The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they will be hosting an early Fall prospect tournament against the aspiring NHLers from the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers.
Within the four-team tournament, each team will play each other once, so only a total of three games. The roster includes 16 drafted players for the Lightning, along with a handful of signed/acquired prospects (four), and an additional four undrafted invitees. No one in this tournament has played an NHL game (as is the rule for development tournaments), so the games should be nice and competitive.
This is open to the public. Each team will play each other once over the four-day event.
Sept 18
CAR vs FL – 10 am
TB vs NSH – 1 pmSept 19
NSH vs FL – 10 am
CAR vs TB – 1 pmSept 20
Practice DaySept 21
NSH vs CAR 10 am
FL vs TB – 1 pm— Matthew S Esteves (@MatthewSEsteves) August 18, 2021
The Invitees
Shawn Element, 21, is the lone forward and an overager from the QMJHL. He’s joining the Syracuse Crunch next year on an AHL deal after winning the QMJHL championship with Victoriaville. He scored enough points to be a top-sixer in the Q, but the main thing that popped out was his long resume on Hockey Fights.
The Crunch also signed 25-year-old defenseman Ryan Jones away from the Rochester Americans. Before last year he was in the NCAA. Another oddly high penalty-minute player.
Related
Syracuse Crunch Sign Forward Shawn Element to AHL Contract – Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch Sign Defenseman Ryan Jones To AHL Contract – Syracuse Crunch
Now to the youngsters. Jeremy Hanzel was a moderately-touted prospect for the 2021 NHL Draft, but went unpicked in his first year of eligibility. Hanzel is expected to go back to the Seattle Thunderbirds, but he’ll have the experience of an NHL development camp and the eyes of the Tampa Bay Lightning on him when he returns. Oilers Nation did a short profile on him during last season.
And finally, Avery Winslow was playing in the OHL before the pandemic and moved back to the US to play lower tier junior hockey. He basically didn’t play last year. The year before at age 16, he only got in 40 games in the OHL split across two teams. The pandemic did him dirty so this tournament will give him a chance to show what he can do before a full season somewhere (probably the OHL).
Lightning Round
Here’s another entry in Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning players eating stuff out of the Cup: David Savard with some fancy mashed potatoes.
We got a little worried yesterday morning when it was leaked that Steven Stamkos had sold his Florida mansion for $16 million. After the 2017 offseason no news can ever be taken lightly. But Joe Smith shed some more light on the situation, saying Stamkos got an offer he couldn’t refuse and that his family is planning on finding a new home in the area. You should see the pictures, it’s a very nice place.
#tblightning captain Steven Stamkos did sell his Davis Islands/Tampa home this week for $16 million. But don’t read too much into it. I’m told Stamkos just got a great price he couldn’t refuse. The Zestimate on home was $7.2 million. Expect he’ll buy another home in same area
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) August 18, 2021
