It wasn’t that long ago the Lightning roster was so full of veterans it was tough for young players to crack it. But as the team lost many of the key pieces from its Stanley Cup-winning seasons (mostly as cap casualties), it created opportunities for the organization’s prospects to find a home in the NHL.
As the Lightning enter an offseason in which they could lose at least three forwards and one defenseman to free agency, the spotlight on player development shines brighter than it has in several years.
Yes, general manager Julien BriseBois made the Lightning younger last offseason, trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to Utah for then-20-year-old former first-round pick Conor Geekie and 24-year-old defenseman J.J. Moser.
Former first-rounder Isaac Howard’s rights may be traded after entry-level negotiations became tumultuous. But at AHL Syracuse, the Lightning likely will look to fill roles with home-grown players who don’t necessarily possess first-round pedigree but have been developed to contribute at the NHL level.
“It’s a lot about the details,” Syracuse head coach Joel Bouchard said last month. “There’s no (Nikita) Kucherov here right now. We have to develop them to be a complete player so that (Lightning coach Jon Cooper) feels comfortable putting him out there. They’re not going to be asked to save the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s just got to be sound and have good habits. And that’s what we work on. A lot of sound habits that give the guys that get called up the security that, ‘Hey, if you do this, the coaches are going to like you.’”
Opportunities abound
The Lightning will need more options next season, players who can fill a role, add energy and potentially become the organization’s next NHL success story — a future Ondrej Palat, Yanni Gourde or Tyler Johnson.
“We have others coming in Syracuse that they’re going to be pushing for a roster spot next fall,” BriseBois said. “We haven’t had that in a while, and that’s exciting as an organization because now we have guys who can add depth and do so not just in the short term but for many years to come.”
This past season’s example was forward Gage Goncalves, who worked his way to becoming a regular in the Lightning lineup. A preseason injury delayed the start of his season, and he was called up and sent back to Syracuse twice before sticking the third time. By the end of the season, the 24-year-old was one of the Lightning’s top players in their first-round loss to the Panthers.
“Gage Goncalves, I think, of all of our players has showed the most growth in the year by a significant margin after he came back from being assigned to Syracuse the second time,” BriseBois said “I think he was a transformed player. Play-making, defensive reliability, forechecking, compete, physicality, he raised everything to a really nice NHL level, and he’s turning himself into an NHL player.”
The Lightning have developed similar players in recent seasons. Two years ago, forward Mitchell Chaffee and defenseman Emil Lilleberg found NHL homes. Going into next season, Goncalves, a late second-round pick, and Geekie will form a strong foundation for the future. Meanwhile, players like defenseman Max Crozier and forward Dylan Duke are waiting in the wings.
“They really want to coach up their players,” Goncalves said of the Crunch. “Nobody’s really satisfied there. And from the dressing room to the meetings room, everything’s basically the same, which makes the transition from the AHL to the NHL a little bit easier, because you know what to expect.
“… I think that’s why guys are so grateful to be drafted or signed, or whatever it is coming out of (the Canadian Hockey League) or college or wherever, or you’re somewhere in Europe. Just come into Syracuse, and the way they handle it down there is basically the same way they handle it (in Tampa Bay)."
Constant reminders
At Syracuse, players are always reminded of the opportunity in front of them. On their way to the players lounge and the gym area in the basement of Upstate Medical University Arena, they are greeted by a wall of photos of players from the Lightning’s 2020 and ‘21 Cup runs who previously wore Syracuse uniforms.
“It’s a good reminder,” Lightning assistant general manager/director of player development Stacy Roest said. “There’s 18, 19 guys that all started here. I love that, because every day when you come in, you’re entering or leaving, it’s the first thing you see when you come in and it’s the last thing you see as you leave.
“Not everybody comes from Russia or the CHL or college and goes straight to the NHL. This is a hard league. It’s a hard league to win in. It’s a hard league to perform at. And as a majority of our team started in this league. And you work your way up, and once you’re ready to help Jon Cooper and the Lightning win, you go up.”
Just like the NHL team, Syracuse deals with injuries. This past season, the Crunch were without seven players over the first month, and that presented opportunities for some of the team’s younger players.
“It was survival mode for our young guys,” Bouchard said.
No player took more advantage of it than Duke, who was playing in his first full AHL season. The organization always thought highly of Duke, who was a star in development camps and earned early comparisons to Johnson with his hustle and fearlessness for a smaller player. But when players went down to injury, Duke jumped in and spiked his stock, eventually finding himself getting top-line minutes and power-play time.
“Whether it’s practice, pregame skate or a game, his ears are pinned back,” Roest said. “And he’s got one speed. He goes one speed. And he’s just a real student. He wants to learn, an unreal teammate, an unreal person, definitely a Bolt. He’s earned everything he’s ever got in his hockey career. So, it’s a pleasure to watch and a pleasure to work with him.”
Said Bouchard, “He’s a hockey player. That’s his No. 1 skill. He’s just a hockey player. He loves being out there, and he glues the line together. Like some people say in an organization, ‘We like him. He’s our guy.’”
Duke received a two-game call-up in February. He scored a goal in his debut in Detroit, then went back down to Syracuse to finish a 20-goal, 40-point season. He would figure to be near the top of players from Syracuse who could receive a long look in training camp to fill a bottom-six forward spot.
Adapting to growth
Crozier has more NHL experience than Duke — 18 games, including five last season — and he was one of the key players who missed significant time due to injury in Syracuse. But Crozier was as polished a defenseman you’ll see at the AHL level, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make the roster as a right-shot defenseman if the Lightning don’t bring back Nick Perbix.
“It’s a physical brand of hockey here, and I’ve been really working on my hard defense, shutting down plays, breaking the puck out on the first pass,” Crozier said. “We’re really working just to be the best version of ourselves every single day, and that’s all you can do.”
Sometimes, too, an experiment works.
The Lightning drafted Maxim Groshev as a forward, and he’s shown flashes of promise in development camps and in the AHL. When he was suspended for 10 games in March for using what the AHL called ”racially insensitive language” toward an opponent, Bouchard used the time to test Groshev as a defenseman in practices.
Bouchard was in need of help on defense after Declan Carlile went down with a knee injury. When Groshev returned from his suspension, his strengths — his powerful skating and ability to get to the puck — translated to his new position.
“You can see the skating, and you can see when there’s a race for any puck, whether it’s going forward or backwards, he gets there,” Roest said.
The move also improved Groshev’s chances of making the NHL.
“He’s excited about playing D now, and he’s excited about how this might increase his odds of reaching his goal of playing in the NHL,” BriseBois said. “So that’s kudos to Joel and his staff there, and to Max for buying in and being excited about the opportunity. He’s looked really good on D. He’s been noticeably more productive as a defenseman than he was as a forward.”
