![]() For example, they could select Tomas Suchanek, who is an overager that is already used to playing hockey in North America that has proven himself as a more than capable player when he shut down team Canada early in the 2023 WJC-20 before leading his team to the Silver Medal. However, when you only have three late picks at a draft, this feels like another perfect time to take a swing on a goaltender. Unfortunately, these attempts at goaltending depth have rarely born fruit for the franchise, so the Lightning have to rely on veterans at the end of their careers who will sign for cheap to backstop their AHL and NHL franchises. For their part, the Lightning have been proactive when it comes to goalies, as in most drafts they select a new goalie to add to their depth charts in the hopes that they can one day develop into a backup capable of relieving Andrei Vasilevksiy 30 or so times each season. When your team features one of the best goaltenders in the world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of goaltending depth in your organization. ![]() Lightning Can Fill Goaltending Needs Through the Draft So, with these ideas in mind, let’s discuss some strategies that the Lightning may take for their 2023 Draft selections. BriseBois and his scouts understand that their later picks are a perfect time to take high-upside players that need a lot more time to develop, whether it be through college, overseas, or an overager that can start immediately in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Syracuse Crunch. While it is unlikely that they will draft a nightly starter with their late-round picks, the team has a surprisingly high hit rate with later selections, including current starters like Nick Perbix who was a sixth-round pick. Now, this doesn’t mean that the Lightning will write off the 2023 Draft as a complete loss. Colorado, 6 p.Isaac Howard will likely be the last first-round selection for the Tampa Bay Lightning until at least the 2026 NHL Draft after years of trading their top picks to compete for the Stanley Cup. Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday vs.All-time regular season series: Florida leads 20-13-1, 7 ties.This season - Florida leads 1-0: Panthers 4, Sharks 3 (Nov.Radio: WQAM 560-AM WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach) WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys) SiriusXM.TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+.PANTHERS ON DECK SAN JOSE SHARKS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS It is only a matter of when they are able to figure out the logistics of holding an outdoor event in Florida. With both teams trending towards being competitive for the foreseeable future, the NHL wants to capitalize on that. Tampa Bay and Florida each met in the playoffs in the last two seasons - with the Lightning winning both times - and Matthew Tkachuk’s comments about wanting to take down Tampa during his introductory press conference this summer only added fuel to the fire. ![]() I know the league is trying and they are looking at a lot of locations so I know it’s possible.” “I think especially now with the rivalry we built with the Lightning, I think two Florida teams figuring this out would be wonderful. “I’m not the judge of that, but I think anything is possible,” Panthers president Matt Caldwell said when asked about an outdoor game - perhaps at Marlins Park in Little Havana. Those are roadblocks the NHL is seemingly willing to find ways around to showcase one of its most trending rivalries. When asked about the potential of an outdoor game in Florida, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that he was exploring the possibility of making it happen. ![]() The NHL has also held outdoor games in Los Angeles and Nevada over the years. The NHL held its most recent Winter Classic at Fenway Park with the Carolina Hurricanes playing host to the Washington Capitals at the NC State football stadium next weekend. Tampa, as in South Florida, has temperatures in the 80s until the weekend when it becomes a touch more seasonable. The situation obviously remains fluid and the NHL is considering a lot of factors - including weather - into the scheduling of the event, per Weekes. Per NHL Insider Kevin Weekes, the NHL is interested in holding an outdoor game in the Sunshine State - and want the Florida Panthers to be included.Īccording to Weekes (a former goalie for the Panthers) the game would be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa with the Lightning playing host perhaps as early as next season.
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