Bloop33's Blog
Well, I've decided to play less than originally planned, as I'd like to start a new one on this forum for the first time, from scratch. Going to play 25 games per season, then sim to playoffs, and play those.
Roster:
Prospect/Depth Chart:
Trade:
To Philadelphia Flyers:
D - Theo Volpatti
D - Donald Harrison
LW - Eric Orpik
2030 1st Round Selection
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
D - Gordon Weaver
Trade Recap:
The Bolts re-acquire defenceman Gordon Weaver, who spent 3 seasons with Tampa in the past. The small but strong defenceman will add serious depth on both sides of the puck for the 3rd d-pairing and will allow inexperienced d-partner Paul Tkachuk to make mistakes without having to worry about his own d-partner. Gave up a lot, but Harrison was a tough guy prospect not expected to have significant playing time, Orpik was a replacement player, and had fallen down the depth charts with the acquisition of Johan Karlsson. The 1st round pick may have been a bit much, but the present need is now, not future.
Halfway Point of Season Update:
Well, so far it's been a very strong Campaign for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Danny Erskine has become dominant in his 4th full NHL season, leading the NHL in both goals and points. Tuukka Miettinen has enjoyed better performance compared to previous seasons, and a late signing of 25 year old Torsten Junland to be the back-up has proved to be very smart, as he is showing he should be allowed to get more starts in this season. I won't bore you too much with my talking, so here are some statistics pages for you to enjoy:
Trade Deadline:
To Columbus Blue Jackets:
C - Ernest Recchi
D - Don Vernarsky
C - Phil Mcrae
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
C - Noah Nelson
Analysis:
Noah Nelson is a 23 year old center, at 6'3", 213 lbs. With a 75 overall and B,B,B Potential, the hope for him is to develop with Nicholls and Rheaume to a top 6 quality line at some point. He brings some size and speed as well, so despite his overall, could be used in the playoffs if injuries mount.
End of Season Stats:
56-16-10 Record, 1st in NHL
3.72 Goals For Per Game (1st in NHL)
2.20 Goals Against Per Game (1st in NHL)
23.0% Powerplay (1st in NHL)
82.9% Penalty Kill (9th in NHL)
Another strong Campaign for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Danny Erskine really improved in his 4th season, tying for 2nd in the NHL in goals scored. Boos continued to struggle scoring, but put up 76 assists to really help out the offence. Alex Galchenyuk continued to keep the 2nd line strong, but they did have their weakest season in many years, making me kind of happy that some of my prospects are ready to step up into the NHL. Defensively, we were pleasantly surprised by the 3rd pairing, and the top 2 were as solid as ever. Jeremy Tanabe had another monster season, even though his goal production dipped. Miettinen had his best season in a few years, and with Konichev still looking 2-3 years out, he may secure himself another contract when his expires.
Playoffs:
Round 1 vs. Washington Capitals:
The Caps had a lot of injuries to start out, and even though we were missing Weaver and Fedotov to start, Rheaume and Borer proved they can fill in with their regular season performances in limited role call-ups.
Game 1: 5-0 Win.
Game 2: 5-2 Win.
Game 3: 4-2 Win.
Game 4: 4-1 Win.
Easy series, never really challenged, the top line never really found their groove though, and that is worrisome.
AHL team: the Admirals made the playoffs for the first time in 5 seasons, and Walter Purinton wound up carrying them through the first round:
Game 1: 2-0 Win.
Game 2: 3-0 Win.
Game 3: 4-0 Win.
Game 4: 4-1 Win.
Round 2 vs. Winnipeg Jets:
Not a huge rivalry behind this one, we've competed against the goalie numerous times though, and he is very good.
Game 1: 4-1 Win.
Game 2: 2-1 Loss.
Starting Goalie Tuukka Miettinen (92) injured for 9-10 weeks. Back-up Torsten Junland (81) will start, Tyler Pavelski (81) to serve as back-up
Game 3: 2-0 Win.
Game 4: 5-1 Loss.
Game 5: 6-4 Win.
Game 6: 4-2 Loss.
Game 7: 2-1 Win.
Difficult series with the loss of Miettinen, but we wound up coming through. Weaver and Fedotov both back healthy, but the AHL team was also eliminated in 5 games, so may give Logan Nicholls a shot and see how he does.
