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Lightning: 5 Worst ‘Yzerman-Period’ Draft Picks – The Hockey Writers – Lightning Historical past


The NHL Entry Draft is much from a precise science. Making an attempt to challenge how a participant will develop over the course of their profession is near inconceivable, as something from an harm to non-public points can derail a participant’s growth.

Throughout his almost decade-long tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steve Yzerman noticed quite a lot of success on the draft. Nonetheless, for each roster participant he pulled out of the third spherical, he additionally had a first-round choice that simply didn’t pan out.

Along with his time in Tampa coming to an finish, that is the proper time to look again on a few of Yzerman’s worst draft picks with the Lightning.

No. 5: Brett Connolly

After Tampa struggled by means of the 2009-10 season, Yzerman took over a franchise possessing the sixth-overall decide. As his first choice with the Lightning, he wanted to hit the proverbial house run as a way to showcase that the franchise was in good fingers for the primary time in years.

With the decide, the Lightning chosen Brett Connolly, a high-talent ahead who was projected to be one of many high choices earlier than he suffered a hip harm that price him the vast majority of his ultimate season in juniors. Regardless of this concern, Yzerman nonetheless took a swing on him.

Brett Connolly, Tampa Bay Lightning (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Throughout his time with the Lightning, Connolly did not dwell as much as his top-10 billing. He wasn’t essentially dangerous, however he simply couldn’t carve out his area of interest within the lineup. He was an ideal instance of a participant who was rushed to the NHL, hurting his total growth.

It’s not all dangerous for the Lightning or Connolly, although. Tampa Bay traded him to the Boston Bruins for 2 second-round picks, a transfer that allowed them to amass Brayden Coburn. Connolly struggled in Boston earlier than happening to win the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals.

So, whereas it didn’t work out in Tampa, each events managed to achieve a constructive conclusion ultimately.

No. 4: Johnathan MacLeod

Typically, there’s a participant that you simply simply utterly overlook about. The staff drafts him, and then you definitely simply hear nothing about them over the subsequent 5 years.

That was Jonathan MacLeod for the Lightning. As a second-round choice, there was purpose to consider that he may very well be competing for a roster spot after he completed his time with Boston College.

As a substitute, he struggled to determine a task whereas at school, inflicting him to finally fade into the again of the Lightning’s prospect pool. By the point he completed at Boston College, the Bolts determined it wasn’t value giving him a minor league contract.

So, to place it bluntly, Macleod was a bust for Tampa Bay.

No. 3: Anthony DeAngelo

Getting into the 2014 Draft, the Lightning knew that that they had two first-round picks in each 2014 and 2015 because of a profitable mid-season commerce with the New York Rangers.

Maybe because of this surplus of picks, Tampa Bay made a really un-Yzerman-like choice with their nineteenth total decide. They chose Anthony DeAngelo, a extremely proficient defenseman who had some questions on his character.

As mentioned by Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo Sports activities:

Sarnia Sting defenceman, Anthony DeAngelo, hasn’t performed in two weeks… When the Ontario Hockey League introduced that they had suspended the native of Sewell, N.J., eight video games for violating the league’s harassment, abuse and variety coverage.

The decide was seen as an actual gamble on the time, as DeAngelo had the expertise to turn out to be a top-four defenseman within the NHL, however slid down the draft board because of his character. Sadly, he didn’t mesh with the Lightning, getting scratched eight instances all through his first season within the AHL.

DeAngelo was finally traded to the Arizona Coyotes for a second spherical decide in 2016. The return was disappointing, particularly for a participant that seemed to be a future staple on the blue line.

Tony DeAngelo Philadelphia Flyers
Tony DeAngelo, Philadelphia Flyers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Oddly sufficient, each DeAngelo and the participant the Lightning chosen with that second-round decide, Libor Hajek, ended up being dealt to the Rangers. So, in a means, all of it got here full circle ultimately.

No. 2: Jonathan Drouin

When you will have a top-five decide in a draft, you will have the potential to pick out a franchise-altering expertise. On the 2013 draft, the Lightning discovered themselves with the third-overall choice in a category filled with really elite expertise.

After Nathan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov had been chosen as the highest two picks, the Lightning selected Jonathan Drouin over Seth Jones with the third decide. Whereas Drouin was, arguably, probably the most expert participant within the draft, the franchise had a transparent want for right-handed protection. As the highest defenseman on the draft, Jones may have been an ideal match for the franchise.

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If Drouin had reached his full potential with Tampa Bay, then this resolution would have been a moot level, as 100-point forwards are exhausting to come back by. Nonetheless, he struggled to determine himself with the Lightning, getting despatched again to juniors out of his first coaching camp.

By 2016, Drouin requested a commerce from Tampa Bay, hoping to discover a franchise the place he may flourish. Yzerman finally traded him throughout the 2017 offseason, bringing again a blue-chip defensive prospect in Mikhail Sergachev.

So, whereas the Lightning could have initially missed with Drouin, at the very least they had been capable of flip him right into a high defensive prospect.

No. 1: Slater Koekkoek

Typically, a participant will at all times be judged based mostly on who was drafted round them. For Slater Koekkoek, the Lightning’s tenth total decide on the 2012 Draft, his legacy might be endlessly outlined by what may have been.

Because of a nagging shoulder harm, Koekkoek was seen as a little bit of a attain by the Lightning with the tenth choice, particularly given who was left on the draft board. As mentioned by THW:

Even on the time, the decide was seen as a letdown for the Lightning. By simply lacking out on Jacob Trouba, and passing over higher-ranked gamers like Cody Ceci, Mikhail Grigorenko, and Filip Forsberg, Yzerman seemed to be taking a considerably pointless danger with a top-10 decide.

If Koekkoek had labored out with the Lightning, then this attain would have been effectively justified. As a substitute, he struggled with accidents earlier than lastly making his was to the NHL. When he was taking part in in Tampa Bay, he was poorly utilized, typically being a wholesome scratch.

Whereas he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Jan Ruuta, Koekkoek’s time with the Lightning was a disappointment. Contemplating that the likes of Forsberg and Grigorenko had been chosen instantly after him, it’s inconceivable to not take into consideration what may have been.

Regardless of Misses, Lightning Discovered Draft Success

Even with these gamers not understanding ultimately, the Lightning nonetheless discovered quite a lot of success on the draft below Yzerman.

Associated: Lightning: 5 Finest Yzerman-Period Draft Picks

By discovering hidden expertise on draft day, they had been capable of alleviate a few of the ache of those first and second spherical choices that simply didn’t pan out. It’s removed from the most effective case state of affairs, however given the failure of a few of these picks, it stored them from being franchise-defining errors.

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