Raw Charge - All Posts

2013 NHL Draft: Seth Jones may be available to Lightning after all

2013-06-19T18:03:13Z

Late last night, Adrian Dater of the Denver Post posted an article in which Joe Sakic, executive vice-president of the Colorado Avalanche, said the Avs would NOT, in fact be taking Seth Jones with their first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Lots of observers have wondered if this is some kind of bluff or posturing on Sakic's part to try to galvanize other teams into action, but Dater believes not. He believes that the Avalanche will take Nathan MacKinnon instead.

This is, naturally, a big deal for Lightning fans in particular. The Florida Panthers are believed by many to be keyed in on offense and willing to pass up the opportunity to get Jones in favor of Nathan MacKinnon or Jonathan Drouin. Donny Rivette made a compelling argument for this approach both at Litter Box Cats and more expansively in a response to a comment made by John Fontana here at Raw Charge. If Jones does fall to number three, will the Lightning take him?

In a strange twist, this is pretty much what happened in the SBNation Mock Draft earlier this month. When it happened, Raw Charge editor John Fontana jumped at the chance to acquire a right handed defenseman with elite potential who can contribute immediately for a defense-starved club.

Almost everyone responding to that mock draft believed that this was a fluke and that there was no realistic possibility that Colorado would pass on Jones. I believe the term "brain cramp" covered most of our sentiments on that point. When John informed us of the results of the that draft, I remarked that I could see no justification for the Lightning passing on Jones if he were available.

Look at it this way: The Lightning have one of the most powerful offenses in the league. They have more forwards in Syracuse ready to make the jump to the NHL than there are spots for them (Brett Connolly, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Richard Panik). But there are only two defensemen--Mark Barberio and Radko Gudas --who fit that bill. And the Lightning have one of the worst defenses in the league and that's an area that must be worked on for both short- and long-term.

There's no telling, of course, whether an 18-year-old rookie defenseman will make much of a difference in the immediate future. Defensemen take longer to reach their potential than forwards, and the Lightning's blueline is already getting younger with the addition of Radko Gudas and possible addition of Mark Barberio.

Add to that the fact that high-drafted forwards tend to be "less risky" than high drafted defensemen, and you do have some reasonable objections to taking Jones at number 3. [Note that none of these have anything to do with how he looks shirtless or any character implications that one might be oddly inclined to draw from that.]

And I'll just throw one more log on that fire. James Nelson, who writes about prospects for ThePredatorial.com feels that it is possible that Jones makes it all the way to number 4, and ends up in Nashville.

@goverjkg I don't know, asking around, it sounds like Yzerman has hinted at being set on a F, though @CAustinRC disagrees.
— James Nelson (@PredatorialJN) June 19, 2013

My personal take is that Jones has been a consensus number one draft prospect up until about twelve hours ago. Absent any confirmation that there's some kind of problem with his game or a question about his character based on more than pudgy=lazy, I have to think he's still as highly regarded as he was yesterday afternoon. I feel like as far as risks go, this one is no greater than some of the others that Steve Yzerman has taken in previous drafts (goalie at #19, anyone?)

My guess is that the Lightning take him if they get the chance.

2013 AHL Calder Cup finals game 6: Syracuse Crunch versus Grand Rapids Griffins game thread

2013-06-18T22:30:04Z


		Versus

	AHL Calder Cup Finals Game Six Listen Live on The Fan 1260 Live Stream on AHL Live

Where: Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse, New York
When: 7:00 PM EDT
Media: Time Warner Cable systems in Central NY (cable), AHL Live (online), 1260 AM (radio)

2013 Calder Cup Finals: The biggest game in Syracuse Crunch history is the biggest test for this team

2013-06-18T20:40:52Z

I don't know Syracuse sports history that well. I know about the Orange and Syracuse University - nice run to the Final Four this year, by the way.

I don't know about the first AHL winners who hailed from Syracuse, nor do I know much about the teams that Alex Ackerman has boasted about from the past (2007-08), though I do know of the reputation of at least one player from that team (Zenon "Zeke" Konopka).

I do know the Crunch franchise has not been here before, though; game six of the AHL Calder Cup Finals. The team sits on the brink of elimination while also on the verge of a last chance, a last gasp, at the glory.

What I also know is that this is more of an emotional investment than the 2011-2012 Norfolk Admirals team, at least from afar. That's not judging teams, or comparing teams... But an actual fight, a struggle to get past an opponent didn't exist in the 2012 AHL playoffs. The Ads rolled over all challengers from early February until the last horn sounded in Ricoh Arena in Toronto when they bested the Marlies in a series sweep.

