The Tampa Bay Lightning pulled off a surprising trade this past July when they traded long-time defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah to clear some salary cap space. What was most surprising about that deal was what they received. The Bolts would end up obtaining JJ Moser, two draft picks, and top prospect Conor Geekie.
The 20-year-old comes to Tampa automatically catapulting himself up to the top of the prospect pool. With Tampa Bay's recent lack of draft picks due to success, acquiring Geekie provides a much-needed boost to the prospect pool and piece for the future. Geekie was the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft. The last time the Lightning had a pick that high, one would have to return to the 2017 NHL Draft where the Bolts took Jonathan Drouin with the third overall pick.
What Geekie brings to the table is a future top-six forward, along with a willingness to play physical and be a solid scoring option at the center position. It has been evident from the last five seasons that Stanley Cups are won in the net and down the middle. If the Lightning hope to continue contending for the biggest prize in the NHL, they will need Geekie to live up to the hype. Hockey is indeed a team sport, but if the Lightning find themselves at the top of the mountain once again, do not be surprised if Conor Geekie plas a big part in it.
We've barely scratched the surface of what Geekie could and can do for the Lightning. His real potential will remain to be seen. Where Geekie fits on the current roster is a question that could be answered a lot sooner. If you tune into the current line combinations provided by the always-reliable Daily Faceoff, then one can conclude that Geekie would slide into the fourth line. Chances are Mitchell Chaffee will outplay the fourth line, and be moved up the lineup. Placing the young prospect on the wing will the best thing for him as it is very rare for a young centerman to succeed. I believe that Geekie should be sent out with only one objective: score. If he can do that then I believe that everything else will into place given his level of talent. If that happens then we can very well see Conor Geekie playing in the top six of the lineup.
