Within the NHL, Stanley Cup Playoff contenders sometimes commerce away their first-round picks in the course of the season to enhance their probabilities at profitable Lord Stanley, particularly on the commerce deadline. A possibility to improve the roster is often nicely price sacrificing a first-round choice. We’ve seen this development with the Tampa Bay Lightning of their Stanley Cup competition window.
Lightning Traditionally Commerce Their First-Spherical Picks
Tampa Bay has made only one first-round choice within the final 5 drafts, Issac Howard at thirty first general within the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The Lightning don’t have their first-round choose for the upcoming 2025 Draft, as they despatched the choose to the Nashville Predators in a lopsided Tanner Jeannot commerce. Whereas many followers are keen to carry onto the 2026 first-round choice, the Lightning ought to use the choose to take one other shot on the Stanley Cup this season. The group’s strikes within the offseason have expanded their competition window, and now’s not the time for normal supervisor Julien BriseBois to be conservative.
Lightning Have Struggled to Develop First-Spherical Expertise
For the reason that Steven Stamkos period began in 2008, when the Lightning drafted him with the primary general choice, the group has whiffed on practically each first-round choose. They’ve made two profitable alternatives within the final 16 years. One was Victor Hedman at second general in 2009, which was a layup that didn’t require a lot thought. He was head and shoulders above all of the defensemen in his draft class. Along with his huge body, Hedman seemed like a future NHL famous person for years to come back. The opposite profitable choose by the Lightning was goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy at nineteenth general within the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He simply reached 300 wins with the Lightning and stays the spine of the franchise in objective as we speak.
Exterior of Vasilevskiy and Hedman, the subsequent finest participant who supplied some worth for the Lightning was Vladislav Namestnikov. If one considers him a hit at twenty seventh general, the Lightning have hit on three out of 11 draft picks since 2009, not together with Howard since he’s by no means performed an NHL recreation. That’s roughly a 27% success fee on first-round picks within the final 16 years. Whereas gamers like Johnathan Drouin and Brett Howden are stable NHL skills in 2024, the Lightning couldn’t develop them and shipped these gamers off for higher belongings. In Tampa Bay’s eyes, they had been busts.
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A number of the Lightning’s draft disasters in latest reminiscence embody Brett Connolly at sixth general in 2010, who performed 4 seasons with the Lightning from 2011-15, recording a excessive of 15 factors in 50 video games with the group in 2014-15. He would grow to be a good NHL participant for just a few seasons, even capturing a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals. One other tough choose for the Lightning was Slater Koekkoek, who suited up for Tampa Bay from 2014-18. The Lightning chosen the defenseman tenth general within the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. His career-high in video games performed with the group that drafted him was 35 in 2017-18, the place he notched eight factors. Koekkoek struggled to quantity to any success within the NHL following his departure from the Lightning.
What Ought to the Lightning Goal in Return?
Whereas I’m in favor of buying and selling the 2026 first-round choose, I don’t suppose the choice must be mechanically moved. The choose should be traded strategically for the correct value, particularly for younger, considerably established expertise. Tampa Bay wants assistance on the offensive entrance, primarily extra secondary scoring from their middle-six ahead group. Moreover, including a bottom-pairing defenseman isn’t a nasty thought both. Some buy-low choices embody Nils Hoglander and Nicholas Robertson from their respective Canadian groups. If the Lightning need to go huge, they might inquire about names like Joel Farabee and Trevor Zegras. Lastly, they might search for a middle-ground goal like Kaapo Kakko.
Whatever the younger expertise they aim, the Lightning shouldn’t throw away their 2026 first-round choose for a 30-year-old rental participant. The Lightning are trending in a youthful path, and including an affect participant with the potential to flourish within the group for years could be an clever determination.
