Rookie Watch: Tampa Bay Lightning

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Each day until September 15th TPS will take a look at one team from the Eastern Conference and one club from the West and spotlight a few rookies to watch for this season. This afternoon we explore the potential first year guys for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Lightning Prospect Snap Shot

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The Tampa Bay Lightning joined the league back in 1992 and have had a roller coaster existence over their 18-year history. They've finished dead last in the standings, they've won the Stanley Cup, drafted 1st overall three times, played in front of over 28,000 people in an indoor game yet have had numerous off-ice problems as well.

There are a lot of critics when it comes to the idea of hockey in Florida and yet Tampa Bay appears to be one of the more viable locations of the Southern based franchises.

There are superstars on the Tampa roster including perennial all-stars like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Strong draft position in recent years has allowed the team to add franchise players like Steven Stamkos and defenceman Victor Hedman to build a solid future around.

Here is a look at some of the other promising players coming down the pipe for the Tampa bay Lightning...

The down-low with Bristowe

Posted by Allan Bristowe

First of all I would like to thank Dean and Guy for the opportunity to be a part of the Pipeline blog. It’s great to work with Dean again after going to broadcasting school with him. I did want to add this one tid bit of information: Even though the Raiders are in fight for a playoff spot, and won’t catch Dean’s Wheat Kings as I write my first blog... Last night the scoreboard read: RAIDERS 2 WHEAT KINGS 1.

All kidding aside my first topic is about a special young player that a lot of people in the east may not have heard about, but you will. Prince George Cougar forward Brett Connolly is the best 16 year old in the league in my opinion and should be named rookie of the year in the WHL.

He may not have as many points as Jordan Weal (13 goals 49 assists for 62 points) from Regina or Everett’s 17 year old rookie Kellan Tochkin (18 goals 51 assists for 69 points). Connolly leads the Cougars in scoring with 29 goals and 27 assists for 56 points in 59 games. The PG Product will likely by named the Cougars MVP for the season and does things on many nights that you don’t see 19 year olds do in the dub.

Even Cats Head Coach Wade Klippenstein has said many times he’s been the best player on the ice for both teams. One weekend in particular comes to mind in January when the Cats faced the Kelowna Rockets with Jamie Benn, Tyler Myers in the line-up after winning gold for Canada at the world junior championship. Plus the Rockets had just received Mikael Backlund from the Calgary Flames. The 6 foot 1’,162 pound left winger’s been putting up good numbers all season despite losing line mate Dana Tyrell at Christmas time.

The Cougars have had such a tough time finding another player to go along with Connolly and centre man Marek Viedensky they tried 5 different players in one period recently. I think Connolly might even be the top WHL player selected in the 2010 NHL draft. He’s worth the price of admission and a player people should keep on their radar. He’s already on the mind of NHL scouts.

That’s the Down-low with Bristowe. Next week we’ll take a look at the WHL western conference playoff picture which should have all 8 teams decided by this weekend.

Tyrell Out For Season

Just heard that Dana Tyrell will need season ending ACL surgery. There is also MCL damage that the Prince George Cougar captain suffered Friday night against Sweden in Canada's first World Junior pre tournament game. This is an extremely tough blow for a guy who didn't make the team last year due to injury and would have been a hot commodity at the deadline. It means Tyrell won't get a chance to battle for a gold medal or a Memorial Cup in what will be his last chance. He just signed a contract with Tampa before the camp began.

According to PGTV sports director Allan Bristowe Hockey Canada might bring Tyrell back for the medal round and want him to feel like part of the team. It's a nice touch.

Is Dana Done?

Friday in team Canada's pre tournament game against Sweden, forward Dana Tyrell smoked Victor Hedman in the first minute of the contest. That's a 5.9.5" skater taking down a 6.7" giant with a clean hit. But it may also have taken Tyrell out of the tournament. Tyrell was getting an MRI this morning, and according to a Pipeline Show source, one Canadian teammate of Tyrell's said his knee "did not look good" yesterday.

