Speculation: 2022 Off-Season | Dethroned: What next?

[These Are The Days]

We need more scoring. This was literally a year of us trying to out-defend and out-goaltend our offensive production issues

 

[Hoek]

We need more scoring. This was literally a year of us trying to out-defend and out-goaltend our offensive production issues

I do think having Point would've gone a long way for that though.

 

[DFC]

We dont need much. A little more speed to better deal with the Colorados and the Torontos. But we did just lose three 1 goal games and come within two wins of another cup.

And we are getting Brayden Point back. That's like adding a franchise player to a team that nearly won a cup.

I think we need to wait and find out what kind of injuries we are dealing with before making any big decisions.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

1. trade McD, its business and you all are sentimental because he was garbage
2. trade Killorn, we need youth and speed, and i dunno, maybe someone that can pot a goal
3. move on from belly, replace with AHL player to be named later

we really need to get younger and faster. and our farm team really has no blue chips, so just start bringing them up and groom them for grinder roles.

im glad to post with most of you. i know i am probably the most annoying one here, but you've stuck by good ol' russianguyovich in his olden days, in his sad declining days, good friends, to the end, of his days.

 

[RMF5630]

Ladies and gentlemen of the 3x and previously Back-to-Back championship Lightning, gather 'round the campfire.

We have been dethroned. Emotions are still raw for some, I for one am numb because of 2020 and 2021, but what are your thoughts going forward?

I thought the regular season was grueling. We had stretches of good play, then some really bad ones. COVID protocol, key injuries and a couple trades sprinkled in, we ended up knocking out three teams that loaded up for deep runs. Three really good teams that people thought would do us in couldn't. I'm proud of the guys but the lack of scoring prowess on the team made us look like a Tortorella-esque team in the dying frame.

Positives:
- B2B
- Core still in tact
- Some easier decisions on who stays/who goes

Negatives:
- Cap crunch in another year
- IF JBB goofs, the forward depth may be even worse
- Special teams are not as reliable when down any one of the big four

In 2015, I didn't really think we would have a set of four years like we've seen but we are blessed in the sports world to see this happen. To get absolutely meme'd and trolled in 2019, then bitch slap the league in 2020 and 2021, only to return in 2022 two wins away from three in a row. But, here we are with a core that's been through everything and we are still at the top (ok, so just a notch below the top now...).

Thoughts?

My question exactly. My thoughts.

1 - We miss Yanni Gourd more than anyone thought. We got slower, less creative and less "pesky" without him. Only Cirarelli fills that role now, as Point is a main-liner. Do we have anyone coming up that can fill that role?

2 - I respect the shot blocking. But, from a practical perspective, can the defense be built around that as the core ages? Love Stamkos blocking shots, but by the Finals we are the walking wounded. Was that a strategy to get through this year? I hope so.

3 - Speed. Lightning used to be fast and needed to add some muscles/grit after Columbus series. I fear we went too far as the Avalanche style is becoming more prevalent. We need a certain amount to survive the East, but I feel like we lost our jump.

3 - Acquisitions - Paul is a keeper, in the Callahan, McDonough way. Perry? Bellemare? Bergossian (sp?)?Nash? Do we have younger guys ready to step up? Can we sign a top end FA, not a guy at the end??

 

[Felonious Python]

There was a tweet a few days ago about teams asking on Travis Konecny. 5.5x3 remaining. I don't see how we could keep Palat, Paul, and Konecny, however.

Would Nash be a suitable replacement for Bellemare, or do we really need a 4th line center? Belly is 37 with a year left on his deal. We might be able to get a low pick out of that.

 

[The Gongshow]

They won’t do a “rest season” but we better prepare for a long and sloppy regular season. Like this season but worse.

The entire team was obviously playing on one leg and without their wrists if you know what I mean. Gonna be interesting which injuries will be disclosed in the next few days.

There's a very real chance they could miss the playoffs. Alot of injured and tired players. They were gassed about the asthma third of the season and it showed. Three deep runs take their toll. The cheque will come soon.

Lack of depth as well will be the end of us.

 

[Felonious Python]

There's a very real chance they could miss the playoffs. Alot of injured and tired players. They were gassed about the asthma third of the season and it showed. Three deep runs take their toll. The cheque will come soon.

Lack of depth as well will be the end of us.

Next playoffs are like 10 months from now. It's a bit early to make predictions.

 

[Cigar City]

Palat and Paul will both get 5+ years and mills in UFA. Pally has been my favorite player since he’s been here, but we’re dreaming if we think he takes a pay cut on probably his final contract in the league.

I agree that McD was not himself. Could be a preview of the future. I love the guy, and he could have won the Smythe in 2021, but he was not good this playoffs. He could be a mover for the right price.

 

[Felonious Python]

We dont need much. A little more speed to better deal with the Colorados and the Torontos. But we did just lose three 1 goal games and come within two wins of another cup.

And we are getting Brayden Point back. That's like adding a franchise player to a team that nearly won a cup.

