasons with Tappara in the Liiga in Finland, scoring 33 points last season in 41 games.

So far in the preseason, Jon Cooper has played Merela all over the ice, and the 25-year-old has impressed. Merela has two goals and one assist thus far in the preseason.

Perhaps most telling of what Cooper thinks of Merela and why some paying attention believe he has a real shot of making the cut for the Bolts is at the end of their game against Nashville on Saturday when the Lightning were hanging on to a one-goal lead as the Predators pulled their goalie, Cooper sent Merela out there to help hold the fort down.

Tampa Bay Lightning Preseason Standouts: Austin Watson

For a nine-year veteran of the NHL, Austin Watson has approached the preseason like a man with something to prove.

And to be fair, he does because he is with Tampa in camp on a professional tryout contract.

He’s been extremely active in his two appearances thus far in the preseason, both against Nashville. In the first meeting last week, Watson logged just 7 minutes of 5 v 5 ice time (12 minutes overall) but still managed two hits during even-strength play. He also generated five scoring chances that night and got into a fight.

In the second matchup on Saturday, Watson scored a goal. He is third on the team in 5 v 5 shot attempts and leads the team in high-danger chances despite logging 10 fewer minutes of even-strength ice time than some other notable forwards jockeying for position on this team.

The injury to Andrei Vasilevskiy helps Watson’s chances of making the team, ironically enough. With $9.5 million freed up in LTIR cap space, the Tampa Bay Lightning could opt to keep 23 players for now until Vasilevskiy comes back.