This would be a big blow for team Canada, but in a way it would be a blessing that it happened now as they can still add a player to the roster before December 24th.

This would also be bad news for Tyrell's WHL club in Prince George. Despite sitting in the 8th and final playoff spot right now, they will have a hard resisting the bountiful offers they will get for Tyrell at the deadline. If his injury is serious it could set back their development plan for years.

TPS will continue to follow this story and give an update as soon as it's available.

Update: Vancouver Giants forward Evander Kane has been added to Canada's roster. The power forward has 22 goals and 26 assists in 28 games for the Giants this year. Canada hopes to have Kane in action Sunday in their 2nd pre tournament game against Finland.

Canada wins rematch and other random thoughts from TPS

Okay so they weren't facing Sweden's #1 pipeman Jakob Markstrom, but still it was an impressive pre tournament win from Canada over the country they knocked off in overtime for last year's gold medal win. The Canadians came out physical - I'll venture a guess Victor Hedman has never been knocked harder by a 5'9.5" than when Dana Tyrell knocked the top prospect on his butt early in this one - and they peppered Mark Owuya with 43, including 20 in the 2nd period on route to a 4-2 victory. An official scoresheet can be found here.

Canada did a great job of keeping the pressure on the Swedes with a relentless forecheck and were able to escape their own zone easily. The line of Zach Boychuk, and Jordan Eberle centred by Cody Hodgson (a trio Guy predicted would be together before the camp invites were sent out) was especially creative (6 points combined) and as I mentioned to Guy Tuesday on The Pipeline Show, I think they could be Canada's most effective line. Simply put Hodgson and Boychuk had great chemistry at the top prospects game in Edmonton a year ago while Hodgson and Eberle worked great together with the Under 18 last spring. I also think they'll thrive because they won't face the tough match ups that John Tavares and company will. I chuckled when I heard Pierre McGuire (other than Peter Loubardias of Rogers Sportsnet the most enthusiastic national TV broadcaster when it comes to junior hockey) refer to Colton Teubert as "this year's version of the human eraser, taking over from Luke Schenn" as I had predicted to my Global Sports colleagues John Sexmith and Kevin Karius that PM would latch on to the LA Kings 2007 first round draft pick. John Tavares had a wack of jump tonight and I loved how Stephan Della Rovere was on body check hunt all game long. Sweden was an interesting study. They had just arrived in Canada mid week, started their back up tender and might have been playing possum. As for the big man Victor Hedman while the flight from Sweden and the jarring hit from Tyrell may have affected him, he looked poised in his own end breaking up Canadian rushes with ease and jumped into the play, as noted by his 3rd period goal. The TSN crew quoted Peter Forsberg as saying Hedman is the best blueliner to come out of Sweden since Nick Lidstrom. We spoke to the Red Wings all star recently about Hedman, you cna here that conversation here.

It's interesting that Canada took 8 D-men because they were worried about Ryan Ellis' size and age, but Ellis looked okay to me, hopefully this won't be a decision Hockey Canada regrets if a forward goes down like Dana Tyrell in the 2nd period of this game. Of note the TSN crew did mention that Canada can add a player to the roster before December 24th if a player is injured, so Evander Kane, Brayden Schenn and Taylor Hall keep your cell phones on.

Meanwhile the top prospect roster was released recently, the complete list can be found courtesy the WHL here. This game was huge for current world junior member Cody Hodgson last year in Edmonton. Edmonton Oil King Tomas Vincour leads 15 WHL products into the game this year in Oshawa, look for hulking Spokane D-man Jared Cowan (how did he not get invited to Canada's camp?) to make a massive impression in this game. And keep your eye on Carter Ashton of Lethbridge to make his mark in this contest.

(Photos courtesy www.kuklaskorner.com, www.eurohockey.net, www.canada.com)