Round 3 vs. New Jersey Devils:
Our biggest rivals. Tyson Van Ryn has been a thorn in our side for nearly 8 seasons now, and this is another chance to prove to him we're the top team. Logan Nicholls being called up to play a few games, since Fedotov struggled to finish round 2.
Game 1: 3-2 Win.
Game 2: 2-1 Win.
Game 3: 3-2 Win.
Game 4: 5-2 Loss.
Game 5: 3-1 Win.
Vladimir Fedotov wound up playing in game 5 after Nicholls had a bad game 4, and scored the first goal. Erskine scored the winner, then we added an empty netter and made our way to the finals!
Stanley Cup Finals vs. Detroit Red Wings:
The rebuilt Wings make it back to the finals. Loaded with a line-up that includes 5 undrafted players, they've had a great run in the playoffs so far. Their offensive style should be a great challenge for my defensive team, especially with Miettinen still out.
Game 1: 3-0 Win.
Game 2: 6-3 Win.
Game 3: 3-1 Win.
Game 4: 7-1 Win.
Stanley Cup Champions!
Conn Smythe Winner: Alex Galchenyuk (10G, 11A, 21P, 29 Hits, +7)
We completely overwhelmed the Red Wings physically and the series was never close. Galchenyuk and Fedotov really took over and Tanabe had a much better series, especially game 4 where he had 4 assists. A great season once again, we head into the off season with some big decisions to make in regards to the roster. Whatever happens, it should be quite interesting.
Offseason:
2026 NHL Entry Draft:
Round 1:
Trade:
To Chicago:
LW - Vladimir Fedotov
To Tampa:
2026 1st Round Pick(Chicago, #10)
2026 1st Round Pick(Tampa,#30)
2026 2nd Round Pick(Chicago,#40)
Trade:
To Edmonton:
2026 1st Round Pick(Tampa,#30)
2026 2nd Round Pick(Chicago,#40)
To Tampa:
2026 1st Round Pick(Minnesota#9)
Pick #9: Evan Connelly, SNP, 6'2", 201lbs, RH, RW, Canada.
Pick #10: Rich MacMurchy, SNP, 6'3", 210lbs, LH, C, Canada.
Round 2:
No Trades or Picks
Round 3:
No Trades or Picks
Round 4:
Major Trade:
To Minnesota Wild:
G - Tuukka Miettinen
RW - Victor Scoville
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
G - Jared Henderson
C - Jordan Tkatch.
No Picks.
Round 5:
150th Pick: Russ Demarchi, PWF, 6'3", 235 lbs, LH, LW, USA.
Round 6:
180th Pick: Lucas Leeb, SNP, 6'2", 205 lbs, LH, RW, USA.
Round 7:
210th Pick: Daryl Gudbranson, TWF, 6'2", 207 lbs, RH, RW, Canada.
Re-Sign Phase:
C - Alex Galchenyuk, $8.000M for 3 years
LW - Danny Erskine $6.700M for 4 years
C - Gene Pauls for $5.570M for 2 years
D - Jerry Berry $6.000M for 6 years
C - Jimmy Coleman $2.750M for 6 years
C - Jarrod Scatchard $2.200M for 3 years
D - Paul Tkachuk $2.050M for 1 year
LW - Shannon Ranger $1.000M for 1 year
G - Torsten Junland $1.500M for 2 years
G - Walter Purinton $0.950M for 2 years
Rookie Signings:
D - Barry Carlson, 20 years old, B,B,C potential.
C - Rick Macmurchy, 19 years old, B-,B,B- potential.
RW - Evan Connelly, 19 years old, B,C-,B- potential.
Qualifying Offers to RFA's:
C - Rod Krestanovich
D - Pascal Blouin
D - Lance Gelech
C - Noah Nelson
RW - Stephane Rheaume
C - Johan Karlsson
C - Stan Gallagher
Released:
D - Gordon Weaver
C - Jordan Tkatch
Free Agency:
Trade:
To San Jose Sharks:
D - Paul Tkachuk
G - Torsten Junland
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
2027 3rd Round Pick
Analysis:
Mostly just a salary dump, Tkachuk will be quickly replaced by a free agent and Junland is barely ahead of my #3 and #4 goalies, who are both younger.