That team captured people's attention and showed the world what they could do. Were they infallible? No, but the chips fell in such a way that their mortality wasn't on display as much as their drive for success.

That's what I know about this team - that some of them know the taste of that sweet success. I know this game - game six of the Calder Cup finals - is the biggest Crunch game in the history of modern Syracuse hockey. It's not a finite point, though. It's simply looking for a last chance. A last dance.

It's up to the efforts of the efforts of the Syracuse Crunch for this to be the penultimate game of the 2013 Calder Cup Finals. Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Richard Panik, Brett Connolly, Vladislav Namestnikov, Radko Gudas, Mark Barberio, Cedrick Desjardins and others - you're charged with getting this team to the next game.

Petr Mrazek, Danny DeKeyser and all the rest of the Grand Rapids Griffins are charged with ending this mother once and for all. They've already played a long haul of playoff games, they've already shown their capable of silencing the onslaught of Tampacuse offense. This all should be over, done with, moot by this point.

But it's not. And it ain't gonna' be if the bounces go a certain way and the hockey Gods will it.

The Norfolk Admirals won the Calder Cup in 2012, the biggest accomplishment by a Tampa Bay Lightning AHL/IHL affiliate, yet tonight's game is bigger. It's a chance to overcome, one of the key driving forces in sports... It's what we emotionally invest in as fans - winning in against-the-odds moments and overcomign adversity.

This series could be done and over tonight, that's a fact Crunch fans need to accept; home ice hasn't been an advantage and the Crunch left Syracuse in a 2-0 hole after starting the series at home. It's not an insurmountable challenge to overcome, but it has seemed like one for this team at various times during the season.

Tonight's game can also serve as a transitory device to a final confrontation between two conference champions: the winner-take-all game seven, where all bets are off and nothing is left for tomorrow - because it no longer exists.

I don't know Syracuse sports history, what's happened in town in the past that outweighs the value of the events tonight at Onondaga County War Memorial. SU may have gone elsewhere and won bowl games and other titles in other towns ... But tangibly, in the city limits? This, even a minor league title, is an event of huge weight in the context of sports history for the city...

And if all goes well, the next game - scheduled (if necessary) for Thursday - will wipe its relevance away in a flash

SB Nation NHL Mock Draft 2013: Tampa Bay Lightning select Seth Jones with 3rd overall pick

2013-06-17T19:00:06Z

A minstrel of great fame once sang that "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." As June has come and the 2013 NHL Draft has gotten closer, the Tampa Bay Lightning are making plans, as are the other National Hockey League franchises. Sometimes the best laid plans fall through, and sometimes the predicted results just don't happen. That can lead to let-downs or pleasant surprises.

The plan that's been openly speculated throughout hockey is for the Lightning to be looking at a decision between elite forwards available in the draft. But as things fell on June 5^th (when SB Nation started conducting its mock draft internally), those plans were suddenly turned on its ear.

Seth Jones, the guy who has been labeled as the likely #1 draft pick by 36 of 50 mock drafts listed on the DC Sports 2013 Mock Draft Database through June 12^th, was still on the draft board.

Speculation and rhetoric has been repeated for a while now that Jones will be gone by the #3 pick during the actual NHL Draft on June 30^th in Newark. That had been pronounced the absolute iron-clad fact by media persons, beat writers, bloggers and idle fans speculating on the Internet. While Valeri Nichushkin and Alex Barkov's names have been thrown in as possible selections at #3, people have tended to be adamant the draft will go Jones- Nathan MacKinnon - Jonathan Drouin.

But here, it didn't play out that way. You can read Mile High Hockey's post about their pick here. You can read Litter Box Cats justification for picking Drouin #2 overall here. I can't tell you how likely in reality the tandem of MacKinnon and Drouin will be the first players selected come the 30^th, but it happened here. Seth Jones was still there for the taking.

Suddenly, planning to pick between forwards isn't necessary. Not only do the Lightning have a chance to draft the best on the board, but the best on the board in a position of weakness for the club that GM Steve Yzerman is tasked with rectifying this offseason and long term. It's why Rick Bowness was brought in as a new assistant coach; it's why other changes will likely happen for the Lightning on the blue line over the course of the summer.

If Seth Jones is still on the draft board at #3, it's an absolute no-brainer to pick him... And that's why Raw Charge selects Jones in the SB Nation Mock Draft.

