The Bolts and family
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic wrote his yearly ranking of newly drafted prospects, and our writer Lauren noticed right away that no Tampa Bay Lightning draftees made the top 50 list. This is fine. In the words of Loserpoints: “I think that’s fair. The Lightning pipeline has been quantity over quality for a while now. I looked at the list and I can’t really make a strong case for anyone to be above the players on the list.” And GeoFitz says, “I’ve been saying that about Lightning rankings for the past 3+ years. We almost always get [pooped] on for our drafting because we’re not drafting high, and we almost always get [pooped] on for our farm system because we have a lot of good depth, but no super stars because we’re not drafting high.”
So what do you guys think?
You’ll never guess #1: The top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2019 edition [The Athletic, Paid content]
I didn’t give this a second thought. Hughes is going to be a star. If not immediately, then by the end of his rookie season. He’s a front-runner for the Calder, though linemates will likely dictate his ability to win it. I have almost no concerns about his size or his ability to stick at center and remain a dominant force.
This was interesting to read in light of Ryan Callahan’s recent retirement: Revisiting the Martin St. Louis trade and its impact on the Lightning [Raw Charge]
Callahan’s impact was certainly felt in his time with the Lightning in more ways than one. He wore an A as an Alternate Captain throughout his time with the Lightning. He was a heart and soul player that gave everything he had on the ice. The team definitely missed him in the locker room during 2016-17.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING PROJECTED LINES, RIGHT? Down Goes Brown: Projecting the opening night lineup for whichever team you personally cheer for [The Athletic, paid content]
The faceoff guy
He plays eight minutes a game, he wins 52 percent of his faceoffs, he can’t do anything else, the announcers will not shut up about him and he will have a job in this league for life.
Best of luck to the happy couple: Lightning reporter Caley Chelios marries Dan Vitale, former Tampa Bay Bucs 2016 draft pick [TBTimes, paid content]
Chelios, the daughter of Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios, told PEOPLE her wedding “was the most magical day from beginning to end.”
“My favorite moment was getting to see Danny for the first time, standing at the bottom of the grand staircase at The Peninsula,” she said. “I could not have dreamed of a more perfect moment.”
And here’s the People Magazine writeup:
The evening’s dinner menu included saffron risotto with farmer’s market vegetables, an entrée of either citrus glazed Chilean seabass or herb-marinated beef tenderloin. In addition to the wedding cake, guests’ sweettooths were satisfied by chocolate chip cookies, mini cannoli and Baklava.
The Game
Where do you guys think Garret Sparks is heading next season? Michal Neuvirth tells reporters he has a PTO with the Maple Leafs [PPP]
Neuvirth has had some success as a backup in the past, playing meaningful numbers of starts on both the Sabres and the Flyers. If you go back far enough — he’s 31 now, so he’s had a varied career — the Washington Capitals were trying to use him as a starter, and he wasn’t terrible. He’s about league average on a good season, and his career NHL average shakes out a little better than Hutchinson’s . That is exactly what you should expect from a backup. The occasional hit on a backup who performs like Curtis McElhinney last season is not something that you can just go out and get.
The Lamoureux Twins are dedicated to leveling the playing field [The Ice Garden]
The Lamoureuxs are taking on a new challenge that hits close to home. Together, they’ve created the Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux Foundation to support kids in need through the funding of educational and extracurricular programs in their home state of North Dakota.
“When I have fears that I may cease to be” comes to mind: A broken-down old fat guy worked out with Patrick Kane’s trainer. This is my harrowing tale. [The Athletic, paid content]
My thighs are burning. My knees are violently shaking. My heart rate is maxing out at 180 beats per minute, though it feels closer to 18,000. I’m 39 years old, so by the 220-minus-your-age formula, my heart is right on target, Mack tells me. Hooray.
The Penguins have re-signed forward Zach Aston-Reese to a two-year contract. The one-way contract runs through the 2020.21 campaign and carries an average annual value of $1 million.
Details: https://t.co/z5MkcqLXZL pic.twitter.com/fyQu3NZOas
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 22, 2019
There was actually odd online drama about a doggy sitting on the logo. Why, guys? It’s an adorable dog who doesn’t know better.
📸 IG: @lindseyvonn
“Jersey kkkiiiiidddd! ☝🏻#jerseygirl” pic.twitter.com/eCtAsJA5dX
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) July 22, 2019
This guy keeps playing! Best of luck to a former Bolt!
Condra comes to Colorado after leading the #txstars in points last season posting 20 goals & 34 assists in 71 contests. #EaglesCountry https://t.co/ttLzoxv5T4
— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) July 22, 2019
The Summer Game
Beards, bunnies and Airbnb: What it’s REALLY like to get traded [ESPN]
”I contemplated going home. Like, not showing up. In this game, you don’t really have a lot of decisions. So if it’s something you don’t really want to do, you don’t have to do it.” But the financial risk was too great. “I hadn’t really made enough money at the time,” says Cashner, who hit free agency for the first time following that season and signed a one-year, $10 million pact with the Texas Rangers, then inked a two-year, $16 million deal with Baltimore after that. So he caved.
