When an organization is successful it takes a toll on their high end talent. Not only are first-round picks traded away, all of the other picks from other rounds are lower. A San Jose Sharks second-round pick is different than a Florida Panthers second-round pick this summer. So, successful teams have to find another way to bring potential NHL talent into their organization. European free agents is one way to do it. Undrafted college free agents is another.
The Lightning have used this method in the past, J.T. Brown and Andrej Sustr are two names that come to mind, but it’s been a few years since they’ve been able to lure a college free agent into the fold. In March of 2022, they signed Declan Carlile out of Merrimack College. He’s become a steady presence for the Syracuse Crunch signing, and has made a couple of appearances with the Lightning over the last few seasons.
As the college season winds down, we’ll start hearing a few names tossed around, but it sounds like the Tampa Bay Lightning are already in the thick of it. Dartmouth forward Luke Haymes has drawn interest since last summer, and as he wraps up his career with the Big Green he has several organizations interested in his talents. In his latest 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman named the Lightning, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs as three teams interested in the 6’1″, 192 lb. center.
There are some existing ties to Haymes, as his teammate Cooper Flinton was a seventh-round selection in 2021 for the Lightning. He was also invited to their prospect development camp last summer. The big question for a lot of these players is how fast can they get to the NHL. Often, these players like to find solutions where that path is fairly short. Collin Graf was one of the top college free agents last season and he signed with San Jose. The 22-year-old already has 23 games with the Sharks and is tearing up the AHL with the Barracuda (32 points in 35 games).
Can the Lightning offer Haymes the same path to the NHL? That’s a solid maybe. He would likely play in Syracuse this season, but the big-bodied forward plays a power forward game and could earn a role on the bottom-six next season. He’ll also have access to one of the best organizations in the league where hard work is rewarded.
Haymes, who was born in Ottawa, has ties with the Maple Leafs. He attended their 2023 development camp, and was mentored by Matt Moulson when the veteran forward was with Toronto’s organization. Playing for the Leafs is a big pull for any Ontario-born kid, and Toronto will have similar openings as the Lightning next year, and could offer him a chance to play his way onto the roster.
What would the 21-year-old bring to the Bolts? A 200-foot player with high hockey IQ that can play any aspect of the game. The Lightning love players like that! It’s like…their thing when they draft people. He also wouldn’t need as much development time as some of their other draft picks. Haymes is pretty close to the player he would be in the NHL. Yes, he could add a little more weight to his frame, but for the most part he displays the type of skills that could be effective at the NHL level, whether it’s in front of the net or along the boards.
The biggest obstacle in his way right now is his skating, which is okay, but could expose him at the NHL level. While that isn’t the death sentence it has been in the past, it is something that has kept him from being drafted to this point.
A broken hand has slowed his season a little, but he has 12 points (8 goals, 4 assists) in 16 games, with the bulk of them coming during a six-game stretch where he put up 7 goals and 2 assists. Dartmouth’s regular season ends tomorrow and then they’ll take part in the ECAC which starts next week. Depending on how they do in the tournament (they are currently fifth in the conference) Haymes season could extend out to the end of the month, or, if they’re upset in the first round, he could be done within a week and ready to make a decision.