At 6'4" and 205 pounds, Seth is unique in his mobility and skill on such a large frame. He's been labeled a potential franchise cornerstone defenseman. The Western Hockey League rookie of the year had 14 goals and 42 assists in 61 games as an 18-year old while playing with the Portland Winterhawks last season.

Here's a quick assessment on Jones from a larger article by The Hockey Writers:

Jones is a very fluid skater who can handle the puck under pressure and will jump start the offense. He can distribute the puck, move the puck and has a big time shot. He has displayed a high hockey IQ and picks the most opportune moments to jump into the rush where he moves like a high-end forward. Those offensive skills garnered him 14 goals and 56 points in his rookie year, which led all WHL rookies, and may very well make him the top pick in June's NHL Draft.

[....]

The offensive side of his game is not the whole story. He is very sound in his own end and never seems rattled by the play or by the pressure of opposing forecheckers. Despite his size he did not turn out to be an overly physical player, although that seems like something he could easily learn to do. He is strong enough and smart enough to hone his physical game and there seems to be no reason to believe that the physical aspect of his game will catch up with all the other eye-popping ability he possesses.

When it does he could become one of the most intimidating blue liners in the game.

It's not all unicorns and rainbows to take a defenseman with a top pick, as the Copper and Blue pointed out a few weeks back... But it does pay off if given time and a healthy environment to develop.

Another drawback on Jones that a few Lightning fans probably caught on to from the quoted Hockey Writers piece is the size of Jones frame and the point he's not an overly physical defenseman. That's something a segment of Bolts fans have already seen on defense through former first-round draft pick in Victor Hedman. It's not that Hedman is a bad defenseman; it's that some fans expect a player of Hedman's size to play the body. That same expectation would likely come for Jones, but hitting isn't why he's considered the best D in the draft.

This selection isn't trying to replace Hedman, it's a selection that should be looked at as an addition that'd join Hedman in the defensive corps. One major difference between Victor and Seth is the fact Jones is a righty shot, which is part of his luster.

One other caveat about Jones going 3^rd overall: If this scenario plays out, the Lightning are going to be contacted with offers of various sorts. Jay Feaster, Calgary Flames GM, may offer picks 6, 22 and 28 for the #3 (he's already made that offer, reportedly, for the #1 overall pick). Other teams will be calling with more tangible offers - read: players; that'd become a complication under the tighter salary cap for next season, because you're not just acquiring players - you're acquiring contracts. Prospects are likely what Tampa Bay would be offered, not established top-4 defenseman that some expected to land in a trade for the pick.

All in all, the scenario of Jones falling to the Lightning seems unlikely in reality (if the long-standing mock draft projections are accurate). If Tampa Bay is given the opportunity to select the young defenseman, Steve Yzerman shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. You can find some of Seth's words taken from the 2013 Draft Combine over at Mile High Hockey, it gives you a better picture of the attitude of the player (along with that of Nathan Mackinnon).

What do you think, people? Will Jones be available at #3? Would you take him with the selection if he was, or would you try to trade down? Let us know in the comments.

Poll

Where do you think defenseman Seth Jones will be selected in the 2013 NHL draft?

The Syracuse Crunch make a statement in games 4 and 5 of 2013 Calder Cup Finals

2013-06-16T22:41:11Z

Now granted, this series is far from over. There's still two to go. But there was a lesson learned this weekend by the Grand Rapids Griffins: Never count the 2012-13 Syracuse Crunch out.

They may be down.

They may appear to be on the ropes.

Things may look hopeless.

But, no matter how it looks you should never, ever count them out.

The Crunch have almost rallied completely from a 3-0 series deficit with two wins on the road in Grand Rapids this weekend, cutting their series deficit to only one game. They now have the chance to tie the series up at home on Tuesday, which would then force a game 7. That game is scheduled for Thursday at the Onondaga County War Memorial.

The Crunch is now the first team in AHL history to win two road elimination games in the same Calder Cup finals. Only three teams have ever rallied from an 0-3 series deficit in the finals. Obviously, with the series coming home on Tuesday, the Crunch's post season road record for the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs will remain a near-perfect 7-1. This closely mirrors what happened during the regular season, when the Crunch was the second-best road team in the league.

Now, the Crunch needs to turn their attention to home and conclude this season's roa drecord on a high note.

Syracuse started this series on a sour note in their old Barn, losing the first two games at home and eliminating their home ice advantage. During these games, our boys were clearly missing the presence of physical defenseman Radko Gudas, a guy who can make the War Memorial's cramped corners downright hostile for opposing players.

