After reaching the Stanley Cup Final earlier this month, Tampa Bay Lightning spent two days at the 2015 NHL Draft adding new talents.
The Lightning started the NHL Draft with 10 selections and added nine players to their pipeline.
"You need young guys to keep coming," Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said. "We started [the draft] with seven picks and tried to hang on to some of them. Not every player you draft is going to make the NHL. It's all part of the process. Hopefully these guys come in and give you options moving forward."
"You need young guys to keep coming," Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said. "We started [the draft] with seven picks and tried to hang on to some of them. Not every player you draft is going to make the NHL. It's all part of the process. Hopefully these guys come in and give you options moving forward."
The 2014-15 Eastern Conference champion are composed of core group: captain Steven Stamkos and forward Alex Killorn, each 25; forwards Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, and defenseman Victor Hedman, all 24; and forward Nikita Kucherov, 22.
And they have a number of prospects who are close to competing for full-time NHL jobs, among them forward Adam Erne, 20, and
defensemen Slater Koekkoek, 21, and Anthony DeAngelo, 19.
Meanwhile the nine players picked will be given a chance to make the Lightning, but the likely path is more development time.
"Steve is very open-minded," Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murray said. "If guys are ready and can prove that they're ready to play a major role, he'll bring them up. If they're not ready, they can stay down and take their time and develop themselves. ... It's nice to have a young team with a lot of depth."
"Coming into this draft we thought there were two star players [Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel]," Murray said. "... We thought there was another group of 10 to 15 really solid prospects that would be quickly good NHL players. Then we thought there were another 30 to 50 really solid guys. So we encouraged Steve to add picks anywhere he could."
"Steve is very open-minded," Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murray said. "If guys are ready and can prove that they're ready to play a major role, he'll bring them up. If they're not ready, they can stay down and take their time and develop themselves. ... It's nice to have a young team with a lot of depth."
"Coming into this draft we thought there were two star players [Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel]," Murray said. "... We thought there was another group of 10 to 15 really solid prospects that would be quickly good NHL players. Then we thought there were another 30 to 50 really solid guys. So we encouraged Steve to add picks anywhere he could."
Last Friday, the Lightning added two in a trade with the New York Islanders,they selected Saginaw Spirits center Mitchell Stephens, who was No. 112
"We really liked him prior to that,"
"We really liked him prior to that,"
"If anything, his play at the under-18s pushed him up higher where we considered him late first round." Yzerman said.
Lightning drafted Peterborough Petes defenseman Matthew Spencer.
"We're pleased with every player that we drafted is a prospect and we have a reason for drafting them," Yzerman said. "All these kids weren't just on the list, they were` priority guys on the list."
"We're pleased with every player that we drafted is a prospect and we have a reason for drafting them," Yzerman said. "All these kids weren't just on the list, they were` priority guys on the list."
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