Signed:
D - Landon Cross. 85 overall, 32 years old, 6'3", 180 lbs. 637 career GP.
D - Johnathon Gelech. 79 overall, 23 years old, 6'3", 211 lbs. 0 Career GP.
LW - Spike Stevenson. 80 overall, 22 years old, 6'0" 188 lbs, 168 Career GP.
C - Nick Aronson. 80 overall, 24 years old, 6'6", 252 lbs, 0 Career GP.
Trade:
To Buffalo Sabres:
Unsigned RFA C - Johan Karlsson
2027 3rd Round Pick
2032 1st Round Pick
2032 2nd Round Pick
2032 3rd Round Pick
To Tampa Bay Lighting:
D - Gary Stephenson
2027 1st Round Pick
Analysis: Johan Karlsson will be 23 this season, with no foreseeable entrance to the line-up with Galchenyuk, Pauls, Coleman and Scatchard all signed to multi-year deals. Gary Stephenson, this years 3rd overall pick, is a young high potential d-man who could eventually fill in for Tanabe when he retires in 3-4 seasons. I gave away quite a few future picks, but as I go through a mini rebuild to help cap costs the next few seasons, I felt it was important to get myself a 1st Rounder in next seasons draft as well.
RFA's Lance Gelech, Stephane Rheaume and Noah Nelson accept qualifying offers.
Offseason Review:
While we didn't add any big names to the team, we really helped out our depth for this season and on.
On defence, Landon Cross will serve as a great d-partner for Casey Borer, who is our big offensive prospect at the back end. Stephenson will not contribute this season, but in 1 or 2 years, he should be able to crack the line-up. The biggest prize though was Johnathon Gelech signing as a 23 year old UFA. Similar to Justin Schultz in real life, he may be able to insert straight into the line-up, but for now we plan for him to serve a year in the AHL before joining the main club.
Offensively, we sent Vladimir Fedotov to Chicago to join former teammates Oleg Makarov and Kurt Allen. Luckily, Logan Nicholls headlines a wave of prospects who can possibly contribute this season. Rheaume's surprise acceptance of the Qualifying Offer gives us another option on the wing if we need it, as the 23 year old has 12 points in his 17 career NHL games. Other than the 2nd line wing slot, no changes happened to the front end, which is huge as we look for chemistry from the cup win to lead us to hopefully our 7th cup as a franchise since my taking over of the team.
In net, Tuukka Miettinen won the vezina for the 2nd time in 3 years, but for the 5th time, he was not the goalie playing when we won the cup. Frustrations with his injuries and lack of consistency in big games led us to acquiring Jared Henderson from the Wild. He was a 1st overall selection in 2015 and has finished most of his career above a .928%. Torsten Junland was strong in playoffs, but his salary did not match the role we had for him, and with Walter Purinton's playoff performance in the AHL last season, we feel we can gamble and use him as our back-up until Mikhail Konichev is ready.
Looking forward, we have a ton of prospects nearing NHL readiness and our oldest player will be turning 34 this season. We are in our prime as a team and unless something crazy happens, should be contending for another cup again this season.
Hope you enjoyed my updates, leave any comments or suggestions here for me, I'm open to any input you have for me.