Although the team eventually found ways to make it work without Radko in the lineup, I think everyone would feel better with Gudas back. Not only that, but he certainly deserves to get the chance to play after all he's done this year. The good news is that Gudas has been described as "probable" for game 6.

However, Gudas' famous beard wasn't the only thing the team seemed to be missing. Whether it was rust from their week off prior to the start of the finals or something else, the magic just wasn't there. It wasn't that they were playing bad, not exactly, but they also weren't playing like themselves.

After getting the chance to watch them live twice this past weekend, I can truly say that our boys are back. They're ready. They're focused.

And I know, without a doubt, that they can do this!

Best of all, they do, too.

COME ON, BOYS! TWO!

2013 AHL Calder Cup finals game 5: Syracuse Crunch at Grand Rapids Griffins game thread

2013-06-15T22:30:02Z


		Versus

	AHL Calder Cup Finals Game Five Listen Live on The Fan 1260 Live Stream on AHL Live

Where: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
When: 7:00 PM EDT
Media: Time Warner Cable system in Central NY(cable), AHL Live (online), 1260 AM (radio)

Report: Lightning sign Swiss forward Reto Suri to two-year, two-way contract

2013-06-13T18:43:10Z

According to an online report from a Swiss source, the Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Swiss league player Reto Suri to a two-year contract, a contract that will not go into effect until the 2014-15 season.

The report from Blick.ch seems to indicate the deal is a two-way contract that would pay him $775,000 per year, according to the report.

The Swiss took the 2013 World Championships by storm this year, going undefeated until the gold medal game against Sweden. The 5'11" forward was one of the top scorers for Team Switzerland during the WC's, notching 5 goals and 3 assists in 10 games.

Suri is currently 24, and will be 25 when this contract is supposed to take effect. He played last season for EV Zug in the Swiss-A league. In 46 games played, Suri scored 14 goals and 11 assists.

No official word has come out from the lightning organization at this time.

[Note by John Fontana, 06/13/13 6:12 PM EDT ] Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times got clarification on the contract for Reto Suri:

Here's a more accurate summary of Lightning-Suri situation:Player signed 1-yr, 2-way for 2013-14 (NOT 2014-15 as reported in Switzerland).
— Damian Cristodero (@LightningTimes) June 13, 2013

Lightning and player have understanding he will play next season in Switzerland, but Lightning says it now holds his rights for next 3 years
— Damian Cristodero (@LightningTimes) June 13, 2013

What does this mean? In a round-about way, the Lightning just made its first draft selection. Suri isn't draft eligible, he was a unrestricted free agent, and the signing may not become official until July 5th when free agency starts in earnest in the NHL... Suri's rights are controlled by the Lightning like a draft pick or a restricted free agent.

We'll be updating the 2013 Lined-Up Update to reflect this move.

Former Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson takes a new gig with the Anahem Ducks

2013-06-13T16:17:56Z

Former Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson appears to have ended his goaltending career in the National Hockey League although no statement has been released from him. Roloson has a new title: goaltending consultant for the Anaheim Ducks, to which he was named to on Monday.

Roloson played 14 seasons in the NHL with six clubs, including a season and a half with Tampa Bay. He also made an All-Star appearance in 2004 and played in 50 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including the Stanley Cup Finals with the Edmonton Oilers in 2006.

In taking the goalie consultant position with Anaheim, the 43-year-old Roloson succeeds Pete Peeters at the position. Ironically enough, Peeters was Roloson’s goalie coach in Edmonton.

Roloson is already familiar with the Anaheim organization. He had been serving as a consultant for their AHL affiliate in Norfolk since February. Prior to that, during the 2012 NHL lockout, Roloson had worked at his collegiate alma mater at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell as a volunteer assistant coach. He not only worked with the goalies but the entire team.

The Ducks already have a solid tandem in net with Jonas Hiller and newcomer Viktor Fasth. As their new goaltending consultant, Roloson could turn that pair into the top tandem in the NHL.

As for the Tampa Bay Lightning goalie coaching situation, Frantz Jean's contract expires on July 1st.

Raw Charge - All Posts

2013 NHL Draft: Seth Jones may be available to Lightning after all

2013 AHL Calder Cup finals game 6: Syracuse Crunch versus Grand Rapids Griffins game thread

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AHL Calder Cup FinalsGame SixListen Live on The Fan 1260Live Stream on AHL Live