Tampa Bay Lightning | CollegeHockeyPlayers

26Nov

J.T. Brown(23) Syracuse Crunch

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Undrafted rookie right wing J.T. Brown(23) signed a 2-year entry level deal with Tampa Bay Lightning that runs through the current 2012/2013 season but started last year while he was still playing college hockey for Minnesota-Duluth.

Reason being is that upon finishing up his second stint at UMD, he decided to turn pro, inked a contract and immediately skated in five games with the Lightning to conclude the regular season. In those contests he managed an assist and was a nice +2 plus/minus playing an average of 13 minutes per game.

The 5’10” 177 lbs. forward had been literally a point per game guy in college and American junior hockey as he was coming up the ranks.

Over the weekend he just about doubled his point totals in the AHL (4 goals, 6 assists) with Syracuse Crunch, scoring his first hat trick and getting a helper in one contest.

Some had him pegged to start his first full season in the NHL but as we know….

03Nov

Sebastien Piche(7) Greenville Road Warriors

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After viewing the first 8 Connecticut Whale 2012/2013 regular season games from the stands, defenseman Sebastien Piche(7) gets reassigned to help their ECHL affiliate Greenville Road Warriors.

Originally undrafted he was signed by Detroit Red Wings to a 3-year entry level deal but spent most of his playing time with either their AHL affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins or in the lower league with Toledo Walleye.

He somewhat luckily went from skating (or not) last season with the Griffins but was traded in a late transaction that sent him to Tampa Bay Lightning, where he was immediately sent all the way down to Florida Everblades for the remainder of the year; and his contract. He was given a qualifying offer at the end of the season.

The 6′ 202 lbs. blue liner played in all 18 Kelly Cup playoff games with the Everblades on their way to winning the Kelly Cup. He scored 2 goals and added 9 assists in postseason play.

He has the ability to connect with the scoresheet and looked pretty solid in the one preseason game we saw him take part in; and also put up numbers in juniors.

Maybe the 24-year is continue to work his game. He signed an AHL contract for 2012/2013 and bets are good he’ll receive a call-up quickly but will need to contribute.

17Sep

Radko Gudas(3) Syracuse Crunch

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Czech Republic born defenseman Radko Gudas(3) will be entering the final season of his 3-year entry level deal he signed with Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010.

He was originally a 3rd round draft pick in 2010 (#66 overall) but has yet to receive a call up on a team that stocked fairly well with blue liners.

In 2011/2012 he won the Calder Cup with the Admirals in a fairytale run to capture the title. He also grew the most enormous playoff beard pro hockey has seen.

At 6′ 201 lbs he doesn’t seem like the biggest of guys out on the ice but he plays a much bigger game than his size stats may point towards and is not afraid to drop the mitts, ending last season with 195 penalty minutes and 11 fighting majors to his credit.

Although his offensive numbers ticked up slightly last year in a few less games, he’s not what you’d deem as an offensive powerhouse. Still at a two season combined +33 there is plenty of accountable upside to his game.

He along with just about every other eligible player was recently reassigned to their new affiliate Syracuse Crunch.

02Sep

Justin Courtnall(90) Providence Bruins

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Left wing Justin Courtnall(90) decides to forego his final year of college hockey in the Hub with Boston University Terriers and signs a minor league contract to start up his pro career with Providence Bruins.

Originally a Tampa Bay Lightning 7th round pick in the 2007 draft (#210 overall), he was an invite to Boston Bruins‘ 2012 prospect camp and his willingness and tough play earned him some looks.

Although 6’3″ 210 lbs. forward didn’t really put up stellar numbers in his three years of college hockey, the 23-year old is the son of Geoff Courtnall, who a sniper in over 1000 pro games in his career from 1983 – 2000.

Pretty much should be a no brainer that he shows up in Bruins’ training camp when and if that opens for in a couple of weeks.

29Aug

Jaroslav Janus (30)

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Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in the 2009 draft (#192 overall) goalie Jaroslav Janus(30) hopefully heads to the home country Slovakia to continue his pro hockey career development as he’s signed a tryout agreement with HC Slovan Bratislava.

The 3rd year goaltender’s entry level deal was up and he was a restricted free agent going into 2012/2013.

With no room in the minors and he’s yet to make an NHL appearance, this was thought to be the best idea in the quest to keep getting him playing time.

The 6’1″ 189 lbs. backstop had a career year with Calder Cup Champion Norfolk Admirals last season.

In 34 games he posted a 23-8 record with a 2.36 GAA and .914 SV%.

Unless he gets comfortable playing closer to his birthplace, it’s likely that if the Lightning just have too many goalies in their system, someone else will come a knocking for the 22-year old.

