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Lightning Round: An old friend signs a new deal

Syracuse Crunch Cory Conacher (89) is stopped on his shootout attempt by Binghamton Devils goalie Cory Schneider (35) in American Hockey League (AHL) action at the Upstate Medical University Arena in Syracuse, New York on Friday, December 27, 2019. Binghamton won 2-1 in a Shootout.Photo by Scott Thomas (Scott Thomas Photography)

There are always players that you have a certain fondness for. For me personally, Cory Conacher was one of those players for the Tampa Bay Lightning. One of the first undrafted success stories for the organization.  After not being drafted following four years of hockey at Canisuis College Conacher bounced around with Rochester, Cincinnatti (ECHL), and Milwaukee before signing with the Norfolk Admirals in the summer of 2011.

He was a huge part of the 2011-12 Admirals team (coached by a young man named Jon Cooper) that ran off a 28-game winning streak en route to a Calder Trophy. Conacher put up 80 points (39 goals and 41 assists) in 75 regular season games and another 15 points (2 goals, 13 assists) in 18 playoff games.

That earned him a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning and he would split the next season between Syracuse (28 points in 36 games) and the NHL (24 points in 35 games with the Lightning) earning some Calder Trophy talk along the way. Instead of finishing off the season with the Bolts he was traded to the Ottawa Senators for a young, tall goaltender named Ben Bishop – a trade that at the time I absolutely hated.

Conacher would spend the next few seasons bouncing around the league and spending some time with Bern in the Swiss league before coming back to the Lightning organization in 2016-17. The next three seasons would see him racking up points in Syracuse while getting the occasional call-up to the Bolts. In 2017-18 he spent 36 games in Tampa and scored 8 goals. Following the COVID pause he went back to the Swiss league for a few years before spending this season back in the AHL with Belleville and Charlotte.

On Wednesday the Chicago Wolves announced that they had signed Conacher to a deal for next season. It’s the perfect kind of deal for the AHL team that will be rolling without a NHL affiliation next season. Conacher will provide them with plenty of experience, and the 33-year-old could play well enough to earn one more NHL deal for a team looking for some depth.

He has put together the very definition of a journeyman career with 371 games in the AHL, 193 NHL games, 129 games in the Swiss league, and 129 NCAA games.

Congratulations to Conacher and best wishes to a successful run with the Wolves.

Lightning / NHL News

Nick Paul visits the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay [Lightning Twitter]

The Lightning forward got to see firsthand how the donations raised by his Points by Paul charity were put to use. It’s motivated him to put up a few more points next season.

Wildfire claims Cam MacDonald’s family home, Memorial Cup ring [Saltwire]

Today is a big day for Cam MacDonald as the Lightning have until 5:00 pm to offer him an entry-level contract or else he becomes a free agent. Forgive the 20-year-old if that’s not top of mind after what he had to deal with earlier in the week. On Monday, the house he grew up in, and where his family lives, burned to the ground. Luckily everyone, including their nine-year-old golden retriever, was okay (the family was out of the house and a neighbor rescued the dog). The Saint John Sea Dogs have already assured him that they will replace his Memorial Cup championship ring that was consumed by the flames.

Ron Francis extended through 2026-27 season [Davy Jones Locker Room]

A somewhat shocking run to the second round of the playoffs was enough to install confidence by the owners in Ron Francis’ stewardship of the Seattle Kraken for the next few seasons.

Which 2023 broadcasts are the best? [The Athletic]

It was a good day for the Kraken as the readers of The Athletic voted their broadcast crew of John Forslund, Eddie Olczyk, J.T. Brown, and Alison Lukan as the best in the league. The Lightning ranked 6th (up two spots from last year).

Could the Blackhawks be willing to take on some bad contracts to add some more picks or prospects as they continue their rebuild this summer?

Barry Trotz – ‘Go get me some guys that get people out of their seats’ [Twitter]

The Predators have two first round picks in the draft (14th and 24th) and wants his scouts to take ‘some high-end swings on some guys’. In a deep draft, they might be able to fulfill the new boss’ wishes.

Welcoming community helped Caruse carve out career [The AHL]

From intern to vice president of hockey operations/governance is a heck of a rise in any league or company. Melissa Caruso started as an intern in the AHL back in 2009 and is now in charge of the off-ice day-to-day operations of the second-best professional league in hockey. Part of her responsibilities includes putting together the season schedule, a gargantuan task considering all of the factors that AHL teams have to deal with.

Toronto Maple Leafs officially name Brad Treliving GM [Pension Plan Puppets]

Good luck Brad, you’re going to need it. The new general manager has a big task in front of him as he takes the helm of the S.S. Maple Leaf. According to reports, he wants to keep the Core Four together so don’t expect an Auston Matthews trade any time soon (boooooo).

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