City of Winners

     We are truly lucky in the Tampa area.
     Although there are a lot of bandwagon jumpers and transplants down here rooting for other teams, we have three professional teams to be proud of.
     What other area can brag about the young talent we have in key positions. Josh Freeman with the Bucs, Evan Longoria and David Price (maybe Matt Moore soon) with the Rays and Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman with the Bolts
      All three teams are building with young players and not overspending on veterans who are past their primes. All three have coaches who have a fresh outlook on the game and on life. Joe Maddon, Raheem Morris and Guy Boucher have gotten to know each other and have become friends. They are exchanging ideas. Maddon was on the sidelines for a Bucs game. Boucher made a point to support the Rays after practice Monday.
     "Every team that does well in our city, it heightens the enthusiasm and the interest people have for sports," Boucher said. "They're showing that they've got character. They're pulling for whatever they can do to make the city proud, so we're one of the first to be behind them."
      You can throw USF coach Skip Holtz into the group, too. What a job he has done in a short time, not only making the team better but much more classy.
     
      Yes, the Red Sox have allowed the Rays back in. But it has been Maddon's steady hand that has not let the Rays fall out of contention. Sometimes he overuses his bench and makes too many pitching changes, but his players want to play for him. It's the same with Morris and Boucher.
      The Rays are in good shape for the future. Jump on board. They may not win every year, but they are likely to be competitive every season. Hopefully, the economy turns around in the area and the attendance improves. A nice new stadium in Tampa would help, too. Just look at the TV ratings (yeah, you ESPN guys). The Rays were near the top last season and in the middle of the pack in 2011. The fans are here.

      Have to like the way the Bucs gutted out that game against the Falcons Sunday. It would be great if they continued to take leads and hold on instead of the other way around. If the defense can play like it did against Atlanta, this team has a chance for the playoffs. They can't lose their focus this week against the Indianapolis Colts Monday night. Let's hope the last couple thousand tickets are scooped up.

      Boucher paired his roster down to 26 Sunday and there were no surprises. The only difference I had in my projection is I thought Carter Ashton might stick around another week. But it's probably better for the young power forward to start camp with the Norfolk Admirals. He will be an NHLer in the future, perhaps even later this season.
     Defenseman Scott Jackson is still on the roster, rehabbing from off season knee surgery.
     That leaves, most likely, five forwards for three spots. Rookie Brett Connolly has battled his way into the fight, not looking out of place in the preseason games. Mattias Ritola has produced points in the preseason, Dana Tyrell has done his thing, Tom Pyatt fits in nicely as a lower-line guy and Blair Jones continues to show he belongs.
      It won't be an easy decision. You could just send Connolly back to juniors for one more year, but he could be the extra boost of offense you might need. You could send Tyrell down because he doesn't have to go through waivers. But not many players get picked up through waivers anymore. Teams tend to like their own players and trading a 4th liner for a 4th liner through waivers doesn't always make sense. Pyatt, Jones or Ritola getting through waivers to Norfolk is risky, but with added depth it might be worth it.
     Looks like the Montreal game is on NHL Network live Thursday. That's what shows on my guide. So we will get to see the next round in that battle.
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    -- Mark Pukalo












   











     



 
     
   
   





     

Off-season Approach Serves Bolts Long Term

      The Tampa Bay Lightning were so close to winning a Stanley Cup.
      One more big play in Game 7 against the Bruins, with a flawed Vancouver Canucks team awaiting in the finals. Maybe, even more importantly, a few more goals in a dominant first period of Game 5.

