NHL Trade Rumors: Tampa Bay Lightning Facing Tough Decisions

NHL Trade Rumors: Tampa Bay Lightning are struggling without star center Steven Stamkos and now face tough decisions ahead of the Mar.1 deadline.

GM Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to find themselves squarely at the center of NHL trade rumors due to their recent struggles. Without their star forward Steven Stamkos, the Lightning sit tied for dead last (with Buffalo) in the Atlantic Division with a record of 21-22-5 (47 points).

To be fair, TB is currently only five points out of a Wild-Card spot despite being tied for last in the Eastern Conference. It speaks volumes to the NHL‘s parity in 2016-17. At the same time, it also puts several teams/GMs in very uncomfortable positions as they try to figure out whether they’re buyers or sellers ahead of the Mar.1 trade deadline.

As it pertains to the Lightning, even some of the smartest hockey minds are curious what Yzerman is thinking. They’ve still got Ben Bishop on the books, a player that many have deemed to be inevitably moved due to June’s expansion draft. Speaking of the expansion, what about forwards such as Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, or J.T. Brown (among others) who will be left exposed to Las Vegas since their seven spots up front are already accounted for: Steven Stamkos (NMC), Ryan Callahan (NMC), Valtteri Filppula (NMC), Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Jonathan Drouin.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Steve Yzerman and Doug Armstrong (Blues GM) have been in close contact recently, with St. Louis attending a few of TB’s games. It sparked fuel that the two clubs may be looking at a Ben Bishop for Kevin Shattenkirk deal. Friedman notes it to be a possibility, although he also states the Blues would likely prefer help up the middle. He also said that Yzerman could just as easily decide that 2016-17 is a wash and can’t be saved, so why bother making any moves at all?

A Lost Year is No Reason to Stay Quiet Ahead of the Mar.1

All it would take is a nice 10-12 game win streak to erase all of this talk of Tampa Bay’s struggles. Whether or not this club is capable of doing that, well, who knows? But even if this team is even further out of a playoff spot in a month from now, the Lightning wouldn’t be doing themselves any favors by remaining quiet on the trade front.

Regardless of where this team is, they still need to make moves ahead of June’s expansion draft. And no, those moves cannot be made following the playoffs. Those GMs who wait will be rudely awakened by the pathetic offers when another GM says “take it, or lose him to Vegas for nothing”.

What Does Tampa Bay Still Need?

Defensive Upgrade

(among others), there’s a ton of potential on the back end. That being said, the drop-off in talent beyond Hedman is a concern, especially on the right side. A top priority for TB should be a top four RHD.

Backup to Replace Bishop

It would make sense that Tampa Bay might seek a backup goaltender as part of a return package for Ben Bishop. If that proves to be too difficult, Syracuse netminder Kristers Gudlevskis could certainly fill the gap in a short-term role.

Who Needs to Go?

Ben Bishop

At 30-years-old, Ben Bishop is set to become a UFA in the summer. Currently carrying a $5.95 million dollar cap hit, Tampa Bay simply doesn’t have the money to retain his services. Couple that with the emergence of Andrei Vasilevskiy, the writing has been on the wall for a while now.

Potential Fits for Bishop: Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers

Killorn, Namestnikov, or Brown?

More from Puck Prose

Tampa Bay would surely love to keep all three of these guys. That being said, they’ve got a ton of upcoming talent (i.e. Brayden Point, Mitchell Stephens, Mathieu Joseph, Anthony Cirelli, Brett Howden, etc.) that should be vying for roster spots in upcoming years.

Instead of losing Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, or J.T. Brown in expansion for absolutely nothing, why not trade them (or at least one or two)? Heck, Steve Yzerman might even be able to package one with an unwanted contract (i.e. Garrison, Coburn, etc.). They could target prospects/or draft picks in an attempt to reset for the 2017-18 season.

Final Take

GM Steve Yzerman needs to answer a very difficult question. He needs to figure out whether this team is good enough even with a healthy Steven Stamkos. They’ve made enough noise over the past two seasons to suggest they’re ready to get over the elusive hump, but then again, we were looking at the St. Louis Blues in a very similar light before Jake Allen began to struggle.

Next: 5 Players Who Won't Sustain 1st Half Success

Point being, you can’t afford to have weak links when you’re in the midst of fighting for the toughest trophy in sports. The Lightning have managed to hide their defensive weaknesses with a potent, high-scoring offense during the regular season for a long time now. But when push comes to shove in the Spring, you need all three positions (forward, defense, goalie) in sync at top form.

It’s time to fix the blue line to ensure long-term success year-after-year.

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