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Lightning Top 20 prospects
Written by: HF Staff on 04/07/2005 
1. Mike Egener
2. Adam Henrich
3. Andy Rogers
4. Alexander Polushin
5. Darren Reid
6. Matt Smaby
7. Doug O’Brien
8. Gerard Dicaire
9. Evgeni Artukhin
10. Andreas Holmqvist
11. Mike Lundin
12. Paul Ranger
13. Ryan Craig
14. Gerald Coleman
15. Jonathan Boutin
16. Brian Eklund
17. Dmitri Kazionov
18. Mark Tobin
19. Zbynek Hrdel
20. Nick Tarnasky
1. Mike Egener, D – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’4, Weight: 213 lbs., DOB: Sep. 26, 1984
Acquired: 2nd round, 34th overall, 2003
The 20-year-old defenseman seizes the top spot as the top prospect in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. The mean, heavy-hitting defenseman will not win any scoring championships, having scored only six goals in his four years with the Calgary Hitmen and has a career-high three with the Falcons this season, but will bring defensive responsibility and an in-your-face, lead-by-example style of play to the ice every game. He is somewhat undisciplined with his rugged style of play, and will have to control that aspect of his game if he is going to make the next step, but his style of play is looked upon favorably in NHL circles. Logging plenty of ice time in his first professional season, Egener has made a relatively smooth transition to the professional game. This year has definitely been a learning experience for Egener with a struggling Springfield team, and he will look to help his squad compete more effectively next season. Egener missed 18 games in the middle of the season with a knee injury, and will hope to stay healthy, getting a full season next year. If he can keep disciplined, and hone his defensive game a little bit more, the smooth-skating defenseman should be a shoo-in to play one day in the top two pairings for Tampa Bay.
2. Adam Henrich, LW – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’4, Weight: 238 lbs., DOB: Jan. 19, 1984
Acquired: 2nd round, 60th overall, 2002
Henrich is playing in his first year of professional hockey with the Springfield Falcons. After having enjoyed greener pastures over the past several seasons with the Brampton Battalion of the OHL, the large two-way forward has tried to make the most of his opportunity with the lowly Falcons this season. He currently sits fifth in points on the team, with seven goals and 13 assists, while posting a modest –13 rating on the poor team. A clever offensive player who has just begun to use his size appropriately, Henrich has had some problems with consistency with the Falcons this season –- though this has been a problem with much of the roster –- but he is still trying to improve his game night in, night out. He has the fundamentals under control, and he has shown in the past that he can put the puck in the net, having put up points at a point-per-game average in the OHL. If he and his team can get some consistency, and he can adapt to the professional game, he will have a better shot at breaking the poor hockey luck of his family. His is the brother of former Edmonton Oilers first round bust Michael Henrich. He will look to have a better season in his sophomore year of professional hockey.
3. Andy Rogers, D – Prince George Cougars
(WHL)
Height: 6’5, Weight: 206 lbs., DOB: Aug. 25, 1986
Acquired: 1st round, 30th overall, 2004
Rogers had the unfortunate luck of being traded from a team that finished the season 11 games above .500 (Calgary Hitmen), to a team that finished 15 games below .500 (Prince George Cougars), and will thus miss the playoffs, like his future teammates with Springfield. However, it will not be from lack of effort from the Lightning’s first round selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Rogers, a stay-at-home defenseman who has only scored three goals in his three seasons in the WHL combined, finds other ways to contribute on the ice. While he will not be a key contributor in the offensive end, it is in his own zone where Rogers shines. Boasting a large frame and great skating ability, the physical defenseman has a knack for punishing the opposition in the defensive end. His size is a key attribute, and coupled with the physicality and mobility he possesses, was key in the Lightning choosing him at the end of the first round, though he could stand to put on a little bit more weight. His mobility was slowed temporarily after he suffered a minor ankle injury that kept him out a few games mid-season. He will likely return to the WHL for a fourth season next year, and will look to help contribute to the Cougars squad next year in his own ways.