      But it wasn't to be. It's never that easy. The Bolts took their fans on a wonderful ride in 2010-11, creating so many memories, with a special group.
     The temptation for a GM after a season like that is to make sure everyone is back for another run, no matter what it costs. Not only that, but to add one or two more big pieces to the pie, spend to cap.
     Steve Yzerman is not that kind of a GM. His off-season moves were not about keeping payroll down, they were about staying flexible, keeping the young core together and being a contender long term -- not just in 2011-12. Many wanted the Lightning to bring in another top-four defenseman, Tomas Vokoun to play goal and another top-six forward to take Simon Gagne's place. Add that up and the Lightning would have been over the cap or so close to it that they'd have to struggle like the Devils and the Flyers have the last few years.
     Gagne and Sean Bergenheim could still be with the team. I doubt Yzerman would have turned them down if Gagne wanted to come back for a year at $2 mil or Bergenheim at 2 years and $3 mil combined. But they got much more and good for them. Both were class guys. Gagne has the security of two years and $7 mil for his family and Bergie has a big paycheck for four years and another great coach to play for in Sunrise. Have to say Bergie was one of the friendliest athletes I've ever been around.
     Ultimately, if they brought back Gagne and Bergenheim at what they made, the Bolts would have been right up against cap if not over it.
     Yzerman had two big decisions to make in the off season and neither had to do with Steven Stamkos. I'll always remember Stamkos' reply when asked after the season if he saw any reason there would be a problem with his contract. He simply said, "No." That stuck with me through all the ludicrous rumors about him from late June to when Stammer signed July 19. More on that contract later.
     First, Yzerman had to see what was in defenseman Eric Brewer's head. Was he going to use his strong performance down the stretch to get top dollar, maybe $5 mil or so from a defense-starved team, or stay with a team he seemed to fit perfectly with for less. Brewer chose the Lightning, for less than a $4 mil cap. If he stays healthy, that will be a bargain. He is a better defenseman than guys like James Wisniewski, who got much more.
    The second big decision was in goal. No one knows for sure if Yzerman kicked the tires on what Vancouver may have wanted for Cory Schneider or Los Angeles for Jonathan Bernier - two No. 1s of the future. If so, those discussions may bear fruit some day down the road. Yzerman might have been interested in Vokoun if he knew he'd come as cheap as he did. But no one could have predicted what happened with him. Yzerman could have gone other ways as well, but he stuck with veteran Dwayne Roloson for one year. Roloson gives them stability. I really don't understand the criticism Roloson got at times. Every goalie has a bad game, gives up a bad goal ocassionally. If not for him, the Bolts may not have made the playoffs and his play in the first two series in the playoffs, plus Game 1 and 7 of the third, gave them a chance to win the Cup. Yzerman might have brought Mike Smith back to back him up, but his market value ended up being too high. Instead, he brought in Mathieu Garon who can play 25-30 games in net.
     Yzerman brought back Adam Hall and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Many thought Hall would be gone, but he took the same salary to return. Not sure if anyone offered him more. If not, they should have. Hall was a very important player for the Bolts last season. As Pierre McGuire said during the playoffs, "Hall isn't flashy. He's just very effective." Bergeron had some good moments last season and can be quite valuable in a 10-12 minute role.
     Randy Jones and Mike Lundin were lost on defense. Yzerman did not qualify Lundin because his reward in arbitration would have been too high. Instead of a walking out on a reward, Yzerman decided to cut him loose. There's no telling how much Lundin would have taken to stay or how much negotiation there was, but with the signing of Matt Gilroy July 2 the Bolts had eight NHL defensemen. Lundin ended up in Minnesota. Lundin's dependability will be missed, but the Bolts are hoping Gilroy, Gervais and Bergeron can make up the difference and add offense. Gilroy, a former Hobey Baker winner, couldn't quite break in full time at Camp Tortorella, but his potential is high end - especially as a swift-skating puck mover.
     It wasn't prudent for Yzerman to go after Kevin Bieksa, Christian Ehrhoff, Roman Hamrlik, Wisniewski or others. The only concern is the health of veterans Mattias Ohlund and Pavel Kubina down the road. But you can't go out and spend $4-5 mil for multiple years just in case. The way Yzerman put together his roster, there is enough flexibility to go get a top-four defenseman near the trade deadline.
     Many wanted Yzerman to fill Gagne's spot in the top six. I don't know for sure, but I don't think that was on the table. In my opinion, it would have been a mistake to go after an over-priced forward to fill the position. Instead, he signed Tom Pyatt and Ryan Shannon to add to his forward group. Pyatt is a gritty player who has performed well for the Canadiens. Shannon is a player that should fit Guy Boucher's system perfectly with his speed and skill. He can take a top-nine role. Without bringing in one or two veterans at over-priced salaries for two, three or more years, it creates an opportunity for young forwards Carter Ashton and Brett Connolly in the next few years when they are ready. In the meantime, it appears 14 forwards will fight for 13 spots. That's not counting Ashton and James Wright, who could have outside shots. Connolly is likely to spend one more year in juniors.
     The final pieces were signed and sealed just past mid July. Purcell signed for two years before his arbitration hearing. He might have gotten more in arbitration, due to bloated contracts given to players that were comparable or less effective than Purcell. But he went for the two years. Stamkos' negotiations were far less newsworthy than some of the media speculated. But the media silence led to every hockey rumor monger making up the news. When I saw Yzerman's demeanor at rookie camp, I knew the contract was not a concern. It wasn't. At that point, it was done except for a few minor details.
    Stammer signed for five years, $37.5 million. He could have been greedy and asked for 10 years or $8-9 mil and could have dragged it out. Instead, it made a deal that could be great for both. Yes, there is a slight gamble in making Stammer a potential free agent in 2016. But look at it this way, when his five years are up Vincent Lecavalier's salary will go under $10 mil per and after the 2016-17 season it will go down to $4 mil. Marty St. Louis may play to 50, but he will likely either be retired or signed at a reduced salary. The Bolts could then make Stamkos, hopefully 350 goals into his career at 27, a $10 mil a year player.
     The Bolts took some swings in the draft, taking Russians with their first three selections. But No. 1 choice Vladislav Namestnikov has lived in Detroit a good portion of his life, the son of a former NHLer and nephew to former Yzerman teammate Slava Kozlov. Forward Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Nikita Nesterov are also high-ceiling talents who could be steals.
      This off season was a success for the Bolts. It could be even better if guys like Shannon and Gilroy blossom. They didn't add a big piece or two to get them over the mythical hump. But they may have taken steps to allow them to be contenders for the Cup -- years down the road.

-- Mark Pukalo