Bolts lose Bierk, may replace him in Weekes
Just hours after the Lightning lost goalie of the future Zac Bierk, the
Bolts have reportedly replaced him and added a defenseman in the process.
The Tampa Tribune is reporting that a deal has been completed between the Lightning and Islanders. The Lightning would give the Islanders the number 5
selection in today’s draft, while the Islanders would send goaltender Kevin
Weekes and a prospect (reportedly monster 6’9” 255lbs. defenseman Zdeno
Chara).
Weekes played outstanding following his trade to the Islanders from
the Canucks a season ago, posting a .902 save percentage on the island.
Coach Steve Ludzik is very familiar with Weekes after coaching him with the
Detroit Vipers in the 1998-99 season where he posted 19 victories. Chara
brings the Lightning what they severely lack on defense, size. However it
also just creates a larger logjam on the Bolts blueline. This will lead to
trade speculation involving some of the younger defensemen in the Lightning
cupboard, especially if they add a veteran D-man.
The deal will also leave the Bolts with the number 8 selection,
which they should use, on a scoring forward. Alexei Smirnov, Martin
Samuelsson, and Nikita Alexeev are just a few of the prospects that should be
available. But GM Rick Dudley’s wheeling and dealing may not be over. There Read more»
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft holds several options for the up start Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning hold 15 picks in this years draft, including two picks in the top ten. The Bolts pick at numbers five and eight in the first round. These picks have led to a lot of speculation as to what GM Rick Dudley has planned. Dudley has acknowledged that several teams have called in interest of the picks, and Dudley has made no secret that he is willing to trade the picks for immediate help on the team. If Dudley were to trade the picks look for a goaltender, veteran defenseman, and/or scoring winger to come back in return.
In the later rounds look for the Lightning to stock up on wingers and goaltenders, but don’t be surprised if a few more defensemen are added to the already talented corp.
As the draft draws near, the question most asked about the Lightning’s draft is not who they’ll take in the first round, but if they’ll be picking at all. With the 5th and 8th overall picks and the need for immediate help, General Manager Rick Dudley should probably stock up on extra cell phone batteries. All indications show that he has already fielded numerous calls about trading one or both of the picks. He has said publicly that he will trade them if it will improve the team. He looks at draft picks very much as he does players. They are assets. Although every team needs to have a strong system, one cannot dismiss the fact that from time to time immediate help for a team outweighs the need to bolster their youth.
Read more»
His name is virtually unknown but his play is turning heads. Dieter Kochan, 25, has bounced between 8 different hockey leagues including the International Federation of Roller Skating (FIRS) an inline league. He is finally getting a shot at the big time though, recently signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kochan was originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft 98th overall. He never came to terms with the team and went on to attend Northern Michigan University. In 106 games with the Wild Cats he posted a 4.09 GAA and went 32-60-7. While playing with NMU, Kochan received numerous awards including Best Defensive player in 1996-97 and Most Valuable Player along with Most Valuable Defensive player in 1995-96.
Kochan led the USA Roller Hockey National team to a gold medal in the 1997 FIRS Roller Hockey World Championship in Austria last June. He was also a member of the 1996 National team who captured the gold in Italy.
After college, Kochan went on to play for the Louisville River Frogs of the ECHL posting a 3.73 GAA in 18 games. He started the 1998-99 season with the BC Icemen of the OHL and had a decent season going 18-16-5.
Read more»
Former NAHL Most Valuable Defenseman Heads to Pros from Bowling Green
For Immediate Release – Thursday, April 6, 2000
The North American Hockey League has announced that former NAHL defenseman Mike Jones has signed a free-agent
contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
A 6-4, 195-pound native of Toledo, OH, Jones, 23, spent the past four seasons at Bowling Green State University of the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association. He tallied six goals and 13 assists for 19 points with 71 penalty minutes in 34 games
with Bowling Green this season as an assistant captain, and also helped BGSU to a first-round playoff upset of Lake Superior
State University.
Jones, who collected 18-52—70 points and 167 PIM in 127 career outings with the Falcons, will join former NAHL and
BGSU star Brian Holzinger in Tampa Bay. The Buffalo Sabres traded Holzinger, the 1995 Hobey Baker Memorial Award
winner as the top player in U.S. college hockey, to the Lightning last month.
Jones played two years with the NAHL’s Cleveland Barons, recording 15-33—48 points as a rookie left wing in
1994-95. He switched to the blueline the following season and notched 25-45—70 points in 46 outings while also serving
as Cleveland’s team captain. He led all league defensemen in points that year, led all NAHL players in assists, and Read more»
Have you read this before: “The Lightning are putting together an
impressive collection of talent that will get them out of the NHL basement.”
Well unfortunately those statements have gone without results from the
players themselves. However all the blame can’t be placed on the players
alone. Changes in ownership, front office, coach and staff have resulted in
a massive overhaul in the Lightning roster. Out is owner Art Williams, in is…
Davidson. Out is GM Phil Esposito, in is Rick Dudley. Out is coach
Jacques Demers, in is Steve Ludzik. To put it in a nut shell the Lightning
upgraded to a more hockey smart (and professional sports smart) owner, a GM
that won’t use aging veterans to band aid the roster, and a coach that
combines his ability to discipline while relate to his players. This new
staff has been given the challenge to rebuild the last rebuilding process of
the Bolt roster. And they are doing a good job of it. Out are big and slow
talent. Dudley has replaced that with big and fast, really fast, talent.
Most of this talent comes on the blueline. Dudley is developing a nucleus of
young defensemen comparable to the New York Islanders of a few seasons ago.
Below is more is a more in-depth look at the defensemen in the Lightning
system:
Defense:
This has quickly become the organizational strength as far as talent is
concerned. Following graduated prospects Andrei Zyuzin, Sergey Gusev, Pavel Read more»
|
