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The Lightning offseason is barely every week previous and already there have been main developments:
• Assistant coach Derek Lalonde was employed as coach of the Detroit Purple Wings
• Nick Paul signed a seven-year, $3.15 million AAV extension
• The Lightning approached Ryan McDonagh to debate his no-trade clause
(Be aware to self: this wasn’t nice timing for my spouse and me to do a rescheduled staycation for her birthday.)
Evidently, Tampa Bay has already been busy, and they’ll proceed to be heading into subsequent week’s NHL Draft (Thursday and Friday in Montreal). We’ll be there to deliver you all of the protection and updates, and — for now — let’s dig into your questions from the newest mailbag. (Some questions have been evenly edited for type and readability.)
If the Bolts are excited about buying and selling McDonagh, what do you suppose could be an inexpensive return? I’d gave to think about it’s greater than a cap dump. — John S.
Sure, it will be greater than a cap dump. There’s nonetheless worth in McDonagh, even at 4 years and $6.75 million AAV left on his contract. First, nonetheless, McDonagh, 33, must settle for a deal. And that’s no assure. When GM Julien BriseBois approached McDonagh on Wednesday to ask about his no-trade clause, I’m advised there was a little bit of shock there. Should you’re a participant in that spot, I can think about there could be some disappointment and harm, too. McDonagh, a key cog in back-to-back Cup runs, had simply performed with a mangled finger for the final spherical and a half because the staff simply got here up wanting a three-peat. Now the staff could be saying, “Thanks for every little thing, however we would have to maneuver on from you.”
It’s a troublesome scenario throughout. McDonagh, at this stage of his profession, has earned that no-trade clause and has each proper to carry agency and stay. He’s bought a younger household who loves their life on Davis Islands, they usually need to keep. There are only a few gamers extra revered within the room by teammates, and I heard some have been understandably upset by this improvement. It jogs my memory of when BriseBois approached Tyler Johnson a number of weeks after that they had received the primary of back-to-back championships. BriseBois advised him it wasn’t private, however that they have been excited about shifting him as a result of cap constraints. Johnson, a real professional, understood, identical to I’m positive McDonagh realizes the enterprise finish of the scenario. Most individuals can get that half: Tampa Bay is up towards the cap, they usually have Mikhail Sergachev prepared for an even bigger function on the left facet and in addition due for a brand new contract subsequent summer season as an RFA whereas making $4.8 million. They need to re-sign Ondrej Palat this offseason, too. Robust decisions need to be made. Not those they need to make, however typically have to.
Johnson, in the long run, gave Tampa Bay roughly eight groups to work with on a deal, which didn’t occur till final offseason, when he was moved to the Blackhawks. Will McDonagh observe swimsuit and do one thing related? There are many groups on the market which might be excited about McDonagh, with the Blues a staff that is sensible, however they’d need to be the suitable place for McDonagh and his household. For a veteran who has received championships, successful is probably going going to be essential, too. What number of contenders have that cap house? Count on extra solutions to come back round subsequent week’s draft.
“His physique was going by stuff that appeared outdoors the realm of hockey and he saved going. I’m like, ‘Holy shit.’”
With Ryan McDonagh breaking document for profession playoff blocked pictures, we collected craziest tales on @TBLightning d-man – aka “Mac Truck” https://t.co/XsX5lA1fz4 pic.twitter.com/K3eehuQtT5— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) May 19, 2022
Do you suppose Cole Koepke or Gabriel Fortier will be capable of make the staff full-time out of coaching camp? — Dennis A.
It’s humorous you ask. I used to be within the hallway on exit interview day and strolling alongside Koepke for a second. He was carrying his tools bag. We have been small-talking about what the expertise was like for him as a black ace within the playoffs, and the way surreal it was. I advised him, “You’re going to have an opportunity subsequent yr,” and he smiled and mentioned, “That’s my plan.” I actually suppose Koepke has a very good shot at cracking the roster out of camp. He bought a quick call-up in the course of the season, working so much with assistant Jeff Halpern. The previous College of Minnesota-Duluth star has the type of skating capacity and shot that would assist him make an influence on the underside six. Fortier impressed in his call-up final yr, too, and I believe he’ll be making his case within the preseason. A part of this relies on how most of the veterans Tampa Bay can maintain (Ondrej Palat, Nick Paul, and many others), however these two must be within the combine. This could look like a giant yr for Alex Barre-Boulet, too.
