Tampa Bay Lightning Draft Review

[Jets GM]

After a successful run at the Stanley Cup last season, the Lightning's management were forced to focus on business after an off-season of partying. Many past champions have had to deal away draft picks in trades acquiring players to make runs at titles, and the Lightning were no different being without both there first and second round picks in this years entry draft. However, with the huge volume of transactions (7 trades/24 players/11 draft picks) being done by front office the Lightning acquired a surprising six third round picks. The combination of good timing with a very deep draft class and squeezing every bit of value from other general managers gave the Lighting a chance to restock a depleted prospect pool. Here are the results......

Name: Nikita Zaytsev (3rd/62nd)
Position: D
Junior Affiliation: Sibir Novosibirsk RUS
Potential/Likelihood: 2nd Pairing defensemen/Very Likely
Bio: At 6'1 Nikita Zaytsev doesn't look menacing, but a strong understanding of the game at both ends of the ice along with a great work ethic impressed the Lightning management enough to make him there first draftee in 2010. While he's expected to make the NHL with his consistency and two-way ability a post-draft boost in his defensive ceilings could see him evolve into a above average second pairing NHL defensemen. One obvious flaw is Zaytsev's skating ability, which will need to be improved quickly when he makes his AHL debut with the Norfolk Admirals this season as a under ager.

Name: Johan Larsson (3rd/71st)
Position: LW
Junior Affiliation: Brynas Jr. SWE
Potential/Likelihood: Top 6 Forward/Likely
Bio: If you walked into the arena during the entry draft, you probably wouldn't notice Johan Larsson. At 5'11 the stocky Swedish left winger doesn't appear to have the size to compete in pro hockey at an elite level, let alone the NHL. However watch him on the ice, and you see not only a great hockey talent but a great hockey mind as well. While the draft class was deep, players possessing a complete game beyond the early picks were scarce and to see a player as complete as Johan Larsson was a shock to the Lightning management. He wont be one to throw his weight around, but he possess a complete hockey toolkit with a well rounded offensive game, an incredible defensive awareness and a willingness to compete at both ends of the ice equally. Shift after shift, game after game. Newly hired Doug Maclean on Larsson..."He doesn't stop, ever. He does everything in his power to score whether its taking a quick shot, or making a hard pass and then will chase the puck down in the defensive zone like his life depended on it." The Lightning don't know yet if he'll be able to improve and boost his potential, but the next few years in Larsson's development will be critical.

Name: Jani Hakanpaa (3rd/73rd)
Position: D
Junior Affiliation: Kiekko-Vantaa U18 FIN
Potential/Likelihood: 1st Pairing defensemen/Possibly
Bio: The Lightning appeared to find yet another gem buried in the third round in 6'4 Jani Hakanpaa. "The guy is everywhere on the ice all at once, he never seems to be out of position or rushed into making a bad play" remarked MacT "very smart, very sound player." While Hakanpaa might not develop into the monster he could be, even without a potential boost his positioning on the ice will earn him a job at the NHL level. With a boost, and you could be looking at yet another beast on what already is consider to be a dominant blue line in Tampa Bay. 130 position ceiling, plus a boost to a 7 potential.....scary.

Name: Kent Simpson (3rd/82nd)
Position: G
Junior Affiliation: Everett Silvertips WHL
Potential/Likelihood: Starting Goalie/Possibly
Bio: Just the third goalie selected, Kent Simpson went under the radar of most teams. Deemed to be a very weak draft class for goalies, Simpson posses good size at 6'4 and what appears to be a skillset that could develop into a average starting goaltender, or at the very least a great backup that could ease the workload of a veteran starter. Good skills, good consistency. Look for him to battle Dustin Tokarski for the Lightnings backup spot in the next couple of years.

Name: Tyler Pitlick (3rd/88th)
Position: C
Junior Affiliation: Minnesota State USA
Potential/Likelihood: Top 6 forward/Not Likely
Bio: The Pitlickian one checks in at 88th overall, but 1st overall for best hockey last name in this years draft class. Jank is a close second. Pitlick has tons of dangle in his game and prefers to sauce the sauciest of saucer passes to his teammates for empty net, no doubter one timer goals. While he currently is a regular contributer on the score sheet in Minnesota, Pitlick will have to round out his game with defensive two way play to become a serviceable player on most NHL teams. He'll need to have a chance to play big minutes and with linemates that can shoot the puck in order to be a success at an NHL level. Look for him to move over to the wing as well.

Name: Kevin Hayes (3rd/89th)
Position: RW
Junior Affiliation: Nobles USA
Potential/Likelihood: Top 6 forward/Not Likely
Bio: Kevin Hayes is freaking huge. The biggest Lightning draftee at 6'5 you would think he pays the bills with bone crunching body checks to out sized puny high school kids. In reality, quick feet and great scoring ability have been the trademarks Hayes has shown in his play at Nobles high school. While everyone except his grandmother has implored him to use his size and evolve into a dominant physical force he's shown an unwillingness to do so, so far in his career. If Hayes wants to play big minutes and clock big dolla's he's going to have to show a nastiness to his game that he's been hiding deep inside his dark place or develop one quick. "We'll probably start by making him listen to Justin Bieber's entire album pre-game, if that doesn't work we'll get the ipod on the bench and make him listen to it during the game. If that doesn't make you wanna at least cause minor damage to something, I don't know what will." Hayes response to the Bieber training regimen "they can use my ipod if they want, his album already on there. i got Drake to."

4th Round and beyond: Joakim Nordstrom (4th Round, #4/5 Centermen), Louis Domingue (4th Round, AHL starting goaltender), Michael Chaput (6th Round, Fringe player), Sondre Olden (7th Round, Fringe player)

[Jets GM]

Boostage: Nikita Z --> CHK 100 + 10 = 110 | POS 100 + 10 = 110

ty kindly

[Virtual Jarmo]

Boostage: Nikita Z --> CHK 100 + 10 = 110 | POS 100 + 10 = 110

ty kindly

It's a prospect with a less than 70 POT, Justin.

[Jets GM]

Boostage: Nikita Z --> CHK 100 + 10 = 110 | POS 100 + 10 = 110

ty kindly

It's a prospect with a less than 70 POT, Justin.

Ughhh, asleep at the wheel. What exactly qualifies as a pot booster? I have Joakim Nordstrom who is 6/74. I've heard the minimum is 70 CON to receive a boost, but in 11 test sims he didn't get one once. While I'm not sure of the percentage it is for him to get one, my other two players (78 and 83 CON) got them around 70% of the time. I would be willing to do a lot more test sims (i'd do 100 to get a realistic percentage) to see if he doesn't get one ever. Maybe its 75 for a boost? Is the 11 enough to show he doesn't get a boost so I can use the points on him?

Man Nikita would of been a monsterrrrrrrr

[Virtual Jarmo]

Less than 70 POT and 75+ CON is the benchmark to be a POT booster.

[Jets GM]

Less than 70 POT and 75+ CON is the benchmark to be a POT booster.

Wow Joakim Nordstrom makes it by a thread (74 CON). CHK 100-->110 POS 125-->135. I think Nikita being to good to get a boost was a blessing in disguise, Nordstrom went from a 13th forward to a very valuable player in someones bottom six. I wonder if 6pot players can reach the 80's/90's in attributes.....