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Quick Strikes: Joe Pavelski is likely not joining the Lightning plus some fun trade news around the NHL

Posted on by Igor Nikonov

The Bolts

Despite all the rumors about joining the Tampa Bay Lightning, Joe Pavelski will likely sign a deal with the Dallas Stars on Monday, according to Elliotte Friedman. Check out our report on this situation [Raw Charge]

The Lightning don’t have the cap space currently to sign Pavelski at the price he is likely to command on the free agent market. In order to bring him to Tampa, he would have either had to take an extreme discount or the Lightning would have had to trade a player. The most likely candidate would have been Yanni Gourde because his no trade clause doesn’t take effect until July 1st. But as we wrote earlier this week, a move like that could have ramifications.

The Dallas Stars have bought out the last year of Valeri Nichushkin’s contract, this could also be a sign that Pavelski is joining them.

The Tampa Bay Lightning development camp ended with a 3-on-3 tournament on Saturday. Team St. Louis won all four of their games at the tournament and took the trophy.

Lightning GM Julien BriseBois shared his thought about development camp and free agency.

BriseBois is also very confident about an extension for Brayden Point who will become a restricted free agent tomorrow [NHL.com]

“I met with Brayden Point’s agent in Vancouver,” BriseBois said. “As much as I’d like to get this done soon, and I’m sure they’d like to get this done soon, there’s a process to these things and there’s kind of a rhythm to the offseason. Teams eventually get eliminated, they do their postmortem, they do their amateur meetings, their pro meetings, combine, draft, now it’s the window for free agents.”

Lightning beat writer Bryan Burns talked to Nolan Foote about his emotions after joining his older brother in the Tampa Bay organization [Tampabaylightning.com]

When Al Murray announced my name and I realized I was going to Tampa Bay, the same organization where Cal was drafted two years earlier, we both just said, ‘No way. This is not happening.’ We played junior together and now one day we might have the chance to play together in the National Hockey League. It’s an unbelievable feeling. I was real shaky and happy and definitely emotional. So many different feelings I was experiencing all at once. It’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.

Read our profile on Lightning third-round pick Hugo Alnefelt [Raw Charge]

Coming into the draft, it seemed likely that the Lightning would select a goaltender. And possibly even as high as the third round. Earlier in June, the front office shipped out the team’s only goalie prospect who seemed anywhere being NHL ready when they traded Connor Ingram to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2021 seventh round pick. Ingram had well publicized off ice issues with the team that led to his departure despite being an AHL All-Star last year.

The Game

Phil Kessel has been traded to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk and Mathieu Joseph’‘s younger brother Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are working on a trade of their defenseman Nikita Zaitsev who has asked them to let him find a new team. Per reports, the Leafs have almost finalized a deal with the Ottawa Senators and Cody Ceci might go the other way.

The Leafs have also hired former Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol as an assistant coach.

Valeri Nichushkin isn’t the only one who is going to be bought out after being placed on unconditional waivers on Saturday. The Vancouver Canucks are also preparing to get rid of Ryan Spooner deal.

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Talking Points