The Bolts
NHL Power Rankings: 2017-18 Way-Too-Early Edition, Part III — “The Tampa Bay Lightning were hampered by Ben Bishop in net last season. The Bolts should be the team to beat in the East in 2017-18.” Er, OK. [Blackhawk Up]
Tempered expectations await Mikhail Sergachev in Tampa: “For a younger player like that, we don’t want him playing seven or eight minutes a night,” Yzerman told NHL.com at the NHL Draft in June. “We want him playing regularly. We’ll let the situation play out. We’ll give him an opportunity certainly to make the team and play, but he’s going to have to earn it.” [Fan Rag Sports]
10 NHL Teams Trending Up for 2017-18: “Much like Nashville, this team should have been better last season — Tampa Bay certainly should have been a playoff team and realistically a Cup contender again. However, the Lightning lost their captain in November when Steven Stamkos suffered a serious knee injury and that derailed another promising campaign.” [The Hockey Writers]
More congrats are rolling in for Victor Hedman and Sanna Grundberg. A certain Senator headed to Örnsköldsvik for the party…
Congrats, Victor & Sanna!
Mr. & Mrs. Hedman 🇸🇪 https://t.co/3Y5ClyFPTM
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 23, 2017
Awwww (and fantastic dress!):
What a great weekend. I’m a lucky man! pic.twitter.com/pdN6G8JbTN
— Victor Hedman (@heds77) July 23, 2017
Top 25 Under 25
We’re in the top 10 now!
#10 Adam Erne looks to crack the Opening Night roster in Tampa this season — “Adam Erne is hands down one of my favorite prospects in the Lightning system. Drafted 33rd overall in 2013, Erne was pegged by some analysts to slip into the end of Round 1, but Yzerman and company were fortunate to draft him where they did.” [Raw Charge]
#9 Anthony Cirelli is an all-around player who thrives in the spotlight — “He entered the draft with only 36 points in his OHL career after playing a 4th line role on a stacked Oshawa team. But then he just kept getting better with each new challenge that was thrown at him.” [Raw Charge]
#8: Matt Peca is aiming to make the Lightning this fall — “He was a break-even player in terms of his impact on shots and looked capable of playing at the speed of an NHL game. That experience will serve him well as he looks to take the next step this year and find some consistent minutes in Tampa.” [Raw Charge]
The Prospects
No Lightning prospects finished among Tour de France leaders. #OffseasonTweets #IsItOctoberYet
— Bolt Prospects (@BoltProspects) July 23, 2017
The Game
Can Ottawa Senators catch lightning in a bottle again? “The Senators’ run in 2016-17 was quite similar to Boucher’s Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2010-11 playoffs. An under-the-radar team playing the 1-3-1 got hot, shut down some opponents in the playoffs with a frustratingly slow pace and nearly sneaked into the Stanley Cup Final only to lose a one-goal Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final on the road.” [Fan Rag Sports]
Jordan Eberle’s wedding was Oilers young guns’ joyous reunion: “Eberle was traded to the New York Islanders in June after 507 games with the franchise. Among his wedding guests: Current Oilers like Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, as well as former Oiler and current New Jersey Devils star Taylor Hall.” [Puck Daddy]
Fan Guide to NHL Prospects Tournaments: “Most, if not all, NHL teams will put their prospects to the test in one of a number of tournaments in September. As of mid-July, 27 teams are slated to participate in a prospects tournament. There is no information regarding plans for the New York Islanders or Philadelphia Flyers.” [THW]
Habs may lean more on Montoya to keep Price refreshed: How bout no? [NHL on NBC]
Any goalies in the Detroit area want to skate tomorrow morning? Tweet me if you’re interested and I’ll dm you. #help #weneedAgoalie
— Igor Larionov II (@Igor_LarionovII) July 24, 2017
