With the roster settled, at least temporarily, it’s much easier to project just who will play where for the Tampa Bay Lightning on a nightly basis.
But that remains subjective, as line combinations are mixed and changed from situation to situation, and then there are the special team line-combinations that throw all normalcy out the window for the sake of offense, or defense.
And then there’s the other rub about playing under Head Coach Guy Boucher in the “Tampa t” 1-3-1 system: what happens when a 7th defenseman is part of the lineup?
It’s all subjective to change for situations, but here’s the roster breakdown. Note: This is a 24 player roster… We’ve not certain just who the Bolts will ultimately cut from the roster once Mattias Ohlund returns from injured reserve. The path of least-resistence is to send Brett Connolly back to the Prince George Cougars of the WHL, but Connolly could very well earn more than a nine-game stint on the roster.
Forwards
Martin St. Louis – Steven Stamkos – Steve Downie
Ryan Malone – Vincent Lecavalier – Teddy Purcell
Brett Connolly – Dominic Moore – Ryan Shannon
Adam Hall – Nate Thompson – Tom Pyatt*
Mattias Ritola – Blair Jones
*substitute for a 7th defenseman
Defense
Eric Brewer | Brett Clark
Pavel Kubina | Victor Hedman
Mattias Ohlund | Matt Gilroy
Marc-Andre Bergeron | Bruno Gervais
Goaltenders
With the Norfolk Admirals, the Lightning have depth players waiting in the wings such as foward Michel Oullet, Alexandre Picard (LW), Mike Vernace (D), Richard Petiot (D), Mike Angelidis (C), and prospect depth in Richard Panik (RW), Carter Ashton (RW), James Wright (C), Mark Barberio (D), and Radko Gudas (D).
The organization’s #3 goalie is 22-year-old Dustin Tokarski, with Jaroslav Janus backing him up for the Ads.
For more complete coverage of the Tampa Bay Lightning organizational depth – including junior hockey prospects and Lightning property playing abroad, check out Boltprospects.com
