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Could Tampa Bay get something back in their inevitable cap dump trades?

And Jon Cooper on The Athletic’s podcast.

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Tampa Bay Lightning Victory Rally & Boat Parade
TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 30: Ondrej Palat #18 of the Tampa Bay Lightning enters the stage during the 2020 Stanley Cup Champion rally on September 30, 2020 in Tampa, Florida.
Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

The Athletic’s Joe Smith and Adam Vingan collaborated on a conversation about the chances of a trade between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators. The Preds have $13 million in cap space and have publicly asserted that they are not under an internal salary cap. They have a need for some offense and experience that can get them back into Stanley Cup contention. And luckily, the Lightning have plenty of both.

Joe and Adam discussed wants and needs from both sides, including those who are off-limits. For the Predators, they’re likely keeping their top prospects tight to the vest, and the Lightning aren’t interested in giving up their core and cheap contracts. But in the mushy middle, the name Alex Killorn got brought up. The Preds reporter seems to think the Predators would value him, for his production and his newly-minted championship pedigree.

I had long accepted the fact that the Lightning will have to give up assets along with any cap dump trade they make. How could they possibly ask for something? There are the reigning champs with a target on their back, they have no leverage due to the unavoidable cap trade that needs to happen, it’s hard to believe they would get anything back. But it sounds like Killorn could fetch some return back, whether it’s a pick (not a first) or a mid-level prospect.

In a vacuum Killorn would fetch as much or more than JT Miller, but getting something would really be something. And the biggest asset would be the cap space to retain Mikhail Sergachev and Anthony Cirelli, two major pieces to the team’s present and future. And speaking of returns, I wonder if the Predators offered a more for Ondrej Palat instead? They would certainly have to pay more considering he’s a first line winger coming off a red-hot playoffs.

If the Predators are interested enough in Tampa’s available players, it almost feels like a no-brainer to make a deal. I’m sure JBB is chipping away at one for each of his middle-class players, for whichever can be convinced to leave. Another probably ends up in Detroit for a pretty penny (from us). I can’t see patient, wiley Steve Yzerman get caught giving up assets in this scenario. He doesn’t need on-ice players as much as Nashville does.

Poll

Would you prefer....

This poll is closed

  • 82%
    Killorn to NSH for a 2021 2nd
    (166 votes)
  • 17%
    Palat to NSH for a 2021 1st
    (35 votes)
201 votes total Vote Now

Lightning Links

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