If Tampa loses in the Final -- changes coming?

[Jeti]

I'm pretty sure the Lightning have won the most playoff series in the past 5 years and their core is still reasonably young. Drastic changes would be absurd. They deserve as many chances at a cup as possible, so the goal of the GM at this point should be keeping the core together as much as possible. Don't make changes for the sake of making changes.

Sometimes the best team doesn't win. There's a lot of luck involved, even in a 7 game series.

 

[Kcb12345]

They have a team that is good enough to win the Cup, and good enough to get back here again. I don't see why they'd change much at all

 

[torniojaws]

Nah, there is nothing wrong with their team as such. The reason is that several major players are always injured. If they could finish at least one postseason with a fully/mostly healthy team, they wouldn't have any problems in getting to the finals or winning it.

 

[Sgt Schultz]

Normally, if your roster can't make a serious run in 3 or 4 seasons you have to evaluate whether it ever will. The way the NHL playoffs are, you can have 9 or 10 of the most talented players in the league and still not capture a cup. Sometimes it is team chemistry, sometimes coaching, who knows.

All that said, I would not make any wholesale changes or earth-shaking decisions about a good roster based on these playoffs, unless they were at an age that we (the front office) determined this year was their last chance together. That does not sound like Tampa. These playoff conditions are a long way from meeting the bar set by the word "normally."

The salary cap going forward will be another discussion.

 

[Discipline]

Vinik and Brisebois agreed to not blow up after the 2019 sweep. I don't see them doing anything drastic.

Brisebois will be in excel spreadsheets trying to work out the numbers to sign Sergachev, Cirelli, and retain some of the blueline. Going to be a tough cap crunch this summer.

 

[illpucks]

The only way they might lose the final is if Stamkos returns

 

[DFC]

What about if Tampa wins without Stamkos, does he become expendable?

....Kind of?

 

[StreetHawk]

Changes will come whether they win or lose because they need to clear a lot of cap space to resign some players.

Killorn is the only big money ($4 mill or higher) guy that they can move without asking for permission. They will be given a list from him.

The others like Johnson, Gourde, Palat, even Stamkos, and McDonaugh have full NTC for next season. In a flat cap world, makes it hard to move them for the value that you want.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I think even with our "cap issues" we will ice a very similar team. Our core will be the same. I think as long as you have Hedman, Kucherov, point, Stamkos, and Vasi they will contend. I dont know if they will be able to get back to the finals with this group.

Its harder than people think. Pittsburgh is a good example. Always have huge expectations. They won their cup early in their window and then failed for years before getting the two in a row. Even after then they still had great teams but fell short and even have trouble getting out of first few rounds. Playoffs are hard. So it's extremely important for tampa to get it done now and not have to hope for another year.

Even tho I think they will contend but things need to go right for them in so many ways. Luck, injuries, and momentum all play a factor in the playoffs. Some of that your team as good as it is doesnt have as much control as you think. Even tho we are good its probably a safe bet they won't be back here for a while. This is it. We gotta do it now. We just don't know if we will be back.

 

[DFC]

I think even with our "cap issues" we will ice a very similar team. Our core will be the same. I think as long as you have Hedman, Kucherov, point, Stamkos, and Vasi they will contend. I dont know if they will be able to get back to the finals with this group.

Its harder than people think. Pittsburgh is a good example. Always have huge expectations. They won their cup early in their window and then failed for years before getting the two in a row. Even after then they still had great teams but fell short and even have trouble getting out of first few rounds. Playoffs are hard. So it's extremely important for tampa to get it done now and not have to hope for another year.

Even tho I think they will contend but things need to go right for them in so many ways. Luck, injuries, and momentum all play a factor in the playoffs. Some of that your team as good as it is doesnt have as much control as you think. Even tho we are good its probably a safe bet they won't be back here for a while. This is it. We gotta do it now. We just don't know if we will be back.

Yeah, I mean, we got this far without Stamkos. So, if next year the worst happens and we're forced to lose Cirelli (who's been a shadow of himself in these playoffs) on top of Killorn, but we get Stamkos back... Are we really worse? I think it's going to be kind of a wash by the time it's all said and done.

 

[illpucks]

What about if Tampa wins without Stamkos, does he become expendable?

Wonder what it would do for the choker label he's got. He's got a choker label similar to Thornton, maybe not as bad but still.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Regardless of how much he'd help anywhere else, Stamkos' absence certainly seems to be noticeable on the PP. That left face off dot doesn't look anywhere as dangerous without him, which then makes it easier for PKs to overload the Kucherov side of the ice.

