In his port-deadline press conference (see below) Julien BriseBois updated the gathered reporters on the status of a couple of injured players. It looks like Gage Goncalves is considered day-to-day. Could he be back for the Buffalo game on Sunday? Maybe. Chances are he’ll be out for a couple of more days before rejoining the team in game action.
Nick Paul is still week-to-week according to the general manager. That’s good news for Conor Geekie, who is likely with the team until Paul is healthy. Once everyone is back, the lines probably look something like:
Gage Goncalves – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Jake Guentzel
Zemgus Girgensons – Yanni Gourde – Pontus Holmberg
Corey Perry – Nick Paul – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Scott Sabourin
Of course, with the way the season is going, once Paul and Goncalves are healthy, someone else will get knocked out of the line-up.
Other Hockey News
Lightning trade for an old friend [Raw Charge]
Blockbuster? No. Does it solve the Lightning’s biggest need? No. Did it make them better? Incrementally. After all, who on their fourth line has as many goals as he does? Of course, if the Lightning win the Stanley Cup, then it’s a fantastic move. It sounds like Perry is going to try and get to Toronto in time to get into the game.
Julien BriseBois NHL Trade Deadline Press Conference [Lightning YouTube]
The GM explains the why’s and why not’s of what happened during the trade deadline.
Curtis Douglas claimed by Vancouver [Canucks Army]
The Big Guy is heading north as the Canucks claim him off of waivers. Hopefully, he gets some solid playing time in Vancouver, something he wasn’t getting in Tampa.
The Final Tally – 41 Trades, $135,764,668 [PuckPedia]
Despite a flurry of activity at the end, it still felt like a rather slow trade deadline. Whether it was the number of teams still theoretically in the playoff race, the inability to double-retain salaries, or the lack of expiring contracts, general managers seemed a bit gun shy to make a big deal. Will they be pushed to the summer?
Evgeni Malkin suspended five games [Pensburgh]
The BanHammer came down heavy on Malkin for his slash against Rasmus Dahlin. With Sidney Crosby still out of the line-up, it’s going to be a tough week for the Penguins.
Backchecking the Bolts: Trade Deadline and talking about the streak [YouTube]
Tune in for some outdated trade deadline talk, stay for a contest. Also available on all of your favorite podcast platforms.
