The Tampa Bay Lightning are pulling out all the stops to try and squeak into the playoffs, and today they recalled Slater Koekkoek from the AHL to help them get there. The 23-year old has split the season between the Lightning and the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. As Bryan Burns of NHL.com reports, Koekkoek is likely the replacement for Jason Garrison, who was injured last night against the Boston Bruins.
The former 10th-overall pick has yet to make his presence truly felt at the NHL level, struggling to find ice time with the Lightning this season even when he did play. In 29 games, he averaged just under 13 minutes a night, including playing less than ten minutes on several occasions. Though he has generally fared well in the AHL since dominating for the Windsor Spitfires in 2013-14, his play has been somewhat disappointing at the highest level. Should he enter the lineup for Garrison, perhaps this time he’ll be allowed to stretch his legs a little bit and show what he can do in a playoff race.
After a win last night, the Lightning find themselves just three points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand on the Bruins. While they’ll have to fight off the Islanders and Hurricanes—who are on an unbelievable 6-0-3 run to vault them back into the picture—it is not inconceivable for the Lightning to make it in. If they do, Koekkoek could be a pretty nice insurance plan for a team that has faced injury concerns all season long. It’s unclear how long Garrison will be out (if at all), but for now pencil in Koekkoek for their game tonight against the Red Wings.