1. Brandon Hagel will he be equipped to discover good results in the best 6?
When the Lightning acquired Hagel from the Chicago Blackhawks in trade for strikers Taylor Raddysh et Boris Katchuk in addition to conditional initially-spherical picks in 2023 and 2024, he hoped the 24-calendar year-outdated would turn out to be a standard 30-objective scorer.
He performed 21 out of 55 games with the Blackhawks in advance of the exchange on March 18, but only scored 4 in 22 games to wrap up the year, as well as two in 23 playoff video games for the Lightning. He broke his foot in Recreation 2 of Round 2 against the Florida Panthers, which led mentor Jon Cooper to location him in a extra defensive part.
Hagel’s output will be important to Lightning’s good results this time, as he could start out the calendar year in the leading 6 because of to Ondrej Palat’s cost-free agent departure and the reality that Anthony Cirelli might be out till December to recuperate from shoulder operation.
2. How will the Lightning be recovered from the Palat and McDonagh departures?
The moment once again, salary cap restrictions compelled the Lightning to make hard choices this summer, like permitting veteran Palat go. He signed with the New Jersey Devils on July 14 on a six-yr contract truly worth $ 30 million ($ 5 million a calendar year).
Palat, who Lightning selected in the seventh round (208th) in the 2011 draft, expended his complete NHL job in Tampa Bay, where he scored 423 points in 628 video games around 10 seasons. The striker was very best regarded for his pressured playoff functionality, acquiring amassed 94 details in 138 playoff video games, and was a mainstay in Lightning’s two Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021.
“He will be recognized as 1 of the best gamers in Tampa Bay Lightning heritage,” claimed workforce general manager Julien BriseBois. He has been at the coronary heart of our successes. “
Agel, Nicola Paolo et Ross Colton will be identified as to change him.
Ryan McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators on July 3 for the defender Philip Myers and striker Grant error. The 33-yr-old defender supplied good quality performances on the blue line, he who was reputable in defense, could operate out of penalties and whose bodily enjoy manufactured him a difficult pair to encounter with Erik Cernak.
It will therefore be Mikhail Sergachev to acquire his game up a notch, soon after signing a new 8-year deal truly worth $ 8.5 million a year on July 13.
“I be expecting Mikhail Sergachev to be questioned to participate in a even bigger position,” explained BriseBois. He is prepared and is the proper man or woman to have these responsibilities. “
3. Can they continue to be healthy?
Tiredness and accidents from 3 prolonged playoff spells started to manifest last spring, so the Lightning will be missing some early-period components.
the attacker Antonio Cirelli and the defender Zach Bogosian Those who have undergone shoulder surgery will be absent at the starting of the calendar. BriseBois expects them to return between late November and mid-December.
A number of other players have appear out battered from the final couple series. The central participant Brayden position experienced a quadriceps tear that forced him to skip 14 playoff online games. For his section, the attacker Nikita Kucherovwho had presently missed much more than 30 video games this time due to a groin personal injury major to the functioning table, experienced a medial lateral ligament sprain all through the playoffs.
Each should be in area at the start out of the season. If the Lightning are to carry on aiming for the top rated of the Atlantic Division, Level and Kucherov will want to stay nutritious all yr round.
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