Roster:
| Tampa Bay Lightning 2025-26 | ||||||
| # | CENTERS | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 48 | Gene Pauls | 26 | 6'2" | 203 lbs | 88 | Canada |
| 94 | Alex Galchenyuk | 31 | 6'2" | 201 lbs | 91 | USA |
| 52 | Jimmy Coleman | 22 | 6'2" | 212 lbs | 84 | Canada |
| 12 | Jarrod Scatchard | 29 | 6'2" | 203 lbs | 83 | USA |
| # | LEFT WINGS | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 20 | Dwayne Boos | 28 | 5'9" | 184 lbs | 91 | Canada |
| 92 | Vladimir Fedotov | 30 | 6'2" | 196 lbs | 90 | Russia |
| 22 | Manny Byrne | 27 | 6'0" | 220 lbs | 85 | Canada |
| 11 | Shannon Ranger | 27 | 6'2" | 223 lbs | 80 | USA |
| # | RIGHT WINGS | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 47 | Danny Erskine | 25 | 6'2" | 201 lbs | 87 | Canada |
| 93 | Dimitri Svitov | 27 | 6'1" | 193 lbs | 88 | Russia |
| 85 | Sergej Bykov | 26 | 6'3" | 234 lbs | 84 | Russia |
| 14 | Nicholas Baptiste | 30 | 6'6" | 204 lbs | 83 | Canada |
| # | DEFENSE | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 2 | Riley Guenther | 31 | 6'1" | 189 lbs | 96 | Canada |
| 3 | Kenton Helgesen | 31 | 6'3" | 198 lbs | 91 | Canada |
| 44 | Jeremy Tanabe | 33 | 6'2" | 206 lbs | 89 | USA |
| 9 | Jerry Berry | 23 | 6'2" | 203 lbs | 84 | USA |
| 10 | Gordon Weaver | 29 | 6'1" | 198 lbs | 82 | USA |
| 6 | Paul Tkachuk | 27 | 6'6" | 223 lbs | 81 | USA |
| # | GOALIES | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 1 | Tuukka Miettinen | 29 | 6'2" | 184 lbs | 91 | Finland |
| 31 | Torsten Junland | 25 | 6'2" | 201 lbs | 81 | Sweden |
Prospect/Depth Chart:
| Tampa Bay Lightning 2025-26 Prospect/Depth Report | ||||||
| # | CENTERS | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 18 | Ernest Recchi (B-,C,B-) | 24 | 6'2" | 196 lbs | 81 | USA |
| 60 | Johan Karlsson (A-,B,A-) | 21 | 6'2" | 194 lbs | 80 | Sweden |
| 89 | Rod Krestanovich (C,B,B-) | 24 | 6'2" | 206 lbs | 77 | Canada |
| 53 | Stan Gallagher (B,C,B) | 21 | 6'2" | 227 lbs | 74 | Canada |
| # | LEFT WINGS | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 25 | Victor Scoville (B,B-,B-) | 20 | 5'11" | 187 lbs | 74 | Canada |
| # | RIGHT WINGS | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 19 | Stephane Rheaume (B,C,B-) | 23 | 6'2" | 196 lbs | 79 | Canada |
| 23 | Logan Nicholls (A,B-,A-) | 21 | 6'1" | 185 lbs | 77 | Canada |
| 87 | Francis Caron (B-,C,B) | 21 | 6'5" | 219 lbs | 76 | Canada |
| 55 | Stu Nolan (C,C,C) | 21 | 6'1" | 200 lbs | 76 | Canada |
| 73 | Francis Rowe (B-,A-,B-) | 20 | 6'2" | 213 lbs | 74 | USA |
| # | DEFENSE | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 8 | Don Vernarsky (C,C,C) | 26 | 6'9" | 235 lbs | 80 | Canada |
| 80 | Pascal Blouin (B-,B,B-) | 24 | 6'2" | 204 lbs | 79 | Canada |
| 38 | Lance Gelect (C,B,B-) | 24 | 6'8" | 237 lbs | 79 | Canada |
| 7 | Casey Borer (A,C,A-) | 20 | 6'2" | 203 lbs | 75 | USA |
| # | GOALIES | AGE | HT | WT | SHOT | BIRTH PLACE |
| 30 | Tyler Pavelski (C,C,C) | 26 | 6'2" | 184 lbs | 81 | USA |
| 31 | Walter Purinton (B-,B-,B-) | 23 | 6'1" | 198 lbs | 77 | Switzerland |
| 32 | Mikhail Konichev (A,A-,B-) | 20 | 6'6" | 224 lbs | 75 | Estonia |
Trade:
To Philadelphia Flyers:
D - Theo Volpatti
D - Donald Harrison
LW - Eric Orpik
2030 1st Round Selection
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
D - Gordon Weaver
Trade Recap:
The Bolts re-acquire defenceman Gordon Weaver, who spent 3 seasons with Tampa in the past. The small but strong defenceman will add serious depth on both sides of the puck for the 3rd d-pairing and will allow inexperienced d-partner Paul Tkachuk to make mistakes without having to worry about his own d-partner. Gave up a lot, but Harrison was a tough guy prospect not expected to have significant playing time, Orpik was a replacement player, and had fallen down the depth charts with the acquisition of Johan Karlsson. The 1st round pick may have been a bit much, but the present need is now, not future.
