Local Hockey Feeds

The team has added five draftees to the roster for next week’s prospect camp to be held at the St. Pete Times Forum starting July 8.

Thos who have been added are:

D Victor Hedman (First round, second overall)

RW Carter Ashton…

This comes as a bit of a minor surprise, but Steven Stamkos was left off the list of invitees to Team Canada Olympic orientation camp, which will be held in Calgary August 24-27. Certainly, based on age, Stamkos is probably considered a longshot to even make the team but after…

It’s obviously been a long day tracking everything down today, jumping on conference calls, jumping into the car for press conferences, keeping an eye on web sites and keeping perspective on what today means.

On the signing of Mattias Ohlund, I have to say I like it. And if there…

Heard this story making its way through the air waives today about new Lightning defenseman Matt Walker, and don’t remember it from the postseason, but after watching this, you understand why Tampa Bay likes the toughness that Walker can bring to the ice.

I also spoke with Walker earlier and…

According to TSN, the Montreal Canadiens have traded Chris Higgins to the New York Rangers in exchange for All-Star center Scott Gomez. Nothing reported as of yet whether or not there is more involved, but does this impact the Lightning at all?

Well, not directly, of course, but…

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Malone has been named to USA Hockey’s Olympic Orientation camp today, USA Hockey announced.  The camp will be held August 17-19 at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, Illinois.

Malone, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, led the NHL in shooting percentage last season with…

The Lightning have extended qualifying offers to nine of the team’s 11 restricted free agents.

By extending the offers, the team retains negotiating rights and rights to match any offer sheet a player may receive as well as the right to compensation should the Lightning decline to match an offer…

Tampa Bay used its fourth round pick on C Alex Hutchings, a 5-foot-10, speedy forward from Barrie of the OHL. In two seaons with the Colts, Hutchings has 63 goals and 122 points in 131 games the past two seasons.

Profile of Hutchings here

Profile from

Tampa Bay has selected Slovakian winger Richard Panik
with the 52nd overall pick, their only second round selection after trading up with Detroit last night to gain an additional first round pick.

Panik is ranked 38th overall by TSN, 31st by The Hockey News, 35th by…

As expected (sort of), the Islanders have selected John Tavares with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Tampa Bay is on the clock, and you can almost guarantee that they will select Victor Hedman

As expected, the Lightning select Hedman with the second overall pick - 7:29 p.m.

It may not happen right away, but it looks more and more as if the Tampa Bay Lightning will use trades to acquire a backup goalie and, perhaps, another wing, ideally one who has the potential to score 20 goals.... Damian Cristodero

It may not happen right away, but it looks more and more as if the Tampa Bay Lightning will use trades to acquire a backup goalie and, perhaps, another wing, ideally one who has the potential to score 20 goals. But the backup goalie is the priority as I'm sure no one wants to go into the season with Riku Helenius behind Mike Smith. Nothing against Helenius. He may turn out to be a great pro. He's just not ready yet.

So, why did the Lightning not sign a backup goalie on the first day of free agency? If you check the signings, you don't see one-year contracts for netminders. Andif you believe Karri Ramo will be back after next season (as his two-year contract stipulates he can be),  Tampa Bay perhaps wants a guy it can keeparound for one year until Ramo gets back.

It's better for the bottom line, too, to unload some players before taking on more payroll.

It's not hard to figure out the Lightning has a lot of defensemen, which means it has some pieces with which to play. The Lightning will not get rid of its most attractive players but it would have to deal someone from that group who has appeal around the league. Is Lukas Krajicek a possibility? He is signed for about $1.5 million for next season, and while he adds experience, he was not as gritty a player as coach Rick Tocchet likes. 

As for forwards, that's a little trickier, though it seems the team has some depth at center with players such as Ryan Craig, Paul Szczechura and even Zenon Konopka, who has a one-waycontract next season (as does wing Brandon Bochenski, by the way). Add Vinny Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Jeff Halpern, and, well, you have some depth from which to deal.

Lecavalier and Stamkos aren't going anywhere (especially for a backup goalie or wing), Craig and his creaky knees might be tough to move, Szczechura has a friendly contract and the instincts to be an NHL player, thoughhe has to score more to complement his sturdy defense. Halpern could be intriguing. He is set to make $2 million next season and has the experience and track record that could make him attractive. Of course, he could be an attractive third-line option for Tampa Bay, too, and we've seen what he can do when he is healthy. I'm just throwing his name out there because of his contract and because, well, you usually have to give something to get something in a trade.

By no means am I predicting anything. Just trying to consider the options. We'll see.  