12Aug

Ryan Craig(22) Springfield Falcons

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Heading into his 10th season, center Ryan Craig(22) is back with Springfield Falcons under an AHL contract. He was originally reassigned to the team in his second pro year by Tampa Bay Lightning. He was their 8th round pick in the 2002 draft (#255 overall).

The 6’2″ 202 lbs. forward was team captain from 2004 until mid-way through 2005 before being recalled to the NHL, where he stayed for the next four seasons although was unable to shake the injury bug limiting his effectiveness and games to 61 games in 2007-2009.

By the start of 2009 – 2010, he was basically relegated to their AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals.

He was an unrestricted free agent as the start of 2010 and signed a one-year, two-way deal with Pittsburgh Penguins. He played 6 games with them without hitting the scoresheet, spending most of his time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Re-signing for 2011/2012, he skated the full year in the AHL.

The now 30-year forward is a welcome asset and proven leader for a young Falcons‘ squad, and may just lift them back into the playoff picture.

In 190 career NHL games he’s scored 32 goals and 31 assists.

27Jul

Jay Leach(2) New Jersey Devils

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New Jersey Devils‘ defenseman Jay Leach(2) will be entering his 12th pro year at the start of next season. He re-signed for another 0ne-year, two-way deal that will possibly see him taking over as team captain for their AHL affiliate in Albany.

Originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 5th round pick in the 1998 draft (#115 overall), it wasn’t until four years of bouncing between ECHL and AHL teams that he got his first taste of NHL action with Boston Bruins. He’s appeared in 70 games with 5 different teams scoring only one goal and adding a pair of assists.

He’s never really been counted on for his scoring touch so much as his 6’4″ 215 lbs frame to keep the attackers at bay.

The almost 33-year old has what seems to be a small-ish count of 439 regular season AHL games to his credit. You’d think he’s played more but he also has a surprising 177 ECHL contests on his resume.

This could be his final season playing. We could see him going into coaching with ease, if that’s where he sees the next step in his hockey career. He barely play any last season succumbing to what seemed like a series of injuries.

26Jul

Matt Smaby(4) Anaheim Ducks

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Tampa Bay Lightning‘s 2nd round pick in the 2003 draft (#41 overall) defenseman Matt Smaby(4) almost doesn’t seem like he’s been playing pro for as long as he has but 2012/2013 will be his 7th season.

He re-signed with Anaheim Ducks for another one-year, two-way deal. Last season he played the entire campaign with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch after injuring his thumb in an NHL preseason game that sidelined him for a good three months.

The towering 6’6″ 239 lbs. d-man has skated in 122 NHL games (all with the Lightning) scoring no goals with 6 assists and a less than impressive plus/minus. But in 2010/2011, his first full season in the show, he went a +2 in 32 contests.

Even on the abbreviated by injury season last year, he had a pair of goals and 7 assists in 30 games and went a healthy +12.

Of all the super-ironies to happen to players though, if the 27-year old starts the new season in the AHL or gets reassigned, he will return to Norfolk, where he spent three years of his pro career.

24Jun

Michel Ouellet(28) Boston Bruins

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10th year veteran right wing Michel Ouellet(28) was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, where he won the Calder Cup Championship last season with AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals, to Boston Bruins in a draft day deal.

If signed, he’ll most likely be reassigned to Providence to start 2012/2013.

The former Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4th round pick in the 2000 draft (#124) has 190 games of NHL experience 52 goals and 68 assists.

In the AHL he has 105 goals and 131 assists in 330 regular and postseason games.

No doubt the 30-year old, 6’1″ 210 lbs. forward will bring some much needed size to the P-Bruins‘ lineup but they are certainly going to need him to regain that scoring touch to help them get back into the playoffs for the first time in a few seasons.

He could also pull some effective 4th line duties for the big club if injuries occur.

22Jun

Jean-Philippe Cote (24)

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Entering his 10th pro season, defenseman Jean-Phillipe Cote(24) becomes the first signing for Tampa Bay Lightning‘s brand new AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch after winning the Calder Cup, his second, with Norfolk Admirals last season.

He inked a two-year minor league deal that will keep him in the system through 2014.

The 6’2″ 210 lbs. 30-year old started the year playing 10 games with Ontario Reign of the ECHL (his first appearance in the league) before signing a pto with the Admirals in mid-November that was bumped up to a standard player contract a month later.

Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 9th round pick in the 2000 draft (#265 overall), the big blue liner has appeared in 8 NHL games with Montreal Canadiens and won his first Calder Cup with Hamilton Bulldogs in 2007.

He spent his first 5 seasons with the team skating in 354 games with the team.

He may not be the most prolific scoring d-man but he’s accountable force out there and even put up career highs last season for assists (12), points (15) and plus/minus (+26) and postseason games played, so he’s a good guy to have on any team.