4. Alexander Polushin, RW – CSKA Moscow
(RSL)
Height: 6’4, Weight: 200 lbs., DOB: May 8, 1983
Acquired: 2nd round, 47th overall, 2001
Formerly the top prospect in the Lightning organization, Polushin falls three spots in this update. Due to a large number of NHL players taking up residence on the CSKA squad (Nikolai Zherdev, Alexander Frolov, and Oleg Kvasha, primarily), Polushin’s ice time with the big club has been diminished. He still managed to contribute offensively during his limited time, picking up three goals and four assists in 17 games. He has played more of the season with CSKA’s lower-level squad, which might have spelled disaster for the previously disinterested Polushin, who had played three years in the Russian SuperLeague. However, his mind is now in the right place, and he has taken his temporary demotion in stride, and let his offensive skills shine. In the Russian First League, Polushin has scored at above a point-per-game clip. If it had not been for his ice time being drastically reduced, he may have put up similar numbers with parent club. A great skater with good size, offensive creativity, and desire, Polushin has what it takes to contribute at the NHL level. Whether or not he will get that opportunity in the near future remains to be seen. All he can do is continue to contribute offensively on a consistent basis, at whichever level his is at, and wait for his opportunity. It will come in time.
5. Darren Reid, RW – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’2, Weight: 190 lbs., DOB: May 8, 1983
Acquired: 8th round, 256th overall, 2002
A first glance at Reid’s offensive stats for the Falcons this season, one would suspect that the first-year forward has been quite the bust. In 53 games thus far, Reid has only managed to notch two goals; a far cry from the 81 points he put up last season for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. However, Reid is contributing in other ways. A physical forward who does all that is asked of him on the ice, Reid brings a physical dimension to the ice every game. Not the largest of players, but willing to buy into a “team” concept, Reid brings a strong work ethic to a team that can use leadership, and gives great effort on every shift. Not an overwhelming offensive threat thus far in his professional career, Reid does boast a decent repertoire of moves, and he has good on-ice vision and offensive creativity, though he is not getting results yet at the professional level. Things are looking up for Reid in the future. The hard-working forward has risen rapidly up the Lightning prospect depth chart, and if he can regain his offensive touch next season, this power-forward in the making has a legitimate shot at someday playing for Tampa Bay, despite being somewhat of an afterthought on draft day in 2002, when he was selected in the eighth round.
6. Matt Smaby, D – University of North Dakota
Fighting Sioux (WCHA)
Height: 6’5, Weight: 205 lbs., DOB: Oct. 14, 1984
Acquired: 2nd round, 41st overall, 2003
The Lightning tradition in recent years has seemed to be of drafting defensemen who are not great offensive threats, but are mean and responsible in their own end. Matt Smaby fits into this mould, much like Egener and Rogers before him, playing a very tight, gritty game in his own end, while more or less neglecting much of his offensive talent. Boasting great size (though he could definitely stand to add some more weight), the defensive Smaby is still quite mobile in his own end, and opposing forwards have a difficult time getting around him. Not known for his offensive threats, with only three points this season, Smaby still has a decent shot and above-average offensive instincts. Smaby and the Fighting Sioux will be competing in the Frozen Four tournament, to determine a national collegiate hockey champion, and he will no doubt play a key role for the Fighting Sioux, alongside other highly touted talents in Travis Zajac and Drew Stafford. Smaby was second on the team in penalty minutes with 86 so far this season.