There were a few moments this week when general manager Brian Lawton spoke about the Tampa Bay Lightning acting like a real organization. That is, he said he was, as commissioner Gary Bettman has mandated, able to make the hockey... Damian Cristodero

There were a few moments this week when general manager Brian Lawton spoke about the Tampa Bay Lightning acting like a real organization. That is, he said he was, as commissioner Gary Bettman has mandated, able to make the hockey decisions, which, really, is what is supposed to happen.

The draft and free agency were the first real tests for the Lightning after Bettman called squabbling owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie into the principal's office and told them that Lawton was in charge of all hockey-related transactions. That did not mean Koules and Barrie were out of the loop, it just meant Lawton was the one authorized to make contractual offers and do trades; you know, the things a GM are supposed to do.

Lawton, after talking about Victor Hedman and about signing defensemen Mattias Ohlund and Matt Walker, said things went pretty much to plan.

"Just to have that clarity makes my job a lot easier," he said. "Ultimately, I'm only as good as the authority I have. If that wavers in any way shape or form, that job becomes next to impossible and, quite frankly, I  wouldn't even want to do that job."

As for the overall structure under which Tampa Bay is now operating, Lawton said, "It operates like all other organizations. The owners are involved. They are consulted about everything. But they have to give me the authority to do what I see as the best course of action for this organization. They've done that with the caveat that if things don't go well, I probably won't be here. Ultimately, that's all I ask is the opportunity to make decisions for hockey operations, and to be judged on those decisions."

Just like any other organization.

"At the end of the day, our organization is built on teamwork and support, but there still has to be somewhere where the buck stops, otherwise there's no accountability and a lack of responsibility. Everybody has ideas. I take everybody's opinions seriously. But at the end of the day there has to be a clear vision. Let the GM be the GM. Let the players play. Let the owners own."

No hard feelings. That was the message from Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos upon learning he was not one of 46 Canadian players invited to the Olympic orientation camp.

"It's obviously a little tough, but you have to realize the situation with me being 19 years old," Stamkos said. "I wasn't expecting to make that team by any means. Look at past history. Sidney Crospby didn't play (in Torino in 2006). I'm not comparing myself to him, but the mentality that the Olympic roster is usually guys who are experienced, especially in Canada. It's so hard to make that team with the talent Canadian players have."

Even so, teammate Vinny Lecavalier, who was invited, along with Marty St. Louis, said Stamkos, after scoring seven goals for silver-medal Canada in the world championship, deserved a spot.

"He deserves a chance," Lecavalier said. "The fact that maybe he's a young guy, maybe they overlooked him. But the way he finished the season, and the way he played in the world championship, he definitely should go there and get his chance."

Stamkos, whose 23 goals last season set a Lightning rookie record, has been working out in the Toronto area with former teammate Gary Roberts. While he admitted the Olympics experience probably would have done "a lot of good for the future," he reiterated, "It's not a shock to me I wasn't on there. It would have been nice, but I didn't expect to be there. If I was, great, but it's not the end of the world."

There still is a chance Stamkos will be invited. There is speculation Joe Sakic might retire, leaving a spot open for a center. And Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman said during a conference call, "If he (Stamkos) comes out of the gate strong, he'll be a player I'll watch."

"He's definitely on the radar," Lightning GM Brian Lawton said. "It's just so tough with so many talented players."

Here is the updated roster for the prospects camp that is July 8-15 at the St. Pete Times Forum. The camp includes a scrimmage at 7 p.m. July 11 that is free and open to the public. Goaltenders: Riku Helenius,... Damian Cristodero

Here is the updated roster for the prospects camp that is July 8-15 at the St. Pete Times Forum. The camp includes a scrimmage at 7 p.m. July 11 that is free and open to the public.

Goaltenders: Riku Helenius, Dustin Tokarski, Jaroslav Janus, Bryan Mountain, Michael Zador.

Defensemen: Mark Barberio, Erik Gustafsson, Victor Hedman, Scott Jackson, Vladimir Mihalik, Kevin Quick, Ty Wishart, Luke Witkowski.

Forwards: Carter Ashton, Kyle De Coste, Mitch Fadden, Tommy Grant, Alex Hutchings, Alexander Killorn, Chris Lawrence, Matt Marshall, Matt Read, Juraj Simek, Dana Tyrell, James Wright.

No hard feelings. That was the message from Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos upon learning he was not one of 46 Canadian players invited to the Olympic orientation camp. "It's obviously a little tough, but you have to realize... Damian Cristodero

Two Cents' Tom Jones brings you the news of the day, and let's you know the stories we're currently working on. Times Editor

Two Cents' Tom Jones brings you the news of the day, and let's you know the stories we're currently working on.