Halfway Point of Season Update:
Well, so far it's been a very strong Campaign for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Danny Erskine has become dominant in his 4th full NHL season, leading the NHL in both goals and points. Tuukka Miettinen has enjoyed better performance compared to previous seasons, and a late signing of 25 year old Torsten Junland to be the back-up has proved to be very smart, as he is showing he should be allowed to get more starts in this season. I won't bore you too much with my talking, so here are some statistics pages for you to enjoy:
| Tampa Bay Lightning (top 10) Stats - 2025-26 | |||||||||
| Skaters | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | GW | PIM | SOG | SPCT |
| Danny Erskine | 41 | 30 | 24 | 54 | 30 | 4 | 6 | ||
| Dwayne Boos | 41 | 13 | 38 | 51 | 31 | 3 | 24 | ||
| Alex Galchenyuk | 41 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 18 | 4 | 24 | ||
| Gene Pauls | 41 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 30 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Vladimir Fedotov | 41 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 16 | 1 | 17 | ||
| Jeremy Tanabe | 41 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 34 | 2 | 36 | ||
| Manny Byrne | 41 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 20 | 3 | 40 | ||
| Sergej Bykov | 41 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 17 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Dimitri Svitov | 41 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 22 | 3 | 18 | ||
| Riley Guenther | 41 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 30 | 0 | 22 | ||
| Goalies | GP | W | L | T | GAA | TOI | SV | SV% | SHO |
| Tuukka Miettinen | 35 | 29 | 4 | 1.87 | .928 | 3 | |||
| Torsten Junland | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1.99 | .930 | 2 | |||
Trade Deadline:
To Columbus Blue Jackets:
C - Ernest Recchi
D - Don Vernarsky
C - Phil Mcrae
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
C - Noah Nelson
Analysis:
Noah Nelson is a 23 year old center, at 6'3", 213 lbs. With a 75 overall and B,B,B Potential, the hope for him is to develop with Nicholls and Rheaume to a top 6 quality line at some point. He brings some size and speed as well, so despite his overall, could be used in the playoffs if injuries mount.
End of Season Stats:
56-16-10 Record, 1st in NHL
3.72 Goals For Per Game (1st in NHL)
2.20 Goals Against Per Game (1st in NHL)
23.0% Powerplay (1st in NHL)
82.9% Penalty Kill (9th in NHL)
Another strong Campaign for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Danny Erskine really improved in his 4th season, tying for 2nd in the NHL in goals scored. Boos continued to struggle scoring, but put up 76 assists to really help out the offence. Alex Galchenyuk continued to keep the 2nd line strong, but they did have their weakest season in many years, making me kind of happy that some of my prospects are ready to step up into the NHL. Defensively, we were pleasantly surprised by the 3rd pairing, and the top 2 were as solid as ever. Jeremy Tanabe had another monster season, even though his goal production dipped. Miettinen had his best season in a few years, and with Konichev still looking 2-3 years out, he may secure himself another contract when his expires.
