Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Lightning Rumors

Latest On Pittsburgh Penguins Front Office Search

at CDT | by 12 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in for a busy offseason, replacing key front-office fixtures after missing the playoffs for the first time in almost two decades. In addition to yesterday’s reporting on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ intention to hire two separate people for the roles of general manager and president of hockey operations, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun expanded in detail today on the current status of Pittsburgh’s search to fill their vacant roles.

LeBrun relayed previously corroborated reports from league sources that the Penguins have conducted initial Zoom interviews with potential candidates for the general manager role, with this number set at around a dozen. From this group, Pittsburgh has begun the process of narrowing down individuals for in-person second-round interviews for the job.

LeBrun has now confirmed seven individuals who were part of that complement of about 12. Among them is Los Angeles Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin, Carolina Hurricanes assistant general manager Eric Tulsky, St. Louis Blues VP of hockey operations Peter Chiarelli, Buffalo Sabres associate general manager Jason Karmanos, and three members of the New Jersey Devils organization: senior vice president and assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon, assistant general manager Kate Madigan, and director of player development Meghan Duggan. There are two other likely candidates that LeBrun could not confirm, Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche and Seattle Kraken assistant general manager Jason Botterill, who previously held the same role with Pittsburgh.

Some candidates from the first round of interviews were informed today that they are no longer being considered for the positions, LeBrun said.

Also in line with previous reporting, LeBrun mentioned the Penguins expressed interest in including Brad Treliving, the former general manager of the Calgary Flames, in their first round of interviews. However, the Flames denied permission, given Treliving’s expiring contract with the team legally expires on June 30.

As for a president of hockey operations, LeBrun also linked the Penguins to former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka. Chayka held his post with the Coyotes from May 2016 to July 2020, when he abruptly resigned before the start of the delayed Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL later suspended Chayka from working in the league for the entire 2021 calendar year after he pursued other league opportunities while still under contract with Arizona. It also later came to light that, under Chayka, the Coyotes had held an illegal private scouting combine for eligible draft prospects in direct violation of league rules, resulting in multiple pick forfeitures for Arizona.

Surprisingly, the reason for the uncertainty about Chayka’s potential involvement with the Penguins isn’t due to his concerning NHL history – rather, LeBrun reports Chayka could have additional NHL opportunities available to him outside of Pittsburgh.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Matt Tomkins

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed netminder Matt Tomkins to a two-year, two-way contract for next season, according to a team announcement.

For Tomkins, 28, this signing serves as his return ticket to North American professional hockey after two seasons spent abroad in Sweden’s SHL. Tomkins was a 2012 seventh-round pick who spent four seasons with Ohio State in the NCAA. After his collegiate career concluded, he spent two seasons with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, turning in some decent performances that won him ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors four times as well the right to play eight AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs.

That run as a starter in the ECHL earned Tomkins the chance to be the IceHogs’ third goalie in 2019-20, and he ended up playing in 13 games and posting an .896 save percentage. The following year, the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the AHL’s season and Tomkins ended up the only IceHogs goalie to play in double-digit games, producing a .907 save percentage in 15 games. It was after that season that Tomkins chose to sign overseas, and he earned a role as the starting goalie for Froluda HC in the SHL.

His success with Frolunda (.908 save percentage in 33 games) established him in the SHL and got him a contract with Farjestad BK, the defending champions. It also earned him the chance to start for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. This past season, Tomkins was Farjestad’s starter and went 20-12 with a .911 save percentage.

The Lightning only have two goalies under contract for next season, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Hugo Alnefelt. Since Alnefelt, 21, may still need some more time to develop with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning may have a need for a backup netminder, as current backup Brian Elliott, 38, could retire. It’s unlikely the Lightning have signed Tomkins with the intention of him ending up Vasilevskiy’s backup, though.

Instead, Tomkins could be the replacement for pending unrestricted free agent Maxime Legace as the veteran partner for Alnefelt in Syracuse. Legace endured a difficult season with the Crunch, producing a dismal .888 save percentage in 41 games played.

