Just over a week from now, international hockey ramps back up as the IIHF Men’s World Championship gets under way in Switzerland. Sixteen countries will compete for the gold, silver, and bronze in the yearly tournament that runs concurrent with the Stanley Cup playoffs. The timing of the tournament prevents it from being a true best-on-best competition, but it usually features a nice blend of NHL players whose teams have exited the postseason, prospects, and top European players.
With their recent early playoff exits, the Lightning have had a smattering of players participate over the past few seasons, and this one will be no different as Team USA released their roster and it includes Tampa Bay defenseman Declan Carlile.
It will be the Flint, Michigan native’s first time representing his country on a big international stage, as he wasn’t part of the world juniors during his younger days. It’s been a long season for Carlile, who started it in Syracuse where he had 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) in 16 games. A recall to Tampa ended up being a permanent move as he appeared in 42 regular-season games, despite missing some time for an injury, notching a goal and two assists before appearing in two playoff games.
The 25-year-old will now join a blueline that includes Will Borgen, Justin Faulk, Ryan Lindgren, Connor Clifton, Wyatt Kaiser, Mason Lohrei, and Ryan Ufko. Forwards include Ryan Leonard, Tommy Novak, James Hagens, and Isaac Howard. Joseph Woll, Devin Cooley, and Drew Commesso will be guarding the crease for the Americans.
For Carlile, who is a Group VI Unrestricted Free Agent, it’s another chance to impress other teams who might be looking for help on the blueline this summer. While he might be inclined to return to the Lightning, the defense is getting crowded, especially if the team re-signs Darren Raddysh.
Hockey News
NHL Announces James Norris Memorial Trophy Finalists [NHL.com]
Darren Raddysh isn’t going to win the Norris Trophy. On Thursday, the league announced the three finalists, and the Lightning’s biggest surprise wasn’t among them. Zach Werenski, Cale Makar, and Rasmus Dahlin were the top vote receivers from the PHWA. Werenski? Yeah, that’s our pick for the winner.
Barkov healthy and ready to chase gold [Daily FaceOff]
The World Championships also provides a place for NHL players who had been injured for much of the season a chance to get some games under their belts. Such is the case for Aleksander Barkov, who will likely suit up for Finland next week.
Five landing spots for Nikita Kucherov [Bleacher Report]
For the record, we don’t think Nikita Kucherov is going anywhere, but we can play along. Of these spots listed, Carolina would be the most fun while Washington would be the most intriguing.
Early NHL Free Agent Board: [The Athletic]
Darren Raddysh tops the board! Being a right-shot defenseman who scores 20 goals will do that for you. If you’re a Lightning fan looking for free agent help, the next 19 names on the list aren’t exactly game-changing.
PWHL Expanding to Detroit [Winging it in Motown]
After hosting four neutral-site games during the first two seasons of the PWHL, Detroit will now have a team to call their own as the league announced they will be expanding to the Motor City for the 2026-27 season. They are the ninth franchise in the league with future expansion expected soon.
Backchecking the Bolts [YouTube]
Jared from Habs Eyes on the Prize joins us for a final recap of the first round series.
Hurricanes 4, Flyers 1 – Carolina leads 3-0
Carolina’s march to the Eastern Conference Finals continued unabated as they scored twice in the first half of the third period to blow open a 2-1 games.
