There was plenty of discuss whether or not Tanner Jeannot may’ve performed higher for the Tampa Bay Lightning and lived as much as the commerce that introduced him from the Nashville Predators. Sadly, we’ll by no means know, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June.
Jeannot had a sluggish and aggravating 2023-24 marketing campaign for the Lightning, and plenty of anticipated rather more from him. After the 2022-23 season, Jeannot filed for arbitration throughout contract negotiations for an extension with the Lightning. After scoring a aim and two assists in 20 video games for the Bolts, administration needed to pay him lower than he thought he deserved (he scored 5 objectives and 14 factors in 56 video games for the Predators.) Nevertheless, after the arbitration course of, the workforce and the winger settled on a semi-large contract, price $2.6 million per season for 2 seasons.
After Jeannot was traded from the Predators to the Lightning for a veritable draft class together with his contract prolonged, the workforce anticipated extra out of him for the 2023-24 season. Sadly, he didn’t carry out to expectations.
Jeannot’s 2023-24 Season Expirence
On Jan. 6, he obtained injured in Boston in opposition to the Bruins after recording six objectives and 12 factors in 41 video games. Moreover, it’s price noting that his penalty minute document stood at –4 penalty objectives, marking the bottom level in his skilled profession since becoming a member of the NHL within the 2020-21 season. Weeks after recovering from the harm, Jeannot returned to the lineup to face the identical workforce on Feb. 13. Once more he obtained injured, off a nasty examine to the boards, and was positioned again on injured reserve (from ‘Tanner Jeannot out, Nick Paul a game-time determination in opposition to Panthers’ – Tampa Bay Occasions, 2/16/2024). He returned to the lineup on March 19 at Vegas in opposition to the Golden Knights, enjoying on the fourth line with Tyler Motte and Luke Glendening.
The Lightning had been on a Pacific Division street journey on the time, and Jeannot performed in all video games. In his fourth sport again, in opposition to the Anaheim Geese, he recorded an help, marking his first level in his final twelve contests. Within the remaining regular-season sport in opposition to the Maple Leafs on April 17, he scored his first aim in over 28 video games, in a 6-4 victory.
Final season, the 27-year-old from Saskatchewan spent most of his time on the fourth line with Glendening — sometimes bouncing as much as the third line with Nick Paul and Michael Eyssimont or Conor Sheary. He hardly ever noticed greater than 10 minutes of ice time per sport, giving him little alternative to contribute on the scoresheet. After 55 video games, he had seven objectives and 7 assists.
Together with his accidents barring him from a full season, head coach Jon Cooper restricted Jeannot’s ice time. However, I imagine if he had barely extra ice time per sport, he may’ve produced extra. Nevertheless, I feel one other side got here into play with Jeannot’s sport: His identification.
Jeannot is an excellent fighter. He’s a bodily participant who isn’t afraid of getting his palms soiled and knocking somebody out on the ice. Nevertheless, his strategy can take its toll, each on his workforce and the participant. For instance, the New York Rangers’ Matt Rempe is widely known for his preventing talents and bodily stature, however he possesses a ability set that extends past mere physicality. With the Lightning, Jeannot skilled a lack of identification. Regardless of possessing a stable shot launch and excelling as an aggressive forechecker on the left wing, he was susceptible to taking pointless penalties. He accrued 75 penalty minutes in simply 55 video games with one power-play aim.
In principle, he has the potential to change into a more practical participant and replicate his goal-scoring efficiency from the 2021-22 season with the Predators if he can cut back his penalty publicity and prolong his ice time. Nevertheless, this doesn’t suggest that he ought to utterly shrink back from participating in preventing or aggressive, bodily play. As an alternative, he ought to discover a method to average it by reaching a steadiness. Reviewing his greatest season within the NHL (2021-22), Jeannot recorded 24 objectives, 17 assists, and 41 factors in 81 video games; He additionally accrued 130 penalty minutes and scored two power-play objectives. His common ice time per sport throughout that season was 16 minutes. This degree of efficiency is what the Lightning had hoped to see from Jeannot. Sadly, a mixture of workforce/participant restructuring and a number of accidents resulted in a major decline in his efficiency and manufacturing.
Jeannot’s Spot With the Kings
The Kings want further offensive help to work down low with Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, and Trevor Moore. Jeannot would slot in with Akil Thomas on a 3rd or fourth line, as Jeannot’s expertise and Thomas’s youthful ambition and ability will add wanted depth to a stable backside six. If wholesome, Jeannot has the potential to be a very bodily, efficient forechecker who can play a significant function in penalty killing and on the second power-play unit. Kings normal supervisor Rob Blake addressed the necessity for higher net-front presence scorers—gamers unafraid to get near the crease. Jeannot provides that together with his construct and bodily play. Similarities in gamers embody Brad Marchand of the Bruins and Anders Lee of the New York Islanders.
With a brand new workforce within the Kings, Jeannot can change up his play fashion as a left-wing ahead and presumably redevelop his offensive playstyle. Now that he’s within the Pacific Division, he’ll have a brand new setting to play in, which can profit him, because the Western Convention is a well-known space to him from when he performed for the Predators. As to what line he’ll play on is a thriller for the upcoming season, as coaching camp will give the workforce an concept of what does and doesn’t work by way of participant pairings. A penalty-killing unit with Jeannot and Trevor Lewis can be fascinating to have a look at for the Kings. On the finish of the day, it’s all about participant chemistry.
