With the NHL’s trading deadline now just five days away, the lack of activity on the trade front proves the vast majority of NHL teams still believe that there is a seat waiting for them at the playoff table.
That is, almost everyone except the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the majority of GMs have been scrutinizing the standings over the past week, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman was busy wheeling and dealing.
Yzerman got down to business last Thursday, sending pending unrestricted free agent Dominic Moore and a seventh-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks for a second-round selection in the 2012 NHL draft.
From the video above, we can learn three things that don’t go mix together well: silly string, a mascot and a disgruntled Boston Bruins fan.
However, as a result of the footage captured of said Bruins fan taking umbrage with Tampa Bay Lightning mascot ThunderBug and her silly string antics, she—yes, she—has become a cult hero and a YouTube sensation.
Apparently, the Boston fan who hit ThunderBug from behind during the Jan 17 Lightning-Bruins game was taken away by ushers but later returned to his seat. No harm, no foul.
With the first quarter of the 2011-12 NHL season now in the books, there have been plenty of surprises. However, there are a fair share of players who have had great starts to the season that have yet to be recognized for their contributions to their respective teams.
Here are the five most underrated players of the season thus far.
Following the 2004-05 NHL lockout, the League made a concentrated effort to increase scoring and offense in order to make the game more enjoyable for the fans. However, the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning did their best to put fans to sleep during their game Wednesday night.
In the post-lockout NHL, having a solid netminder is a must. However, especially in recent years, backup goaltenders are becoming just as valuable of a commodity. Wins are hard to come by in this league, and if a team’s No. 1 guy in the crease goes down with an injury or just needs a break, it’s important that teams have a dependable backup to fill the void.
Here is a list of five backup goalies who have not only proved their worth thus far, but in some instances, have actually taken over the starting role.
When Steve Yzerman took over as the Tampa Bay Lightning GM last season, big things were expected from the Detroit Red Wing icon. All Yzerman did was build a team that put together their second-best season in franchise history and came one game short of going to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2004.
From his decision to hire coach Guy Boucher prior to the season, to the trade he negotiated with the New York Islanders for goalie Dwayne Roloson on New Year’s Day, Yzerman looked like Brian Burke his first season in Tampa. Only now he has the daunting task of improving a team that far exceeded all expectations last season.
It may come as a surprise to many that Steven Stamkos has actually had his name on the restricted free agents list for the last 18 days.
It comes a surprise to know one that the team that took him off of that list was the only team that he has ever known in his brief hockey career: the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 21-year-old Stamkos is the future of the Lightning and after coming within a game of last year’s Stanley Cup Final, Stamkos made it clear that there is no place he’d rather be.
Brad Richards, the alleged “prize” of the 2011 free agency pool, surprised no one Saturday when he agreed to a nine-year contract to play for the New York Rangers.
Richards will be heading to broadway for $60 million, with an annual cap hit of around $6.667 million. Richards had spent Friday talking with the Kings, Maple Leafs and Lightning about why their teams and cities would he his best destination, but when it came down to it, none of those teams could offer the same allure—or cash—as New York.
July 1 is just around the corner, and although the free agent market isn’t as loaded as it has been in year’s past, there were still be a few scorers out there that plenty of teams would be happy to nab. Here are the top five forwards on the free-agent market.
With the Philadelphia Flyers signing of Ilya Bryzgalov to a huge nine-year, $51 million contract, it’s important to keep in mind that there are still plenty of talented goaltenders available on the free-agent market. Here are the top five.
1. Tomas Vokoun
It’s no secret that Vokoun wants out of Florida. The 35-year-old netminder is nearing the end of his career and he seems pretty hellbent on only playing for a contender. He has already been offered a deal from Avangard Omsk of the KHL over in Russia, so unless a Cup contender comes to the table (ahem, the Washington Capitals), we may have seen the last of Vokoun in the NHL.
With the NHL’s trading deadline now just five days away, the lack of activity on the trade front proves the vast majority of NHL teams still believe that there is a seat waiting for them at the playoff table.