I think we need to wait and find out what kind of injuries we are dealing with before making any big decisions.

TB needs to address the mental mistakes throughout the lineup. I'm not sure whether that's entirely a player issue.

It's not like it really bit us last night, but it did several times throughout the playoffs, and it made us play more hockey than we might have needed to.

 

[JoVel]

Palat and Paul will both get 5+ years and mills in UFA. Pally has been my favorite player since he’s been here, but we’re dreaming if we think he takes a pay cut on probably his final contract in the league.

I still don't get why people think Paul will get insane money. He has no regular season track record and, while he did have good playoffs, it was still only 9 points.

NHL GM's are idiots but that's a huge risk to throw money at that kind of a player. Is it really a pipe dream that we can keep him at, say, 3.5 million?

 

[These Are The Days]

I do think having Point would've gone a long way for that though.

It most definitely would have but I suppose my commentary addresses the fact we already traded everything not nailed down for additional offense with Point in tow and now one of those guys is a UFA along with Palat.

I don't want to assume anything beyond what our contracts are and right now we're solid in net and defensively in need of help beyond Point, Stamkos and Kucherov

 

[RussianGuyovich]

I still don't get why people think Paul will get insane money. He has no regular season track record and, while he did have good playoffs, it was still only 9 points.

NHL GM's are idiots but that's a huge risk to throw money at that kind of a player. Is it really a pipe dream that we can keep him at, say, 3.5 million?

4.9 million dollarydoos for blake coleman and his 11 points in the playoffs last year

goodrow had six points and got a 3.6 million cap hit

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

4.9 million dollarydoos for blake coleman and his 11 points in the playoffs last year

Not sure how many times GM's have to make this mistake. I can think of countless examples of guys who got paid for a playoff run and then never lived up to the contract.

I do think having Point would've gone a long way for that though.

It would have definitely improved our powerplay. The zone entries we were attempting last night were pitiful. A few extra powerplay goals could have made all the difference.

 

[FinnLightning26]

I'm actually kind of over the loss already and I'm looking forward to free agency and what trades we might make. Whatever happens, the team will look a bit different next season.

 

[The Gongshow]

Can we trade Corey Perry? He's literally cursed

 

[JoVel]

4.9 million dollarydoos for blake coleman and his 11 points in the playoffs last year

goodrow had six points and got a 3.6 million cap hit

Fair enough, but Coleman's track record was still significantly better than Paul's. He had back to back 20 goal seasons and could've had a 3rd one without Covid.

Although no question about it, he got paid cause of the playoffs. I'm just hoping Paul's lack of regular season success is enough for GM's to reconsider throwing money at him.

 

[These Are The Days]

Fair enough, but Coleman's track record was still significantly better than Paul's. He had back to back 20 goal seasons and could've had a 3rd one without Covid.

Although no question about it, he got paid cause of the playoffs. I'm just hoping Paul's lack of regular season success is enough for GM's to reconsider throwing money at him.

The Flyers are prepared to make like 10 years of mistakes this offseason. They'll do something like trade for J.T Miller and then throw a lifetime deal at Paul that he can't pass up.

 

[Rschmitz]

Hagel has been disappointing for the price, but he doesn't need to get traded this off-season. They could trade him mid-season.

No GM would be foolish enough to give us half what we gave up for him. We acquired him because of his cheap contract and that is exactly how he played, cheap

 

[Cigar City]

Fair enough, but Coleman's track record was still significantly better than Paul's. He had back to back 20 goal seasons and could've had a 3rd one without Covid.

Although no question about it, he got paid cause of the playoffs. I'm just hoping Paul's lack of regular season success is enough for GM's to reconsider throwing money at him.

Both of us obviously VERY much want to keep him because of what he showed.

The problem is every other GM saw it as well LOL

 

[Sky04]

I do think having Point would've gone a long way for that though.

Not really, even in the Toronto series with a healthy point we were struggling, Tampa offense in recent years has been surpassed, Toronto, Florida, Colorado and even NY came in waves forcing Tampa to play in their end more and take bigger toll on the body.

We need a secondary line that can create and sustain pressure, Cirelli with Point didn't really do that and Stamkos isn't that type of player when you separate him from Kucherov.

Hagel, Colton, Cirelli are all similar and redundant, hard workers but they struggle to create and finish. Bellemare was also a big disappointment in the finals, we keep targeting grinders when our depth desperately needs some skill, especially if you're losing Palat this off season.

 

[Rschmitz]

Basically Colorado played like how we did in 2019 and got away with it. If we want more scoring, there is your blueprint, but if we face a healthy, defensively responsible team we could be done.

Colorado doesn’t win if they play us in the first round IMO

 

[The Gongshow]

Sign Kadri

 

[DMB06]

I don't pay attention to our prospects at all, is there anyone who's ready to fill a full time role next season or are we still a season or two away from that? Would be nice if 1-2 guys were ready to contribute to add a couple of cheap contracts.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

I would bring back Rutta if he doesn't ask for insane money... He did have some really good games in the finals