The Tampa Bay Lightning, as long as Steve Yzerman has been GM, have always done the unexpected thing.
After an odd run in the middle of the draft (with the Boston Bruins picking three times in a row, reaching each time) and some safer picks in the early 20s, there are a handful of really good prospects still on the board at 28; the New York Islanders, who had zero 1st round picks to start the day, took the opportunity to move up and grab Anthony Beauvillier from the Shawinigan Cataractes, the player we selected in the SB Nation NHL Mock Draft.
With high-skill players like Daniel Sprong, Oliver Kylingon, Jeremy Roy, and Jansen Harkins all still on the board, the Lightning obviously feel comfortable moving down — to 33rd overall. They also get the 78th overall pick from the Islanders, acquired earlier from the Edmonton Oilers in the Griffin Reinhart trade, and now hold 10 total picks in the 2015 draft.
Overall, the move is a positive one. Tampa Bay moves down just 5 spots and picks up an extra pick, plus, the combined value of 33rd and 78th is likely to be higher than 28th alone:
Lightning trade pick 28 (value of 283) to Islanders for picks 33 and 72 (value of 406).
— dom luszczyszyn (@omgitsdomi) June 27, 2015