| Tampa Bay Lightning Stats - 2025-26 | |||||||||
| Skaters | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | GW | PIM | SOG | SPCT |
| Dwayne Boos | 82 | 16 | 76 | 92 | 46 | 4 | 56 | ||
| Danny Erskine | 82 | 47 | 37 | 84 | 42 | 6 | 14 | ||
| Alex Galchenyuk | 76 | 34 | 42 | 76 | 40 | 7 | 49 | ||
| Vladimir Fedotov | 81 | 22 | 48 | 70 | 33 | 3 | 54 | ||
| Gene Pauls | 82 | 34 | 31 | 65 | 42 | 3 | 8 | ||
| Jeremy Tanabe | 82 | 14 | 45 | 59 | 60 | 3 | 58 | ||
| Manny Byrne | 82 | 18 | 35 | 53 | 23 | 3 | 62 | ||
| Dimitri Svitov | 82 | 26 | 26 | 52 | 40 | 5 | 42 | ||
| Sergej Bykov | 74 | 19 | 29 | 48 | 29 | 3 | 8 | ||
| Riley Guenther | 82 | 12 | 30 | 42 | 46 | 2 | 50 | ||
| Jimmy Coleman | 79 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 22 | 2 | 49 | ||
| Kenton Helgesen | 82 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 57 | 0 | 80 | ||
| Jarrod Scatchard | 82 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 20 | 7 | 34 | ||
| Nicholas Baptiste | 82 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 16 | 4 | 30 | ||
| Jerry Berry | 82 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 45 | 1 | 46 | ||
| Shannon Ranger | 82 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 37 | ||
| Gordon Weaver | 65 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 32 | ||
| Paul Tkachuk | 82 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 1 | 37 | ||
| Stephane Rheaume | 9 | 4 | 0 | 4 | -1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Casey Borer | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Goalies | GP | W | L | T | GAA | TOI | SV | SV% | SHO |
| Tuukka Miettinen | 65 | 49 | 10 | 1.86 | .930 | 6 | |||
| Torsten Junland | 20 | 7 | 7 | 2.67 | .909 | 3 | |||
Playoffs:
Round 1 vs. Washington Capitals:
The Caps had a lot of injuries to start out, and even though we were missing Weaver and Fedotov to start, Rheaume and Borer proved they can fill in with their regular season performances in limited role call-ups.
Game 1: 5-0 Win.
Game 2: 5-2 Win.
Game 3: 4-2 Win.
Game 4: 4-1 Win.
Easy series, never really challenged, the top line never really found their groove though, and that is worrisome.
AHL team: the Admirals made the playoffs for the first time in 5 seasons, and Walter Purinton wound up carrying them through the first round:
Game 1: 2-0 Win.
Game 2: 3-0 Win.
Game 3: 4-0 Win.
Game 4: 4-1 Win.
Round 2 vs. Winnipeg Jets:
Not a huge rivalry behind this one, we've competed against the goalie numerous times though, and he is very good.
Game 1: 4-1 Win.
Game 2: 2-1 Loss.
Starting Goalie Tuukka Miettinen (92) injured for 9-10 weeks. Back-up Torsten Junland (81) will start, Tyler Pavelski (81) to serve as back-up
Game 3: 2-0 Win.
Game 4: 5-1 Loss.
Game 5: 6-4 Win.
Game 6: 4-2 Loss.
Game 7: 2-1 Win.
Difficult series with the loss of Miettinen, but we wound up coming through. Weaver and Fedotov both back healthy, but the AHL team was also eliminated in 5 games, so may give Logan Nicholls a shot and see how he does.
Round 3 vs. New Jersey Devils:
Our biggest rivals. Tyson Van Ryn has been a thorn in our side for nearly 8 seasons now, and this is another chance to prove to him we're the top team. Logan Nicholls being called up to play a few games, since Fedotov struggled to finish round 2.
Game 1: 3-2 Win.
Game 2: 2-1 Win.
Game 3: 3-2 Win.
Game 4: 5-2 Loss.
Game 5: 3-1 Win.
Vladimir Fedotov wound up playing in game 5 after Nicholls had a bad game 4, and scored the first goal. Erskine scored the winner, then we added an empty netter and made our way to the finals!
Stanley Cup Finals vs. Detroit Red Wings:
The rebuilt Wings make it back to the finals. Loaded with a line-up that includes 5 undrafted players, they've had a great run in the playoffs so far. Their offensive style should be a great challenge for my defensive team, especially with Miettinen still out.
Game 1: 3-0 Win.
Game 2: 6-3 Win.
Game 3: 3-1 Win.
Game 4: 7-1 Win.
Stanley Cup Champions!
