This past week there has been plenty of talk about potential goaltenders for the Lightning, and as you can see from the links below there has been plenty written about it as well. I agree with Erik Erlendsson in his article that the Lightning need a long-term answer in goal, so with all the suggestions that Tim Thomas could be a option for the Lightning next season, bringing in Thomas would go against logic for the long term future of the team.
I may be in the minority on this but I am not against a trade for Roberto Luongo depending on how the next NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement looks like next year. But that’s the catch to his contract (and Vincent Lecavalier’s contract as well), right? In Vancouver it was never expected that Luongo would play out his 12 year contract that he signed two years ago, instead it was assumed that he would retire and the cap hit would come off the books. Though his average cap hit might be reasonable for an elite goaltender at $5.3 million per year, the length of his contract might not necessarily be removed depending on the new CBA rules. And to me, that’s maybe what makes a trade for Luongo so risky since we don’t know what the new CBA rules will look like until after trade time.
Here are your links for the week:
Your Lightning links:
- I love when other writers talk about our kids, so here is Brent Lemon giving you 5 reasons why you should follow the Norfolk Admirals these playoffs (The Hockey Writers)
- You have until May 3rd to vote for Steven Stamkos over Evgeni Malkin in Round 1 of the EA NHL13 cover vote. Go vote here
- According to a Nick Kypreos last week, Roberto Luongo asked for a trade and his list will reportedly include the Lightning (Puck Daddy)
- I laughed when I first read that there was an event called the “Cattle Barons Ball” but here’s a great read on how the host of the event (and the team’s owner) Jeff Vinik “is just a nice guy” (The Tampa Tribune)
- Sean Gordon handicaps the Habs GM candidates and assistant GM Julien BriseBois is on there (Globe and Mail)
- Bolts GM Steve Yzerman was reportedly shopping Ryan Malone before the 2012 NHL trade deadlineand may continue to do so in the off-season (The Fourth Period)
The rest of your links after the jump…
- I can’t believe I’m linking to Steve Simmons, but he asks “But what if the Leafs, for example, had made a ridiculous offer to Stamkos last summer?“. Did he just ask that? (LFP Press)
- 10 potential goaltenders for the Lightning as compiled by Justin Godfrey. I disagree with Martin Brodeur having 1 or 2 more good years left in him (The Hockey Writers)
- Do we want another old goaltender? Damian Cristodero says to add Tim Thomas to the list of potential goaltenders for the Lightning (Tampa Bay Times)
Your links from around the NHL:
- Ken Hitchcock announced last night that Jaroslav Halak will miss the remainder of the series for the Blues (TSN)
- Ilya Kovalchuk will miss Game 2 tonight against the Flyers with a lower body injury (Puck Daddy)
- If you have been watching the Coyotes–Predators series, Mike Smith has been awesome. Pierre Lebrun writes about his road from Tampa to where he is now (ESPN)
- Stop what you are doing at go watch this Braden Holtby and Rich Peverley gif (SBN)
- Bruce Arthur on Daniel Brière rising to the occasion during the playoffs (National Post)
- If you are into watching some international hockey the NBC Sports Network is televising 13 IIHF games which kick start on May 4th and run till May 20th (Kukla’s Korner)
- The weekend ratings for NBC is in with Philadelphia and New York posting ratings gains whereas Los Angeles posted a 0.8 rating for Game 1 (Puck the Media)
- DGB under his real name, Sean McIndoe writes in Grantland that nothing makes sense in the NHL Playoffs
- A soccer player’s take on diving in hockey (Backhand Shelf)
- St. Louis Game Time has a handy guide for NHL suspensions: “If he is a star player, but the play in question mirrors a WWE move, fine him $2500″
- In chart form, Anaheim Calling comments on Cosmo’s 30 Hottest NHL Players list. Their thoughts on Antti Niemi is great
- Justin Bourne theorizes as to why NHLers make mistakes (Backhand Shelf)
- NHL teams that wear black are “penalized more, significantly more, than teams wearing other colored jerseys,” according to psychologist Greg Webster of the University of Florida at Gainesville (Buffalo Business First)
- Great read by Travis Hughes on how we really don’t care about NHL concussions and that really does need to change (Broad Street Hockey)
- Springing Malik breaks down what the awards are for and who is nominated for each of the NHL awards this season
- One of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada hosts, Scott Oake shares his story about his son’s fatal addiction. His son passed away last year due to overdose at the age of 25. Great read (Globe and Mail)
- Dmitry Chesnokov reports that Washington Capitals prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov will remain in the KHL for another two years (Puck Daddy)
This is my last post on Raw Charge for the summer, but don’t fret, Matt will continue the links during the summer break and I’ll be back at the beginning of next season. Thanks for hanging with me kids…
