Lot more NHL ready options going to be available over Somppi over the next few weeks. Figure we're gonna lose one of the three though.

If they don't make the team of whoever claims them, we can always claim them back.

Nashville's PBP announcer's voice might put me to sleep.

Katchouk with the goal, cookie with the assist. pic.twitter.com/xLGsHFhqsb

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 3, 2021

Advantage Katchouk

There's no inbetween with this team in the preseason. It's either electric like last night or completely flat.
I fear Elliot is McElhinney 2.0. It's preseason, but way too many goals for someone with his amount of experience. Good thing Legace has looked solid thus far.

Katchouk and BB are my 2 picks for the 2 open spots right now. Raddysh just looks flat compared to those 2 IMO, but I think team politics might put Raddysh on the team. He seems to be a favorite inside the organization. However, Katchouk was down on the ice for an extended period of time in the 3rd before eventually skating off slowly to the locker room. Something to keep an eye on.

A couple of notes:
-Lightning have begun contract extensions talks with Coop, per Lebrun. Assuming they lock him up, they'll have taken care of the best coach in the world, JBB, and Point in one offseason. Pretty darn good.
-As of now, here's how the lines are projected to look on opening night:
Forwards:
Line 1: Palat-Point-Kucherov
Line 2: Killorn-Cirelli-Stamkos
Line 3: Joseph-Colton-ABB
Line 4: Maroon-Bellemare-Perry
Defensive Pairings:
Hedman-Rutta
McDonagh-Cernak
Sergachev-Bogosian
-Does one of Katchouk, Raddysh or even Fortier make the roster? All 3 have looked pretty good, but I feel like Raddysh has been a tad behind Fortier and Katchouk, and I don't think Fortier is ready just yet. Would seem like Katchouk has the advantage for now.
-9 days. 9 DAYS UNTIL THE QUEST FOR THE THREE-PEAT BEGINS!! Wow, I'm pumped. I'm not sure if the Cup has ever been more wide open than it is this year. Lightning are going to have to step up their game another notch, especially the younger players like Colton, Joseph and ABB, but they can turn it up to 11. LET"S GO LIGHTNING!!

Fort Gabe is waiver exempt and would probably benefit for the minutes in Syracuse.

Like Rangsey said, Fortier is better off in Syracuse for now. And outside of his hat trick performance Friday, he's been relatively quiet in the prospect tournament and preseason.

I'm a big fan off Katchouk, but BB's potential is not what we probably just want to toss out and Raddysh is Cooper's boy it seems. These final preseason games will be high stakes for the 3 of them.

For sure ABB, the only reason I didn't mention him is because IMO he's definitely making the opening night roster regardless, which leaves one spot for Katchouk/Raddysh/Fortier to fight over.

Ryfors is in there too.

Gabe Fortier has officially been sent down to Syracuse. Guess that means it's down to Katchouk, Raddysh and Ryfors for that last spot.

#tblightning captain Steven Stamkos said he had knee surgery before playoffs. Feels a lot better now + it shows in camp

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) October 4, 2021

Stamkos had surgery number 50, or something like that, before the playoffs last season.

Yeah. They actually closed him up with a zipper instead of stitches to make the next one more efficient.

Tyler Johnson scores his first unofficial goal in a Chicago sweater on the power play. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/FJ4oagCTY4

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 4, 2021

Johnson was a member of the Lightning for part of the offseason, so I'll keep posting stuff until we're onto the season thread.

Haven't seen you report on Gourde Goodrow or Coleman tho. :-)


Admittedly Gourde is hurt.

I actually saw Gourde has just started skating without a red jersey on.

And there's an extra soft spot in my heart for Johnson over those 3.

It's so weird that Johnson won't be on the team this season. He was just so consistent night in night out (he was TERRIFIC in the playoffs), and almost definitely was the best fourth liner in the league. He'll be missed. Hope he has success with the Blackhawks.
On a side note, Lightning won't host the Blackhawks until April 1, but when they do, Johnson will indefinitely get a tribute then. Will be nice to see the fans welcome him back. He was such a good player to have around, on and off the ice.

if he's with Kane and PP1, I am going to pencil him in for 50 pts this season. I don't go to many games, but I might have to make sure I'm in Amalie for the return of Gourde and Johnson this season.

They don't make it easy. Raddysh had a nice night, Katchouk was quiet, and BB hit a post and missed a wide open net on a mishandle.

Perry showed his rat worth tonight, but I was not a fan at the signing because of the forthcoming waiving, and possibly losing, of one of the aforementioned 3.

(I can't remember ever using "aforementioned" in a sentence before )

Hold on, Katchouk had a fight tonight (quiet outside of that though) and now Maroon is saying it bought him locker room cred. The waters become even murkier...

Pat Maroon: “You run the goalie, you’re going to get answered to.” Said a lot of guys stuck up for Andrei Vasilevskiy. Maroon felt Boris Katchouk’s bout with Bennett went a long way in the room and “opened some eyes.” #tblightning

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) October 6, 2021

My appreciation of Boris has grown non stop this preseason.
Also, this rookie race has got me stoked for the regular season now. Burnout cured. I'm ready. Let's Go!

Tonight was the first televised game and I felt like I was teleported right back to the playoff series last season with the tension between both teams. I'm ready for some regular season hockey.

The Battle Of Florida might finally start living up to the hype.

So is there a chance one of the kids out play Bellemare or Perry?