7. Doug O’Brien, D – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’1, Weight: 200 lbs., DOB: Feb. 16, 1984
Acquired: 6th round, 192nd overall, 2003
O’Brien has been a rare bright spot on a poor Springfield Falcons squad in his first year in professional hockey. A winner in junior, appearing in two Memorial Cups for the Hull (now Gatineau) Olympiques, the 21-year-old defenseman won’t be seeing the postseason this time, as the Falcons sit in the basement of the AHL’s Atlantic Division. O’Brien, despite being a rookie, has logged plenty of ice time on the point. A great two-way defenseman in junior, he has had to focus more on his defensive play (which is quite respectable) for Springfield. However, he still leads team defensemen in scoring at this point, with 13 points. Playing in key situations for a poor team, O’Brien’s plus/minus rating is third worst on the team, at –21, but he is still playing a responsible game. Not overly large, nor dominant in any particular aspect of the game, O’Brien continues to bring a well-rounded game to the rink every night.
8. Gerard Dicaire, D – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’2, Weight: 210 lbs., DOB: Sep 14, 1982
Acquired: 5th round, 162nd overall, 2002
Dicaire’s second season in professional hockey has been problematic. He spent several weeks at the start of the season on the injured list after having surgery to remove infected boils from his back. He was never able to get his season on the right track after that, and Springfield’s poor season has not provided him with an adequate environment to improve his play. A good offensive defenseman in junior, Dicaire has not had much of an opportunity yet to use his offensive instincts this season. He only has two goals and five points in 43 games for the Falcons, and will look to next year to hopefully prove his worth. His all-around game has been decent with Springfield this season. An intelligent player, he has tried to make the smart play at the right time, and his two-way ability has resulted in a somewhat respectable –15 rating. His offensive expertise cannot be overlooked by the Lightning scouting staff, as most of their other defensive prospects are lack Dicaire’s skill and awareness in the opposition’s zone. Though boasting a decent-sized frame, Dicaire has not used his size to his advantage often enough, and will have to get meaner if he wishes to make a permanent step up to the next level.
9. Evgeni Artukhin, LW – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’4, Weight: 254 lbs., DOB: Apr. 4, 1983
Acquired: 3rd round, 94th overall, 2001
Artukhin has shown some progression this season, his second in the AHL (but first for Springfield). The mammoth Russian power-forward has compiled seven goals, 10 assists for the offensively dreadful Falcons, and as per usual, has been bringing his very sound physical game to the ice nearly every night. A tank on skates, Artukhin hits everything and anything. A deceivingly strong skater, he can build up speed quickly, and hits to punish opponents. With his frame, that happens often. Playing with often-reckless abandon this season has gotten Artukhin in trouble with the league offices on multiple occasions, as he has been suspended twice (one for a devastating check thrown on an opponent, and a ten-game suspension for abuse of officials). He must learn to keep his cool, keep himself under control, and learn to throw the big hit at the opportune time. Artukhin is the only player with a plus/minus rating on this year’s Falcons – a difficult task for a player on a team that has given up 90 more goals than it has scored.
10. Andreas Holmqvist, D – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’4, Weight: 195 lbs., DOB: Jul. 23, 1981
Acquired: 2nd round, 61st overall, 2001
Holmqvist is in his first full season in the American Hockey League with Springfield. The two-way Swedish-born defenseman had a taste of the AHL with the Hershey Bears last season (four games) before putting together a fairly successful season in the ECHL with the Pensacola Ice Pilots, piling up four goals and 33 assists. Despite what many deem to be NHL-calibre offensive skills, Holmqvist has been in and out of the line-up this season, as the Lightning farm team in Springfield has a plethora of strong defensive prospects, meaning there is not enough ice time to go around, in spite of Holmqvist’s obvious valuable skills. Tall and physical, but still somewhat slight, Holmqvist could definitely stand to add some weight and strength for next season, when the log-jam on the Falcons blue-line should be cleared up (should the lockout come to an end). In limited action this season, Holmqvist has contributed offensively. Despite playing half as many games as many defensive regulars, Holmqvist has scored three goals and five assists in 34 games, and he has added one game-winning goal. Highly skilled, and responsible in both ends of the ice, and boasting good size and strength, Holmqvist has plenty of desirable attributes. All he needs to do is win a regular spot, to show them off on a regular basis. He will have a chance next season.