What do you suppose are BriseBois’ priorities this offseason? — Antti R.
The main target can be re-signing their key free brokers, as we broke down right here, with BriseBois getting off to a powerful begin by extending Nick Paul for seven years. There’s solely roughly $2 million left of cap house, and Tampa Bay needs to re-sign Palat and Jan Rutta as properly. So it’ll be a problem to maintain everybody, however the primary precedence for Tampa Bay is preserving their group collectively. I don’t anticipate them to be main gamers in free company, aside from their very own gamers, but when these negotiations aren’t fruitful, that’s the place you might see the precedence shift for some assist up entrance.
With the Paul signing official, what does that imply for Palat? Can they afford to deliver him again? — Brandon P.
It’s going to be powerful, a minimum of at this level. The very fact Paul’s deal is comparatively team-friendly, AAV-wise, at $3.15 million, helps. It’d take the Lightning being aggressive within the subsequent few weeks earlier than free company opens to beat the suitors to the punch. It’d additionally take Palat to take a hometown low cost to stay in Tampa Bay, the one group he’s performed for. Cooper is the one professional coach Palat has had. How a lot does that imply for him at this stage of his profession? If attainable, the Lightning may need to make a commerce to clear some cap house to make room (aka McDonagh). BriseBois has been artistic over time, so I wouldn’t put it previous him, however there could come a degree at which they’ve to choose one.
Do you actually have a summer season trip anymore because the Lightning all the time makes such deep runs? You’re employed too arduous, my buddy. — Daniel H.
(My spouse enters the chat.)
“What summer season?”
It has been an extended three years — 71 playoff video games! — but it surely’s additionally been a blast to cowl the entire run. The enjoyable problem is attempting to provide you with completely different story angles on the identical gamers who’ve been right here a very long time. However when the offseason does come, my spouse, Caitlin, and I get pleasure from our journey. We did the Tour Du Mont Blanc final summer season, a 100-mile hike within the Swiss, Italian, French alps. We’re going to Finland in late August, attempting to discover the place my household is from. I’ll nonetheless be staying busy with the NHL Draft and offseason stuff, but it surely’s essential to get away.
Do you suppose we may see subsequent yr’s large 5 RFAs (Anthony Cirelli, Ross Colton, Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak and Cal Foote) re-signed this summer season? I think about these gamers can be key for years to come back and their worth would solely enhance subsequent summer season. — Chris L.
BriseBois is normally proactive on these forms of issues, so it wouldn’t shock me if he reached out to these guys and tried to discover a long-term deal, which might give them value certainty going ahead. The problem, particularly with Cirelli, Cernak and Sergachev, is that they’ll be arbitration-eligible, so their highest-leverage level can be subsequent summer season, so they could need to wait. However BriseBois has referred to as these three the following wave of Tampa Bay’s core, in order that they’re doubtless going to get locked up sooner or later. The cap is predicted to go up in a extra important style in a few years, in order that’ll assist.
Is there any understanding within the NHL as to when the wage cap would possibly (lastly) enhance considerably? And the way does the perceived timing of that play into roster concerns for the Lightning? — Jay W.
Commissioner Gary Bettman mentioned on the Stanley Cup Last that the league had document revenues — roughly $5.2 billion — and that’s a very good signal going ahead on the subject of the cap. The gamers and house owners have a 50-50 break up on the subject of hockey-related revenues, however till the gamers pay again the escrow debt, the cap can solely increase by $1 million a yr, which is what you noticed it go to $82.5 million for subsequent yr. I’ve heard that there’s a very good likelihood, in a few years, that we may see a significant bump within the cap. How that impacts Tampa Bay, in fact, is that they’ve Cirelli, Sergachev and Cernak, amongst others, due for brand new offers. Stamkos’ contract expires in two years, too.
Given the present scenario relating to Russia and the U.S. sanctions, will the Lightning’s Russian gamers have problem getting back from Russia in the event that they return dwelling for summer season break? — Steven L.
That’s one thing the NHL is engaged on, a dilemma our Michael Russo and Dan Robson broke down intimately. The Lightning’s Russian gamers, particularly Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy, dwell in Tampa year-round, however normally go dwelling for a number of weeks (they introduced the Cup again final summer season). I’d think about that till all of the visa points are sorted out by the embassy, some Russian gamers could not return dwelling this offseason. I don’t know that for sure within the case of the Tampa Bay gamers but.
