The Tampa Bay Lightning should be looking to improve their forward depth this off-season after their quick playoff exit. It is clear that they would benefit by upgrading their bottom six, and they are now being linked to a notable free agent because of it.
During the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman named the Lightning as one of the top expected suitors for Jonathan Toews.
"Jonathan Toews, sounds like it's a couple of teams here," Friedman said. "I think Winnipeg is in there. Think Colorado's in there... One of the other teams I suspect on Toews - Lightning."
Toews, 37, has not played since the 2022-23 season due to Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and long COVID symptoms. However, the former longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain is ready to resume his playing career, and it is understandable that the Lightning are interested in him.
When looking at the Lightning's lineup, Toews could be a nice fit in their bottom six, whether he plays on the third or fourth line. In addition, the veteran center would offer them another potential option for their penalty kill, as he was well-known for his strong defensive play before being sidelined for the last two seasons.
On a cheap one-year, prove-it deal, Toews could be a very solid addition to a Lightning club that needs more forward depth. This is especially so when noting that he has a plethora of playoff success, as he, of course, was a major reason for the Blackhawks' three Stanley Cup championships during the 2010s.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Lightning end up being the team that wins the Toews sweepstakes from here. In 1,067 career NHL games over 15 seasons, he has recorded 372 goals, 883 points, and a plus-148 rating. He is also a one-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner, a one-time Selke Trophy winner, a one-time Mark Messier Leadership Award winner, and a six-time All-Star.
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov lost the Hart Trophy to this goalie
Kucherov finished third in the Hart voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck has won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, becoming the first at the position to do so since Carey Price a decade ago.
Hellebuyck was unveiled as the top MVP vote-getter on an awards show Thursday night prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, hosted by actor and former Arizona State wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa.
Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl finished second in the Hart voting and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov third, a single point ahead of Colorado's reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon, as chosen by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Hellebuyck was a landslide winner of the Vezina as picked by general managers, receiving 31 of 32 first-place votes.
Hellebuyck won the Vezina for a second year in a row and for the third time in his career. He backstopped the Jets to the Presidents’ Trophy for the best regular season and the William Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed before losing in the second round of the playoffs to Dallas.
Price was the last to pull off the Hart-Vezina double in 2015. Hellebuyck is just the sixth goalie to do it, joining Price, Jose Theodore in 2002, Dominik Hasek in 1997 and ‘98 and Jacques Plante in ’62.
Kucherov, the Art Ross Trophy winner for leading all scorers with 122 points this season, was also chosen for the Ted Lindsay Award as most outstanding player, as voted on by his peers. The Russian winger was MVP in 2019 when the Lightning finished atop the standings.
Draisaitl, the Rocket Richard Trophy recipient for scoring a league-high 52 goals, won the Hart in 2020 after the season was cut short by the pandemic. He became the first German player to be MVP.
Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar won the Lady Byng for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct for a third time, an award announced earlier Thursday.
A majority of the awards were already presented over the past few weeks, given out as surprises for the first time with no advanced notice. Colorado's Cale Makar got the Norris as the top defenseman, Florida's Aleksander Barkov the Selke as the best defensive forward and Washington's Spencer Carbery the Jack Adams as coach of the year.