11. Mike Lundin, D – University of Maine Black
Bears (HE)
Height: 6’1, Weight: 195 lbs., DOB: Sep. 24, 1984
Acquired: 4th round, 102nd overall, 2004
A smooth skater with great vision and playmaking ability with the puck, Lundin is just another in a long line of solid defensive prospects in Tampa Bay’s stable. Lundin just finished his sophomore season with the Maine Black Bears in Hockey East. After a very promising freshman year, which resulted in his drafting by the Lightning in the fourth round of last year’s NHL draft, Lundin struggled out of the gate, falling victim, it appeared, to yet another sophomore slump. However, the second half of the season, Lundin got back to making the safe play, and regaining the fundamentals of the game, and was able to turn around a poor season. He scored only one goal in his sophomore season, but that was a game-winning goal in a game against Northeastern in January. Lundin finished the season with 13 assists to go with his one goal, a little less than last season, but far better than it appeared he would finish with at the start of the season. By the end of the season, Lundin was seeing prime ice again, and was one of the team’s top defensemen. With two senior defensemen moving on next season, the defensive corps will unofficially fall into Lundin’s control. With his tireless work ethic and positive, upbeat attitude, he should have little trouble adapting.
12. Paul Ranger, D – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’2, Weight: 215 lbs., DOB: Sep. 12, 1984
Acquired: 6th round, 183rd overall, 2002
Ranger made the jump to the professional ranks this season after four fairly productive seasons with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. Ranger joins the long list of defensively responsible defensive prospects in the Tampa Bay system. A quick skating, mobile defenseman with decent size, Ranger plays very well positionally in his own end. Of the Springfield defensemen who have played more than 50 games this season, Ranger is third in plus/minus with a respectable –12 rating, in spite of the fact that he has only put up seven points in 61 games thus far. There were two knocks on Ranger’s game coming into this season – consistency and lack of physicality. There have been times when Ranger has appeared very solid in his own end, but there are other times when he looks as if he could have used some seasoning in the ECHL before making the jump to Springfield. In regards to his lack of physicality, he was deemed somewhat slight, and in response to that, put on 15 pounds of muscle in the off-season. With the added size, it was hoped that his physical game would increase, but it has not come along as was hoped. Increased physicality, coupled with competent two-way play, will go a long way in ensuring that Ranger has a long professional career, that may perhaps take him into the NHL.
13. Ryan Craig, C – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’2, Weight: 220 lbs., DOB: Jan 6, 1982
Acquired: 8th round, 225th overall, 2002
Ryan Craig has been one of the few bright spots offensively on an otherwise dismal Falcons squad. When he came aboard with Springfield this season after having a rather forgettable first professional season with Hershey, it was expected that the solid two-way player would become a fixture on the Springfield checking line. Instead, Craig has developed into the team’s leading goal scorer (24, of which five are game-winning goals) and point-getter (37). Craig’s offensive outburst should not come as a surprise, since he topped the 30-goal plateau twice in the WHL, though the offensive facet was not expected to be what he brought to the table in the professional game. A great leader with third or fourth line role-player potential, it is entirely possible that this offensive outburst is an aberration in Craig’s professional career, but that does not mean he should not have a chance to carve out a successful professional career in the future. With great size, grit, and character, Craig is the sort of player who helps win championships by bringing intangibles to the ice.
