It’s the second day of the draft and the Tampa Bay Lightning finally get to pick some players. One of the drawbacks of the team going all in at the trade deadline is that it cost them some first round picks. Well, all of their first round picks over the last two years. The payoff was a couple of Stanley Cups, so that’s nice.
Now the scouting staff is back in the spotlight as they try and unearth some future contributors with the six picks they have today. The picks are:
3rd Round – 96th overall – Roman Schmidt, USNDTP
4th Round -126th overall – Dylan Duke, USNDTP
5th Round – 160th overall – Cameron MacDonald, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
6th Round – 192nd overall – Alex Gagne, University of New Hampshire
7th Round – 196th overall – Daniil Pylenkov, SKA St. Petersburg
7th Round – 211th overall – Robert Flinton, Dartmouth College
7th Round – Niko Huuhtanen, Tappara Jr.
We have absolutely no idea who the Lightning are going to draft with these picks. First of all, once you’re outside the first 50 picks or so it’s a total crapshoot. Second of all, every time we think we get their methodology down, they swerve on us. So we’ll just sit back and react to the picks and try and dig up as much info/highlights as we can when they happen.
6:05 PM
To Finland we go for the final pick of the draft. Niko Huuhtanen is another big, physical winger. He put up 20 goals and added 14 assists in 37 games for Tappara Jr. last season.
Thank you for hanging in there with us.
6:01 PM
We’re almost there. Just a few more picks to go.
5:45 PM
The Lightning are back to drafting US-Born players as they pick up Robert/Cooper Flinton who is committed to Dartmouth College this fall. He’s a left-winger that stands 6’2” and weighs 203 lbs. He is described as a “power forward who can play left wing or center”.
5:25 PM
BriseBois continues to stock the defensive cabinet as he selects Daniil Pylenkov from the KHL with the 196th pick of the draft. He played a pretty physical game as a young player in the KHL last season as a 19-year-old.
5:17 PM
The sixth round closes out with the Lightning taking defenseman Alex Gagne from the University of New Hampshire. He’s a tall one at 6’3” and 207 lbs. He’s a left-handed shot who apparently is not related to former Bolt Simon Gange.
4:30 PM
The Lightning use the 160th pick of the draft to select center Cameron MacDonald from the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. The 6’1”, 190 lbs forward put up 17 points (10 goals, 7 assists) in 30 games for the Sea Dogs this past season.
3:38 PM
So much for that lunch break. The Lightning trade up to take another USNTDP player in Dylan Duke. A left-winger from Ohio. He’s listed at 5’10”, 180 lbs. It looks like the Lightning sent a 2022 4th Rounder to Montreal for the pick. So they actually picked up a pick in this draft. More details to come.
3:14 PM
With no picks in the fourth round, it’s time to grab some lunch. We should have a more detailed profile of Schmidt up in just a little bit. The more I read about him, the more I like. Sounds like good value for a third round pick.
2:30 PM
With the 96th pick, the Lightning selected Roman Schmidt – a huuuge, right-handed defenseman. Standing at 6’6” and weighing 209 lbs, Schmidt was part of the USNDT this season. He seems to profile as a stay-at-home physical defenseman.
Roman Schmidt with his first career goal! #WorldU17 x #USAvsCANW pic.twitter.com/v0I8hVfJZ2
— USA Hockey’s NTDP (@USAHockeyNTDP) November 9, 2019
1:48 PM
Still more than ten picks away from the Lightning getting on the clock, but another trade has been finalized. Sam Reinhart is heading to Florida. In return Buffalo will receive goaltending prospect Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick. Buffalo continues to shed their veterans as they go all in on the rebuild while Florida picks up another talented forward.
12:39 PM
As we wait through yet another timeout in the second round, let’s look at the Lightning’s history with the 96th pick. They’ve had it twice in their history. In 2003 they drafted Jonathan Boutin from Halifax. The goaltender never made it to the NHL, playing 38 games with the Norfolk Admirals in 2007-08 was his peak. He eventually returned to the German leagues where he played until the 2018-19 season.
In 2010, they drafted Geoffrey Schemitsch from the Owen Sound Attack. The defenseman never made it to the NHL and after a long career with Owen Sound and Oshawa he headed over to Austria where he played until 2017—18.
11:57 AM:
TRAAAAAAAADDDEEEE
Im not sure what else is involved here — if anything — but there’s a Cam Atkinson-Jakub Voracek deal being worked on between Columbus and Philadelphoa
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 24, 2021
Columbus continues to ship out their veterans while Voracek heads back to the team that drafted him.
11:36 AM:
Arizona drafted Josh Doan, son of former Coyote Shane Doan, with the 37th pick. Marty St. Louis’ son, Ryan, is available in the draft this year. Could he be a target for the Lightning?
11:08 AM:
Between the $9.5 million per year Seth Jones signed for yesterday and the $9.0 million per Makar is going to get for the next six years, you have to wonder what Mikhail Sergachev is going to sign for in a couple of seasons.