If the Bolts lose certainly one of their assistant coaches, will Jon Cooper rent his good buddy and former Wings coach Jeff Blashill? — Anthony M.
That’s very attainable. I may see Cooper reaching out to his good buddy Blashill and seeing if he needs to affix his workers. Cooper, Blashill and Derek Lalonde are a part of a good group again in Michigan, all taking part in a job of their teaching paths. With Lalonde being named Purple Wings coach on Thursday, there’s a minimum of one opening. And assistants Jeff Halpern and Rob Zettler are two names within the Sharks search, which simply began.
What’s most definitely?: A) Lightning maintain their first-rounder at No. 31; B) Commerce first-rounder to get some cap house/property; C) Attempt to transfer up within the draft, since Tampa Bay doesn’t have a first-rounder in 2023-24. — Przemek D.
I believe it’s most definitely “A,” particularly contemplating they’ve a penchant for buying and selling first-round picks and this might be a very good alternative so as to add much-needed depth to their system. The one cause I pause on this reply, and what makes me suppose “B,” is that this staff is in win-now mode, and if there’s a state of affairs through which BriseBois can add a participant or create cap house, he would haven’t any hesitation in pulling the set off.
In your opinion, how lengthy will our championship window be open? — Fabio S.
The Lightning firmly imagine they’re “not completed,” and there are many causes to agree with that. Their core continues to be of their primes. Brayden Level is 26. Kucherov is 29. Vasilevskiy is 27. Stamkos is 31, one of many prime captains of his era, and is coming off a profession “rebirth.” Victor Hedman is 31 and never slowing down. Cernak is 25. Cirelli and Sergachev are 24. The East is getting harder, and the Avs aren’t going away, so the Lightning may have a struggle on their arms. However they’ve bought the championship pedigree, the celebs and the type of GM who could make slick strikes to maintain them in competition.
They haven’t had excessive draft picks, however their improvement program — led by AHL Syracuse coach Ben Groux — retains churning out NHL contributors. So it’s not arduous to see Tampa Bay within the combine for the following three or so years. Contemplating they’ve been to 4 Cup finals within the final eight years and have extra playoff wins than any staff since 2010, they’re already on an extended run than most groups within the cap period.
Do you suppose we overpaid for Brandon Hagel, primarily based on what we bought in efficiency after the commerce deadline? — Philip P.
No, it’s too early to say that. Hagel, 23, wanted a while to regulate after getting dealt on the commerce deadline, and that’s not shocking contemplating his age, expertise and the completely different programs that Chicago and Tampa Bay run. His offensive manufacturing (4 targets in 45 video games spanning playoffs and common season) was not what many anticipated, particularly after racking up 21 in 55 video games for Chicago. However Hagel was in a special function with the Blackhawks, taking part in within the prime six with Patrick Kane and getting power-play reps.
The manufacturing will come, I imagine, and a part of the hefty price ticket was that Tampa Bay has Hagel beneath contract on a budget ($1.5 million AAV) for the following two seasons earlier than he’s an RFA. Hagel performed with a fractured foot because the second spherical, in order that must be taken into consideration as properly. He must get stronger, for positive, however I believe you would possibly have a look at commerce in another way in a yr or two.
The participant the @TBLightning gave up two 1st spherical picks and two prospects for – @Bhags9 – wasn’t drafted in bantam. The Sabres didn’t tender him. How did he get right here? On a serendipitous scouting journey + a small-town child who “finds a technique to show you fallacious.” https://t.co/KMYbIvcPwk pic.twitter.com/nZmMHTsz9A
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) March 24, 2022
Because it stands now, solely two Lightning gamers have their jerseys retired: Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. What number of gamers from the latest core will be part of them? — James P.
Stamkos and Hedman are locks. They’ll be proper subsequent to St. Louis and Lecavalier. I’d need to suppose that Vasilevskiy, who already has a close-to-Hockey Corridor of Fame resume, can be up there, too. Kucherov, certainly one of two Lightning gamers to win a Hart Trophy, has a very good shot. Level, if he continues at this charge (he’s on an eight-year deal), must be in that blend. The powerful ones are the core gamers who weren’t the big-name stars, the likes of Palat, Alex Killorn, even Tyler Johnson. The must be a technique to acknowledge these gamers even when it isn’t a jersey retirement.
(Picture of Ryan McDonagh: Geoff Burke / USA At the moment)
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