This signing of Tomkins could very well be the team acting quickly to replace Legace in Syracuse, though it is also possible, if unlikely, that Legace is re-signed and one member of the trio sees time in the ECHL.

Lightning Want To Retain All UFA's

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Michael Eyssimont To Two-Year Contract Extension

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that forward Michael Eyssimont has been re-signed to a two-year, one-way contract extension. Per the team release, the deal carries an $800k AAV.

The Lightning acquired Eyssimont, 26, in a trade with the San Jose Sharks a few months ago. Before that point, Eyssimont had been claimed off of waivers from the Winnipeg Jets by San Jose. He was set to become a Group Six unrestricted free agent, meaning this contract extension keeps Eyssimont from testing the open market.

Eyssimont is a 2016 fourth-round pick who brings considerable energy to any line he plays on. A former top scorer at St. Cloud State in the NCAA, Eyssimont three middling seasons with the Ontario Reign in the AHL, seasons where he failed to establish himself as a true NHL option.

Eyssimont signed with the Jets in the summer of 2021 and took a step forward with their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Eyssimont scored 42 points in 58 games with Manitoba and earned the right to make his NHL debut. This season, Eyssimont only spent nine games in the AHL before being called up to Winnipeg in November. After earning another shot in the NHL, Eyssimont didn’t look back, turning in quality play for the Jets.

Winnipeg attempted to send him back down to the Moose in January but at that point, Eyssimont had shown enough at the NHL level to entice another club to claim him on waivers. The Sharks did exactly that, and Eyssimont turned in a healthy eight points in 20 games in San Jose before being dealt to the Lightning, a team with designs on competing for the Stanley Cup.

While the Lightning fell in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Eyssimont’s individual season was far from a disappointment.

In just one season Eyssimont went from little-known AHLer to a well-regarded bottom-six energy player for one of the NHL’s most highly-regarded franchises.

His new contract is a one-way deal, helping his odds of remaining in the NHL for next season, although if he continues to play as he has recently finding a spot on coach Jon Cooper’s roster shouldn’t be a major issue.

For Tampa Bay, this contract locks in a bottom-six player at a highly affordable price. Should Eyssimont take another step forward in his game next season, the two-year term of this contract allows the Lightning to retain him on their roster at an $800k price tag.

It’s a solid bet for Tampa Bay’s front office to make, as well as a nice reward for a hard-working player who has only recently established himself as an NHLer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jeff Halpern Linked To Washington Capitals Coaching Vacancy

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals will have a new head coach next season after opting not to renew the contract of Peter Laviolette, as announced last month. Today, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports the Capitals plan to interview former player and current Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Jeff Halpern as part of their search process for Laviolette’s replacement.

After retiring as a player in 2014, Halpern amassed eight seasons of coaching experience, all with the Lightning organization. He’s been behind the Lightning bench as an assistant since 2018, meaning he was involved in both of Tampa’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. Before that, he spent three seasons with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Tampa’s affiliate, as a development and assistant coach.

Washington moved on from Laviolette after missing the playoffs for just the second time since 2008. In his years as an assistant, Halpern has not missed the playoffs. He helped guide a Crunch team to the Calder Cup Finals in 2017, a year after missing the playoffs altogether, a team that featured a breakout playoff performance from then-prospect Yanni Gourde.

As a player, Halpern played nearly 1,000 NHL games across 14 seasons, accruing 373 points. The center served as Washington’s captain in 2005-06, Alex Ovechkin’s rookie season.

Lady Byng Finalists Announced

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The National Hockey League is announcing award finalists this week as they begin to set the stage for the annual NHL Awards at the end of the season. Per a league release, we now know the three players that are up for the Lady Byng Award this season. This award is given out annually to the player who exhibited the most sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct while playing at a high level this season.

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils is one of the finalists. He finished this season with 43 goals and 99 points in 78 games while putting up just six minutes in penalties. He was the team’s leading scorer and a key reason the Devils made it to the postseason for the first time since 2018. The Devils didn’t just sneak into the postseason either as they finished the regular season with a 52-22-8 record which gives them 112 points in the standings.

