Storm brewing in Tampa
The new ownership of the Tampa Bay Lightning are determined to turned their club around sooner rather than later.
The blueline, which to many was the one weak point that still needed to be addressed was quickly upgraded over the past few days with the addition of defenceman Andrej Meszaros.
The Lightning made their intentions clear this weak that they were planning to offer the then Ottawa Senators defenceman and offer sheet worth roughly $5 million a year over several seasons. With negotiations between the Senators and Meszaros clearly at an impasse, the Senators chose to deal him to Tampa Bay in exchange for defencemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard, and a first round pick in next years entry draft.
The Lighting announced yesterday that Andrej Meszaros had signed a six year pact with Tampa.
Tampa Bay is looking to pull a page from the Philadelphia Flyers handbook, a team that went from last in 2005-2006, all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The personnel they've acquired over the past few months from top to bottom has help changed the face of the club, and with any luck the culture as well.
Our friend Stache brought up a solid point. Will this club, with so many new faces, and a coach in Barry Melrose who hasn't seen NHL action from behind the bench in over a decade be able to develop the chemistry necessary to win? That's the big question. Heaven help the Eastern Conference, if the Tampa Bay Lightning does gel.
Now onto the important stuff!
Is it too early to pick Stanley Cup Finalists for the upcoming season? I've been thinking alot about a comment I made the day former Pittsburgh Penguin forward Marian Hossa signed with the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings the very same club that bested he and his teammates. This has kharma written all over it. Am I a superstitious man? The beard on my face in early April would suggest that I am, and that being confirmed, I do believe that Hossa signed with the wrong club. His intentions were clearly to join forces with a team that would give him the best shot at winning a Stanley Cup. I see a rematch of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in the Spring of 2009, but I think the outcome will be different this time.
Playoff Beard Prediction: Penguins in 7.
P.S. Sidney Crosby will be able to grow a playoff beard this year.
Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh
Comments
I'm not superstitious, I just like having an excuse to grow a beard every year.
I'll go for a wings/pens final, but I'll pick wings in 5. It's the same team the penguins couldn't beat last year, only better.
Posted by: jeff | September 1, 2008 11:54 AM
Actually, no it's not the same Pens team but that could be the problem right there. Malone, Hossa, Ruutu, Laraque, Conklin, Roberts - all gone. Those are all good role players and they've been replaced by guys who will need to come in and perform at the same level. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Point is, no one yet knows. Biggest concern I have right now is that Ryan Whitney is out for 3-5 months from having surgery. That's a big defensive hole to fill and they'll need yet another player to step up like Malkin and Conklin did last year when Crosby and Fluery were out respectively.
Posted by: Stache | September 1, 2008 12:45 PM