Well, kids, we’re back. Thanks to some travel issues, it wasn’t quite the middle of nowhere experience we had hoped for, but we were still able to disconnect, enjoy a different city, eat too much food, and watch too much television. Now, that the brain has been refreshed a little, it’s time to get back into the swing of things.
It doesn’t appear we missed much when it comes to the Lightning. They signed Scott Sabourin to a one-year, two-way contract, which is nice. PuckPedia lists the terms as $850,000 in the NHL and $775,000 in the AHL. The 33-year-old was involved in 26 games for the Lightning this season and played well in a fourth-line role. It wasn’t enough to guarantee a spot on the roster next season, but he’ll be in a mix for one of the few open spots in the line-up. Should he not make it, he’ll provide excellent veteran leadership in Syracuse.
Sabourin chipped in one goal and four assists along with 89 penalty minutes after starting the season with a four-game suspension. In Syracuse he had six goals and two assists in 24 games. Depending on Julien BriseBois’ other moves over the next few months, it’s likely that is where Sabourin will begin next season, especially if Dylan Duke or Jakob Pelletier have a strong training camp.
The Bolts currently have 39 of their 50 contract slots filled and have an estimated $12,320,001 left to spend under the new $104 million salary cap. Mr. BriseBois has hinted that there won’t be many major changes to the roster this summer, especially considering the weakness of this year’s free agent crop, but he does have some room to take on some salary in a trade if he sees something that he thinks can help the team get over the first round hump they keep banging into of late.
Hockey News
Evgeni Malkin signs one-year deal in Pittsburgh [Pensburgh]
Geno isn’t going anywhere. The 39-year-old forward signed a deal worth a guaranteed $5.5 million that includes a no-movement clause and several incentives that could take it all the way up to $9 million. The deal also lines him up to hit free agency next summer, aligning him with Sidney Crosby’s contract.
World Championships update [IIHF]
It hasn’t been the smoothest road for the United States, but they advanced to the quarter-finals. Their reward – a match-up with Team Canada. Finland takes on Czechia, Switzerland battles Sweden, and Norway faces Latvia.
Speaking of Norway. How about Noah Steen? The Lightning prospect has five goals in seven games for his country and now has 10 goals in 26 career games at the World Championships. Not bad for a 21-year-old. The five goals has him in a seven-way tie for second place in the tournament behind old friend Rudols Balcers.
Quick Hits: Montreal and Tampa Bay [All Three Zones Substack]
Yeah, we keep dredging up painful memories, but Corey does a nice job at looking at some of the micro-stats from the first round series. “Brandon Hagel was the best player in this series”. See, it’s not all bad.
Jakob Pelletier motivated further by Player of the Year honor [Tampa Bay Lightning]
It’s always dicey to answer the phone when you’re on the golf course, but when your head coach and general manager call you better answer. That’s how Jakob Pelletier found out he won the AHL’s Player of the Year honor. Hopefully, that fuels him for better things at the NHL level.
Kitchener Rangers 6, Everett Silvertips 2 [CHL.com]
Sam O’Reilly’s quest for three straight Memorial Cup Finals continues as Kitchener moves to 2-0 in the round-robin portion of the tournament. He “only” had one assist in the win, but won 18 of 27 face-offs.
NHL Rumblings [The Athletic]
There were some rumors that Nico Hischier might be on the trade block. The Devils’ captain has one year left on his current deal and might not be entirely happy with what’s going on in New Jersey. However, it seems like the two sides might be moving in the right direction for an extension.
Backchecking the Bolts – Eric Perrin [YouTube]
With Justin galivanting around on vacation Jason interviewed former Lightning forward Eric Perrin. The two chat about Perrin’s career, the Stanley Cup run, and how someone from Laval ended up at the University of Vermont.
