Tampa Bay Quarterly Report

[Jets GM]

21 games in to the 2010-11 season and the defending Stanley Cup champions sit atop the Eastern Conference, with a record of 14-4-3. With a considerable amount of off-season transactions the teams make-up differed from last seasons Cup run. Brooks Orpik and Teemu Sellane were traded and Jaromir Jagr was bought out of his monstrous five year, eight million dollar deal. While the penalty for Jagr's buyout was steep the Lightning managed to add veterans Chris Kunitz, P.J. Axelsson and Jan Hejda prior to the start of the regular season. However team management decided after rival division teams made acquisitions strengthening an already deep division, the Lightning needed to acquire a player that would have a major impact. Enter Brent Burns. A versatile hockey player that possesses a complete defensive game along with great offensive upside thats still developing. While the price was steep and came at the cost of some veteran players due to salary restrictions, twenty games in it looks like the right decision was made.

FORWARDS

After being bumped up to the top unit late into the Cup run last year, Steven Stamkos continues to anchor the Lightings top line along with usual suspects Martin St. Louis and Alex Tanguay. All three have performed up to standard, producing offensively and playing a two way game. After a slow start, Vincent Lecavalier is on fire averaging a point per game this season, his line mates Chris Kunitz and David Clarkson have benefited from his offensive outburst with them being tied for third in team scoring. Clarkson has spent most of his career as a third line role player that plays well in his own end, but with 17 points through 21 games he is poised for a breakout season. Tampa's bottom six is composed of almost all new players, with only Adam Hall being a returning member. Ryan Stoa has resurrected his carreer after finding himself in Colorado's farm system last year, notching eight goals and eight assists and Luca Caputi who was an after thought in the Kunitz trade has contributed offensively and continued to develop a very physical style of play.

DEFENSE

After the Burns trade, it would be hard to argue any team in the NHL has more feared top four defensive unit. Zdeno Chara and Brent Burns anchor the teams top pairing, combining Chara's solid stay at home physical style with the calm, cool and collected Burns. Having the puck moving offensive minded Burns paired with last years Norris trophy winner creates a very formidable pairing against any teams top line. It only gets more physical from there. Mattias Öhlund and Paul Ranger have gelled very well as the teams second pairing, there common bond being a very physical style of play. Öhlund was called upon to fill in for a injured Zdeno Chara, and has notched twelve points already this season along with Ranger who has transformed into a player comparable to Scott Stevens with his earth shattering hits. Matt Lashoff and Jan Hejda have been a reliable third pairing, with Karlis Skrastins and Kurtis Foster making appearances with the big club so far this year.

GOALIES

With Martin Brodeur getting up there in age, Dustin Tokarski has been called upon to ease the workload to ensure a well rested Brodeur will be ready for what hopefully will be another long playoff run. Both goalies have struggled at certain times during the season, posting sub .900 save percentages but erratic starts and never playing more then two or three games in a row the odd stinker is going to happen more often. However, Tokarski has posted an impressive 6-0-2 record with 1 SO.

TOP 5 PROSPECTS

#1 Jani Hakanpaa - D - FIN
JyP Jyväskyläv (14 GP/6G/11A)

#2 Johan Larsson - W - SWE
Brynas IF Gävle (13 GP/10G/7A)

#3 Dana Tyrell - C - AHL
Norfolk Admirals (21 GP/3G/12A)

#4 Kent Simpson - G- AHL
Norfolk Admirals (7-5-0/1.58 GAA/.920 SV%)

#5 Nikita Zaytsev - D - AHL
Norfolk Admirals (16 GP/0G/1A)