 

[Master P]

Regardless of how much he'd help anywhere else, Stamkos' absence certainly seems to be noticeable on the PP. That left face off dot doesn't look anywhere as dangerous without him, which then makes it easier for PKs to overload the Kucherov side of the ice.

He's also one of if not our best faceoff guy. Its a huge loss to not have him in the lineup.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Brady Point to Calgary for Monahan.

 

[shtorm2005]

Regardless of how much he'd help anywhere else, Stamkos' absence certainly seems to be noticeable on the PP. That left face off dot doesn't look anywhere as dangerous without him, which then makes it easier for PKs to overload the Kucherov side of the ice.

You're right. In 2018 Stamkos was main raison why Bolts/Caps series went to 7 games.

 

[Danythegod]

Johnson, killorn and Paquette.. these guys have been ghosts this playoffs. Start there

 

[K Fleur]

What about if Tampa wins without Stamkos, does he become expendable?

Even if they don’t end up winning the cup they should be looking at Stamkos as expendable.

At this point he is at best the 4th most important player on that team and they seem to play better without him anyways.

 

[Mr Positive]

they still have more to lose than to gain by changing things.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Probably the cliche "fire and replace the coach" stuff. They are a good team and they don't need much changed. Eventually it has to all come together. It eventually did for Washington.

It doesn't have to eventually come together. It happened to do so for the Caps, in the year after they had a cap crunch, and they gave up 60 more goals in 17-18 than they did in 16-17.

I'm pretty sure the Lightning have won the most playoff series in the past 5 years and their core is still reasonably young. Drastic changes would be absurd. They deserve as many chances at a cup as possible, so the goal of the GM at this point should be keeping the core together as much as possible. Don't make changes for the sake of making changes.

Sometimes the best team doesn't win. There's a lot of luck involved, even in a 7 game series.

Their core is getting older and more expensive every year. They can't even freely trade most of the guys on the team to make any changes anyway. They have $5m to sign Cirelli, Cernak, and Sergachev, and a roster full of vets with NTC's who are on a contender in a great tax state.

It's not over if they don't win the Cup in the next week+, but it'll get that much more difficult to do it.

And they need to finally get the job done for once, because I don't need to be seeing Pavelski lift the Cup.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Johnson, killorn and Paquette.. these guys have been ghosts this playoffs. Start there

Spot on.

 

[Odie Cleghorn]

Johnson, killorn and Paquette.. these guys have been ghosts this playoffs. Start there

Exactly. Johnson and Killorn are CRAP and yet they play on the PP and Cirelli doesn't. Maybe they could win a faceoff with him. Cirelli isn't going to look good playing with Johnson and Killorn. The only excuse for him not being on the pp is if he is hurt. Otherwise Cooper should be canned.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Brady Point to Calgary for Monahan.

Delete your account.

On topic: I woke up this morning and the names "Kirivanta" and "Gurianov" immediately came to mind. In 2015, we had guys become playoff heroes out of nowhere--I'm thinking mainly of Kucherov and Johnson. Now, Johnson... is what he is and our "out of nowhere" guys are one of our deadline acquisitions (Coleman) and Yanni Gourde.

We'll probably ride the vets for another playoff exit like we did with Brendan Morrow. Ugh.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Johnson, killorn and Paquette.. these guys have been ghosts this playoffs. Start there

Is Paquette really expected to do much other than hit, block shots, and be a shit disturber though?

If he was supposed to be like Coleman or whatever that’s a different story, but I’ve never thought of Paquette other than being someone like Cizikas.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

So Tampa loses 1 game out of a 7 game series and this thread gets created? Panic much?

 

[BLONG7]

They are the most skilled team in the league with talent that's been brewing since the last time they made the Finals. Give them a pass for that because they were going up against the dynasty Hawks with a young core + Stamkos coming off of injury.

Since then, this is their track record:

• Lose 4-3 in CF -- 2016
• Missed playoffs (odd year) -- 2017
• Lose 4-3 in CF -- 2018
• Swept in QF -- 2019
• Finals?? -- 2020

You can argue that since 2017/18, they have been the best team in the league and have proven it with dominance in the regular season. Last year was such an embarrassment on top of getting shutout in the final 2 elimination games in 2018 against the Caps, they have shown a tendency to fold.

Now I'd say they somehow semi-made up for it by doing what they should've done last year by at-least making the Finals. They are heavily favoured with tons of playoff experience on that roster. If they lose though, do you see changes coming? This would be 3 years straight of having a monster contender not get it done when it matters most.

Win or lose...........lots of changes coming, they have big time cap issues.