14. Gerald Coleman, G – London Knights
(OHL)
Height: 6’4, Weight: 190 lbs., DOB: Apr 3, 1985
Acquired: 7th round, 224th overall, 2003
The statistics Gerald Coleman has put up for the best team in the Canadian Hockey League, the London Knights, are staggering. During the regular season, Coleman compiled an almost unheard of record of 32 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties, while putting up an astounding save percentage of 0.941, and holding onto a microscopic goals against average of 1.70. While the Knights offense is, as a whole, among the most overpowering groups seen in the CHL in recent years, Coleman also did his share in keeping the Knights record so astounding as it was. Coleman is very large (if still somewhat lanky), and is quite positionally sound. However, the statistics may be deceiving, and there are still concerns in his game. Though positionally sound, and boasting a stellar save percentage, Coleman has been known to give up the occasional very bad goal, and regardless of how potent the rest of the team is, a bad goal at an inopportune time can be deadly. Also, Coleman’s playing time down the stretch was curtailed after the acquisition of another goaltender, Adam Dennis, who had an even lower goals against average and higher save percentage than Coleman. The two netminders each played a pair of games in London’s first round sweep of Guelph. In order to soundly make the next step to the professional level, Coleman must realize that not every team he plays for will be as strong as the 2004-05 Knights, and he will have to stop giving up the bad goal.
15. Jonathan Boutin, G – Quebec Remparts
(QMJHL)
Height: 6’2, Weight: 206 lbs., DOB: Mar. 28, 1985
Acquired: 3rd round, 93rd overall, 2003
Boutin had yet another inconsistent season, his fourth in the QMJHL. After finishing last season strong after a change of scenery, Boutin came out of the gates on fire with the P.E.I. Rocket, and thus almost silenced his critics that have continuously harped on his choppy play, and he led his team to the top of the Maritime Division for a time in October. However, it was not long until the wheels fell off, and he was moved off the island to play for Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts. He was hampered down the stretch with a bout of appendicitis that kept him out several weeks. Plagued by inconsistency for much of the season, Boutin was given the ball after Maxime Joyal faltered, and he proved to be very efficient, helping bring the Remparts back from a 3-1 series deficit against Victoriaville, to lead his team to the second round. Until he can keep his head in the game for an extended stretch, and prevent himself from giving up the early, weak goal, Boutin will still leave everyone wanting more. He has the stuff to be a top-flight goaltender, but whether he can put it all together at the same time is still unclear. The next round series against Chicoutimi will be very telling as to whether or not Boutin has overcome his mental demons.
16. Brian Eklund, G – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’5, Weight: 205 lbs., DOB: May 24, 1980
Acquired: 7th round, 226th overall, 2000
Eklund’s third professional season has been quite the learning experience with Springfield. After a very busy season with the ECHL’s Pensacola Ice Pilots last season, Eklund made a permanent jump to the AHL this season, and was more or less thrown to the fire, facing a barrage of opposing shots on a daily basis. The butterfly netminder from Massachusetts, who is also a graduate of Brown University, has compiled a decent record of 11 wins and 20 losses (the rest of the team is 10-28-3), a decent goals against average of 3.03, and a better than average save percentage rating of .909. One of the major knocks on Eklund coming into this season was that his confidence was often easily shaken (seemingly, like Tampa Bay’s other two goaltending prospects), however, his confidence has been put to the test night in, night out this season. While he may not have very much confidence in those playing in front of him, he has shown good poise between the pipes, playing with what he has. He will look forward to next season, in the hopes that Springfield can ice a more competitive team, and get some offensive support.
17. Dmitri Kazionov, C – Lada Togliatti
(RSL)
Height: 6’3, Weight: 185 lbs., DOB: May 13, 1984
Acquired: 4th round, 100th overall, 2002
It was hoped that Kazionov would be able to take on a larger role with Lada this season, but unfortunately for his development, the team was a key destination for many locked out NHL forwards (Viktor Kozlov, Igor Grigorenko, Dmitri Afanasenkov, Alexander Semin, Dainius Zubrus, and Ivan Novoseltev), and thus he had been relegated to spot duty on the fourth line. Highly skilled, quick, with decent size (though he has not quite learned how to use it efficiently yet), Kazionov has compiled three goals and eight assists in his limited duty with Lada this season, though in the playoffs, he has yet to see any action. It is hoped that once the lockout comes to an end, Kazionov will be able to gain some valuable ice time with one of the better teams in the Russian SuperLeague, and thus continue to hone his already strong skill set, in the hopes of one day jumping to North America. His two-way play and great vision would be greatly welcomed in the Tampa Bay farm system.
