Here is a major fatal flaw that the Tampa Bay Lightning should address before the 2025 trade deadline.
In current possession of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning are very much in the hunt for a postseason return. The team's hot and cold nature bit them once again Saturday, as they lost 3-2 at home to the New York Islanders. Goals by star wingers Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel kept the Bolts in the hunt, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 shots. The overtime defeat does sting, but now the focus will undoubtedly turn to the Ottawa Senators.
Friday's loss showcased a continuous flaw that the Lightning have fought against this season. In fact, it is one that the team has fought with more than ever. Simply put, general manager Julien BriseBois and his team need to find a way to get more depth into the lineup. When stars like Kucherov, Guentzel and Vasilevskiy click and pitch in, the Bolts are a very tough team to beat. However, when it's only them, and other contributors fall silent, then Tampa Bay can struggle.
That flaw is readily apparent when the offense fails to produce. The importance of depth is not lost on BriseBois and the Tampa Bay brass, as it helped the team win their most recent Stanley Cups a couple of seasons ago. Having players who can score up and down the lineup, plus pitch in on the defensive end, is incredibly important. With the Bolts now in the race for yet another playoff position, will their front office once again pull off another trade deadline heist? If so, perhaps a reunion with someone from their recent glory days will help the most current version of the Lightning. That player? None other than Yanni Gourde, currently plying his trade with the Seattle Kraken.
Bringing Yanni Gourde back would help address Lightning's depth scoring
Gourde has played solid during his time in the Pacific Northwest, filling a role as one of the Kraken's team leaders. His time with the Lightning gave him experience in two Stanley Cup-winning runs, and that is something that Seattle still values to this day. Although he's nursed his share of injuries (including his current stint on the IR with a groin ailment), Gourde offers many potential advantages to the Bolts. Those advantages would help him contribute to another potential title run once he's back on the ice.
Returning to the organization that developed him might not be the worst thing for Gourde. He's still loved in Tampa Bay, as the Kraken selected him from the Lightning in the expansion draft. He would instantly join the third or fourth line to help fill that depth scoring role that the team lacks. In fact, one could say that the Bolts have lacked it since they lost Gourde and his fellow third- and fourth-line scorers following those Stanley Cup runs.
Trading Gourde could be complicated endeavor
Due to Gourde's cap number and the fact that he's going to miss a few more weeks with the groin injury, a trade for him could be complicated. BriseBois and the front office would have to make the cap work. They'd have to figure out what pieces go back to Seattle, as they will have to balance what Gourde's impact would be when fully healthy versus how long it will take him to get there. Also, figuring out what pieces to trade away from a farm system that is slowly rebuilding will be an important choice for the Bolts' front office.
Whatever it takes, it feels as if bringing Gourde back into the fold would be a solid choice. When healthy, he provides exactly what Tampa Bay needs: third-line scoring, a good defensive effort on each shift, a willingness to grind it out…. he's still very much beloved at Amalie Arena. As long as the price isn't too exorbitant, then BriseBois would likely love to bring Yanni home.
In fact, it wouldn't be too surprising to hear that he has spoken to Ron Francis, his Kraken counterpart. Some of the best stories in sports involve a homecoming. Will the tales of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Yanni Gourde converge once again? As the trade deadline approaches, there is a feeling that anything can happen. Anything could include Gourde once again donning royal blue and white.
