The Bolts
Our own @Loserpoints was on Dimitri Filipovic’s Hockey PDOcast yesterday to discuss a variety of Tampa Bay Lightning topics that included (but were not limited to): the Expansion Draft, Drouin for Sergachev, Free Agency, roster construction, and Jaromir Jagr (because why not, eh). [Raw Charge]
HardevLad (hey, that’s me!) took a Fan Post and thought it through a bit more. I broke down how I expected each line to perform by position. Let us know what you think and how you would organize the Bolts! “Steven Stamkos is Steven Stamkos, #1 center, no questions there… I don’t see [Brayden] Point going up against Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, or Connor McDavid (not yet, at least) so I want to see him getting sheltered minutes against lesser competition all season so he can rack up the ‘Points’ for the Bolts.” [Raw Charge]
AWWWWWWWW:
Family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BFCgubBxm6
— Lexi LaFleur Brown (@lexilafleur) July 27, 2017
The Prospects
The annual Syracuse Crunch Media ball hockey game is coming up in a few weeks and yesterday they picked teams! Which team is your favorite reporter on? Let us know in the comments and tweet at them your support!
The annual #StreetCrunch Media Game draft is today at 2:15.#TeamTamurian and #TeamAxe will fill out their squads for the August 5 contest. pic.twitter.com/ovnsJplYJN
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) July 27, 2017
There you have it, your 2017 #StreetCrunch Media Game teams.
Who’s taking it this year, #TeamTamurian or #TeamAxe? pic.twitter.com/geiyWokcW0
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) July 27, 2017
I, for one, can’t wait to see Yanni Gourde in the NHL full time. He’s definitely earned his shot.
Top 25 Under 25
#4: Alan’s work didn’t stop there. the man we call LoserPoints wrote about Vladislav Namestnikov and how, despite the points, Vladdy is a very impressive play driver for a variety of reasons. Here’s a quote if you’re not already convinced: “Primary scoring rate is a key indicator for forwards and Namestnikov struggles in that area. He scored at the pace of a low-end third-liner this season. If we stopped our analysis at scoring, we would write off Namestnikov as a middle-six forward and move on to more pressing concerns. But the rest of the metrics in this chart tell a different story.” [Raw Charge]
#5: Mikahil Sergachev is more than just the prospect that was traded for Jonathan Drouin. He’s a blue chip 19-year-old defenseman that can very easily slot into the NHL this season. “Sergachev is an offensive threat who can move the puck smoothly, similar to Victor Hedman… Mikhail plays with a tremendous amount of poise and adds a booming shot to go along with his skating ability.” [Raw Charge]
#6: Lightning defenseman Slater Koekkoek has all the tools and potential to be a great young player for the Bolts but we haven’t seen it from him yet. After signing a one year $800k contract, its time for Koekkoek to show us who he really is. “Clearly the members of our panel feel that Koekkoek’s potential goes way beyond what he has been able to show so far. What will be crucial for Koekkoek’s position in the organization this up coming season is that he gets the chance to show it.” [Raw Charge]
The Game
It was announced yesterday that long time Montreal Canadiens defenseman, Andrei Markov, will not be returning to the team next year. Markov, who is a UFA, later revealed that he will be signing in the KHL. [Habs Eyes on the Prize]
Andrei Markov will not be back with the Canadiens for the 2017-18 season.
DETAILS -> https://t.co/a4aZPNXDfg pic.twitter.com/IUYG3ouUDg
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 27, 2017
Another question for the comments (sorry for all the homework). How much of a hit is this to Montreal’s playoff chances? Do you think they still get in? Check out our sister website Habs Eyes on the Prize for more analysis on Markov’s impact [Habs Eyes on the Prize]
Hockey Canada announced their U22 roster for the 2017 Womens Summer Showcase that will take place August 5th-13th. This tournament is a great place for young, talented women to develop their skills against good competition. Russia’s U18’s, Japan’s National Team, and the Canadian University League (U-Sports) “All-Star Team” will also be participating. [The Ice Garden]
Forwards Phillip Di Giuseppe, Evan Rodrigues, and Connor Jones of the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Islanders respectively each signed short term two-way contract extensions. You can find their contract details here.