18. Mark Tobin, LW – Rimouski Océanic
(QMJHL)
Height: 6’3, Weight: 211 lbs., DOB: Nov. 26, 1985
Acquired: 2nd round, 64th overall, 2004
The hard-working forward from Newfoundland did not see the expected rise in ice time this season, thanks largely to Rimouski over-using the Sidney Crosby line for much of the season. But when he got his opportunities, he made them count, equaling his 22-goal output from last season, but more than doubling his assist total in the process, while seeing time split between the top two power play units (he notched ten goals with the man advantage this season). Always counted upon to bring a strong work ethic, Tobin helps create space for his teammates. While he still maintains his physical style of play, he has begun to shy away from the fighting aspect of his game. His –1 rating on such an offensive team is a bit worrying, though his line had been playing against the opposition’s top units most of the season, and many of his points came via special teams. He still needs some work on his offense, but his grit is a desirable facet of his game that will go over well at the professional level.
19. Zbynek Hrdel, LW – Rimouski Océanic
(QMJHL)
Height: 6’4, Weight: 197 lbs., DOB: Aug. 19, 1985
Acquired: 9th round, 286th overall, 2003
Hrdel compiled another respectable season, both in the CHL and internationally. Hrdel has spent much of the season on the second line for the offensive juggernaut Rimouski Océanic, flying under the radar of his more renowned teammates. In his third season in North America, Hrdel became a point-per-game player, notching 23 goals and 35 assists in 56 games, compiling an impressive +25 rating. Responsible at both ends of the ice, and playing in all situations, Hrdel has proven to be a necessary component for the often one-dimensional Océanic attack. Hrdel was selected to play for his native Czech Republic in the World Junior Championships in Grand Forks, winning the bronze medal in the process. In the tournament, Hrdel scored only once, but was an integral part of that team. He will look to go deep into the playoffs with the Océanic and raise his stock as a prospect, as this may be his last chance at CHL success before likely jumping to the minor professional ranks next season.
20. Nick Tarnasky, C – Springfield Falcons
(AHL)
Height: 6’2, Weight: 233 lbs., DOB: Nov. 25, 1984
Acquired: 9th round, 287th overall, 2003
Tarnasky has spent much of the season playing for Springfield’s fourth line. The Lightning took a flyer on Tarnasky with one of the final picks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, and even though he is not expected to be much of a scorer in the professional game (though he did compile 26 goals in his final season in the Western Hockey League with Lethbridge), he does bring other aspects to the table. The massive center boasts a strong physical game, a willingness to drop the gloves, and has loads of character. Still, in limited ice time, in spite of his average offensive talents, and with little offensive help around him, Tarnasky has chipped in six goals and nine assists in 73 games, compiling 169 penalty minutes. Though his plus/minus rating leaves a lot to be desired (-31 thus far), Tarnasky is still an effective, gritty two-way center, who has been improving bit by bit over the course of the season. He may not be much more than a checking center in the professional ranks, but his willingness to get his hands dirty, and work hard every shift will certainly endear him to his coaches.
Missing the cut
Jean-François Soucy, LW – Springfield Falcons (AHL)Height: 6’3, Weight: 205 lbs., DOB: Mar. 25, 1982
Acquired: 8th round, 252nd overall, 2001
Soucy has struggled mightily both in the AHL with Springfield and in the ECHL with Johnstown. Though he has appeared in 48 games with the Falcons, Soucy, a strong skater with decent size and physical play, has only compiled three points. A stint with the Chiefs did not help him regain his offensive touch. A decent two-way player with good size, but not very solid with the puck, Soucy will have to retool next season, and hope that this poor season was only a sophomore slump, and he can return to being a regular contributor, as he was with Pensacola in his rookie season.
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