This season Bolt Prospects introduced our Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for their on-ice contributions.
We wanted to highlight prospects throughout the year to help fans get better acquainted with the next round of Lightning stars while recognizing the prospect’s achievement on the ice.
This week’s (belated) BP Prospect of the Week award goes to … Sebastien Piche [8], Charles Landry [9], and Pat Nagle [10] (Florida Everblades, ECHL).
These three Lightning prospects helped the Florida Everblades to their first Kelly Cup championship last Wednesday when the ‘Blades topped the Las Vegas Wranglers, 3-2, on an overtime goal by rookie Brendan MacLean.
None of the three prospects were drafted by Tampa Bay. Piche was acquired in a trade from Detroit with the Wings’ 2012 first round pick for defenseman Kyle Quincey (previously acquired from Colorado for Steve Downie [11]), Landry was a 2011 free agent signing out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Nagle was signed as a free agent from Ferris State University last spring.
Of the three, only Piche played in every playoff game for Florida. The defenseman had two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 18 games to go with a plus-10 rating. He had two assists in the finals, coming in games three and four. He led all ECHL players in playoff penalty minutes with 51.
Landry was a healthy scratch for seven playoff games, including two of the five games in the finals. He was plus-1 in the series clincher, getting a shift in overtime. He finished the playoffs with a goal, two assists, and a plus-7 rating in 11 games.
Nagle filled in for injured goaltender and Carolina prospect John Muse in Game 2 of the second round against Elmira. He stopped all eight shots he faced in relief, then won the next three games of the series, including his first professional playoff shutout. His remained the starter for Game 1 against Kalamazoo in the Eastern Conference Finals and shut out the K-Wings. He took the loss in Game 2, however, allowing three goals on 19 shots. With Muse healthy, Nagle played backup the rest of the playoffs while Muse went on to win Kelly Cup MVP. Nagle finished the playoffs with a 4-1 record, 1.42 goals against average (league leader), .941 save percentage (tied for league lead), and 2 shutouts (league leader).
Landry and Nagle were called up to the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals after the series and will be insurance for the Admirals against Toronto in the Calder Cup finals starting June 1. Piche returned home to Michigan before Florida’s community celebration took place and was not called up to Norfolk.
Congratulations to Piche, Landry, Nagle, former Lightning draft pick Kevin Quick [12], and the rest of the Everblades for their championship season.
Previous BP Prospects of the Week:
Dustin Tokarski [13], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - May 23, 2012 [14]
Jaroslav Janus [15], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - May 16, 2012 [16]
Danick Gauthier, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) - May 10, 2012 [17]
Alex Killorn [18], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - May 2, 2012 [19]
Riku Helenius [20], JYP (Finland) - April 25, 2012 [21]
Cory Conacher [22], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - April 16, 2012 [23]
Mark Barberio [24], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - April 11, 2012 [25]
Tyler Johnson [26], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - April 4, 2012 [27]
Norfolk Admirals Hockey Club (AHL) - March 27, 2012 [28]
Richard Panik [29], Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - March 21, 2012 [30]
Tyler Johnson, Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - March 13, 2012 [31]
Danick Gauthier, Saint John (QMJHL) - March 6, 2012 [32]
Matt Peca, Quinnipiac (NCAA) - February 29, 2012 [33]
Pat Nagle, Florida (ECHL) - February 21, 2012 [34]
Alex Hutchings [35], Florida (ECHL) - February 14, 2012 [36]
Alex Killorn, Harvard (NCAA) - February 6, 2012 [37]
Adam Wilcox [38], Tri-City (USHL) and Alex Killorn, Harvard (NCAA) - January 30, 2012 [39]
Nikita Kucherov [40], CSKA Jr. (Russia) - January 24, 2012 [41]
Riku Helenius, JYP (Finland) - January 16, 2012 [42]
Brett Connolly [43], Canada (U20 WJC) - January 10, 2012 [44]
*Due to the Christmas break when few games below the NHL level were played, no POTW award was given.
Mark Barberio, Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - December 19, 2011 [45]
Vladislav Namestnikov [46], London Knights (OHL) - December 12, 2011 [47]
Tyler Johnson, Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - December 5, 2011 [48]
Alex Killorn, Harvard (NCAA) - November 28, 2011 [49]
Nikita Kucherov, Team Russia/CSKA Jr. (MHL) - November 21, 2011 [50]
Vladislav Namestnikov, London Knights (OHL) - November 14, 2011 [51]
Dustin Tokarski, Norfolk Admirals (AHL) - November 6, 2011 [52]
Riku Helenius, JYP (Finland) - October 30, 2011 [53]
Matthew Peca [54], Quinnipiac Bobcats - October 23, 2011 [55]
Radko Gudas [56], Norfolk Admirals - October 16, 2011 [55]
Carter Ashton [57], Norfolk Admirals - October 9, 2011 [58]
Brett Connolly, Tampa Bay Lightning - October 2, 2011 [59]
Mattias Ritola [60], Tampa Bay Lightning - September 25, 2011 [61]