The Tampa Bay Lightning are once again on the wrong side of a first-round series. After having won the Stanley Cup in consecutive years and adding a third finals appearance, they now find themselves having lost in the first round for the third year in a row.
The game plan in Tampa Bay has not waivered. The objective is to stay competitive for as long as they possibly can, and the belief in their locker room and amongst their head office is that they are good enough to do that right now, despite what recent results say, and they have the stats to back it up.
“History is written by the victor,” Lightning GM Julien Brisebois tells the media during his exit interview. “The reality is that we have one heck of a great hockey team. We have a Vezina trophy finalist goaltender, we have a scoring champ/Hart trophy finalist, we have a Selke finalist – we have four 35-goal scorers, seven 20-goal scorers, the third highest scoring defensive group, an outstanding head coach, an outstanding coaching staff. That’s the makeup of a really good hockey team.”
Brisbois is certainly correct in his sentiments on this hockey team; they are good enough to win, and they are good enough to win right now. The frustrating question is, how? The stats speak for themselves; the Lightning enjoyed a very successful regular season, and they were many people’s favorite to win against the former Cup champs. Nevertheless, playoff struggles continue to mount, though it is not for lack of trying.
The Lightning reunited with Yanni Gourde and brought in Oliver Bjorkstrand for additional scoring support and forward depth, both of which seemed like terrific acquisitions. Gourde, a member of the Lightning for both of their Cup wins, would fit back in naturally after his brief hiatus, and Bjorkstrand would add even more scoring touch to their middle six. Unfortunately, Bjorkstrand would never get the chance in the playoffs, as he was diagnosed with a rare condition called “compartment syndrome” that required immediate surgery only a week and a half before the playoffs began.
Now the Lightning look to the future. With the goal unchanged, what is left to do to get this team over this unfamiliar slump? Unfortunately, the usual answers are not applicable this time around. There is no cap room for exciting free agent pickups, and the majority of the team is already under contract through next year. Likely, most of the team’s focus will be on filling out depth and getting younger.
Notable free agents going into the offseason include forwards Yanni Gourde, Cam Atkinson, Luke Glendening, and Defenceman Nick Perbix. Given Gourde’s familiarity with the Lightning organization, an extension there feels incredibly likely for the 33-year-old, and his commitment to the cause and playoff experience are all things the Lightning won’t lightly move on from. As for the other unsigned forwards, Glendening and Atkinson are moving up in age, and Tampa will likely want to find spots for younger players. Nick Perbix provides an interesting dilemma, the big 26-year-old, right-shot defenseman will be seeking a raise this offseason, and with the Lightning already having six other defensemen on the books, a departure there may be inevitable.
The Tampa Bay Lightning may not look too different on paper going into next season, but expect a different team regardless. If Julien Brisbois is hesitant to shake up the locker room after such a successful regular season, then that change must come from inside the locker room itself. A shift in mentality, and an understanding that if this team wants back into the Stanley Cup finals, a great regular season outing isn’t good enough. Many of the players on this team have been there before, and there are plenty of younger players who will be eager to learn how to get there themselves. Come September, it will be time to prove that the Tampa Bay Lightning’s window has not closed, not even an inch.
