Expect Lightning GM Julien BriseBois to make free additions
The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Steve Kouleas and Nate Thompson on Wednesday. There he was asked what the Tampa Bay Lightning plan to do at the deadline, and Pagnotta said it will be more of a strategic addition to help them win.
NHLRumors.com Transcripts
Nate Thompson: “I want to talk about contending teams, and specifically Tampa, because there was a rumor going around that they were also on our team in Artemi Panarin. And I think we may or may not expect the unexpected from Tampa now that the trade deadline is approaching, and they may do what’s necessary.”
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Dave Pagnotta: “Yes, you can’t count them. You always have to keep an eye on them. I think this was a different scenario when these players are clearly not available very often. So you try to throw your hat in the ring and get involved. But I talked to Julien BriseBois all weekend, on Sunday, leading up to the Stadium Series. Came here on the channel and he said, like he was ready to make additions. But any significant addition they make has to benefit the club now and beyond come.
So he looks at players who are controllable, or at players with a term beyond this season. BriseBois is willing to take steps. Rumors are swirling that he might even consider moving some of his top prospects to make something happen. But it has to fit into their game plan, and it has to fit financially as well. They don’t have much cap space. So they’ll have to get a little creative here if they want to make a solid addition.
One player that I think they’ve already made the rounds, that they’ve had interest in before, is a former Bolt, Blake Coleman, from Calgary. There was a lot of smoke around him last week, obviously due to an injury. But that’s a player of the caliber I could see them shifting back to.
Someone with a pretty solid hit song, someone who isn’t going to cost the whole farm, but will still take some value to pry him away from wherever he is. In this case, Calgary and the Flames are willing to listen.
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So that’s the kind of player, your mid-six type of asset that I think helps them over the edge. I was at their game last night (Tuesday), guys here in Tampa against Buffalo. They are so confused that it was actually Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel and Nikita Kucherov who led this team all the way. And they succeeded, with a comeback victory in extra time.
They contribute to it, and they are healthy, they will be much more dangerous, and (Andrei Vasilevskiy) Vasy turns off the lights. Darren Raddysh is absolutely fantastic. Victor Hedman is back in the mix, so they can add something. This team is going to be so much more powerful, and I think that’s what BriseBois wanted to do. But it is a strategic advertisement. It’s not just about the shiny piece that’s there.”
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