Anze Kopitar is also up for the Lady Byng this season. The 35-year-old center had another stellar season for the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 28 goals and 74 points in 82 games while playing great defensive hockey as well. He also had just two minor penalties proving his sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct which goes with his strong play on the ice. Kopitar won this award in 2016 and this is the 16th consecutive season he has received votes for the Lady Byng.

Brayden Point is the third finalist for the award after another strong season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 27-year-old center scored 51 goals and 95 points in 82 games and had just seven penalty minutes on the season.

Tampa Bay's Injury List Released

at CDT | by 2 Comments

As is typical for any team once they are knocked out of the playoffs, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports that laundry list of playoff injuries sustained by the Tampa Bay Lightning in their opening-round matchup. Throughout the playoffs, most teams usually keep their player’s specific injuries very close to their chest.

Victor Hedman, who would only miss Game Two in the series, was apparently dealing with a hip impingement, and Tanner Jeannot, who would only play three games in the playoffs for the Lightning, had a high ankle sprain. Most impressively, Brayden Point, who had a brutal run into the boards aided by Morgan Rielly in Game Three, had a rib cage cartilage fracture resulting from that play and still managed to play in the rest of the series.

[SOURCE LINK]

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Maxim Groshev

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward prospect Maxim Groshev to a three-year entry-level contract, his agent Dan Milstein announced on Twitter Monday. Tampa Bay selected Groshev in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft with the 85th overall pick. Financial details of the contract have not been reported.

Groshev, 21, has bounced different levels of Russian league play since Tampa drafted him, logging time in the pro (KHL), minor pro (VHL), and junior (MHL) ranks since his draft year. Before Russia was barred from international competition, Groshev represented Russia once at the U18 World Juniors at twice at the U20 tournament, collecting two silver medals.

2022-23 saw Groshev gain his most extensive experience yet in Russia’s top league, scoring six points in 34 games with SKA St. Petersburg. He earned a top-six role in the Russian minors, scoring 18 points in 22 games with the VHL’s SKA-Neva St. Petersburg.

Groshev will likely report to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch next year to take the next steps in his development. While he remains a strong skater with good size and boasts a middle-six ceiling in the NHL, he needs time in the minors to adjust to the Lightning organization and nail down the fundamentals of his game.

 

Erik Černák Remains Out For Game 6

at CDT | by 3 Comments

  • As the Tampa Bay Lightning attempt to climb out of a 3-1 hole and force a Game 7, they’ll still be without shutdown defenseman Erik Černák. Černák hasn’t played since leaving Game 1 due to a hit to the head from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting, and head coach Jon Cooper confirmed today he won’t play in tomorrow’s Game 6. Tampa Bay has allowed over four goals a game in Černák’s absence, including blown leads in both Games 3 and 4.

Remi Elie Linked To Swedish Club

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Former Dallas Stars forward Remi Elie could extend his tenure overseas this summer. After spending the 2022-23 season with SHL club Färjestad BK, Swedish outlet Expressen reports that Elie is signing a one-year contract to join fellow SHL team Linköping HC in 2023-24.

Elie last played in the NHL in 2021-22, although it was just a one-game stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 28-year-old was a second-round pick of the Stars in 2013 and has played just over 100 NHL games over the course of four seasons.

He did have one full-time season in the Dallas organization, recording 14 points in 72 games in 2017-18. After that, however, he spent the next three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, only getting NHL games in 2018-19.

It seems now that a return to North American hockey is unlikely for Elie, who may find a home in the Swedish circuit. The journeyman forward finished ninth on Färjestad in scoring last season with 18 points in 32 games, alongside former NHLers and prospects Joakim Nygard, Theodor Lennstrom, and Ville Pokka.

The Ontario product also has 256 AHL games to his name, recording 121 points across stints with the Texas Stars, Rochester Americans, and Syracuse Crunch.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top