Conn Smythe Winner: Alex Galchenyuk (10G, 11A, 21P, 29 Hits, +7)
| Tampa Bay Lightning (top 9) Stats - 2025-26 | |||||||||
| Skaters | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | GW | PIM | SOG | SPCT |
| Alex Galchenyuk | 20 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 9 | ||
| Sergej Bykov | 20 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Dimitri Svitov | 20 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 6 | ||
| Jeremy Tanabe | 20 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 8 | ||
| Jarrod Scatchard | 20 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Shannon Ranger | 20 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Jerry Berry | 20 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 8 | ||
| Manny Byrne | 20 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 8 | ||
| Kenton Helgesen | 20 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Goalies | GP | W | L | T | GAA | TOI | SV | SV% | SHO |
| Torsten Junland | 15 | 11 | 4 | 2.10 | .915 | 2 | |||
| Tuukka Miettinen | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1.05 | .946 | 1 | |||
| 2025-26 Awards | |||
| Award | Player | Pos | Team |
| Art Ross Trophy | John Tavares | New York Islanders | |
| Hart Memorial Trophy | Dwayne Boos | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy | Jeremy Tanabe | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy | Danny Erskine | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| Calder Memorial Trophy | Oleg Makarov | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| Conn Smythe Trophy | Alex Galchenyuk | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| Vezina Trophy | Tuukka Miettinen | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| William M Jennings Trophy | Tuukka Miettinen | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy | Boris Khokhlachev | New York Rangers | |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy | Tyler Seguin | Boston Bruins | |
| Ted Lindsay Award | Gabriel Landeskog | Colorado Avalanche | |
| Rocket Richard Trophy | Steven Stamkos | Toronto Maple Leafs | |
We completely overwhelmed the Red Wings physically and the series was never close. Galchenyuk and Fedotov really took over and Tanabe had a much better series, especially game 4 where he had 4 assists. A great season once again, we head into the off season with some big decisions to make in regards to the roster. Whatever happens, it should be quite interesting.
Offseason:
2026 NHL Entry Draft:
Round 1:
Trade:
To Chicago:
LW - Vladimir Fedotov
To Tampa:
2026 1st Round Pick(Chicago, #10)
2026 1st Round Pick(Tampa,#30)
2026 2nd Round Pick(Chicago,#40)
Trade:
To Edmonton:
2026 1st Round Pick(Tampa,#30)
2026 2nd Round Pick(Chicago,#40)
To Tampa:
2026 1st Round Pick(Minnesota#9)
Pick #9: Evan Connelly, SNP, 6'2", 201lbs, RH, RW, Canada.
Pick #10: Rich MacMurchy, SNP, 6'3", 210lbs, LH, C, Canada.
Round 2:
No Trades or Picks
Round 3:
No Trades or Picks
Round 4:
Major Trade:
To Minnesota Wild:
G - Tuukka Miettinen
RW - Victor Scoville
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
G - Jared Henderson
C - Jordan Tkatch.
No Picks.
Round 5:
150th Pick: Russ Demarchi, PWF, 6'3", 235 lbs, LH, LW, USA.
Round 6:
180th Pick: Lucas Leeb, SNP, 6'2", 205 lbs, LH, RW, USA.
Round 7:
210th Pick: Daryl Gudbranson, TWF, 6'2", 207 lbs, RH, RW, Canada.
Re-Sign Phase:
C - Alex Galchenyuk, $8.000M for 3 years
LW - Danny Erskine $6.700M for 4 years
C - Gene Pauls for $5.570M for 2 years
D - Jerry Berry $6.000M for 6 years
C - Jimmy Coleman $2.750M for 6 years
C - Jarrod Scatchard $2.200M for 3 years
D - Paul Tkachuk $2.050M for 1 year
LW - Shannon Ranger $1.000M for 1 year
G - Torsten Junland $1.500M for 2 years
G - Walter Purinton $0.950M for 2 years
Rookie Signings:
D - Barry Carlson, 20 years old, B,B,C potential.
C - Rick Macmurchy, 19 years old, B-,B,B- potential.
RW - Evan Connelly, 19 years old, B,C-,B- potential.
Qualifying Offers to RFA's:
C - Rod Krestanovich
D - Pascal Blouin
D - Lance Gelech
C - Noah Nelson
RW - Stephane Rheaume
C - Johan Karlsson
C - Stan Gallagher
Released:
D - Gordon Weaver
C - Jordan Tkatch
Free Agency:
Trade:
To San Jose Sharks:
D - Paul Tkachuk
G - Torsten Junland
To Tampa Bay Lightning:
2027 3rd Round Pick
Analysis:
Mostly just a salary dump, Tkachuk will be quickly replaced by a free agent and Junland is barely ahead of my #3 and #4 goalies, who are both younger.
Signed:
D - Landon Cross. 85 overall, 32 years old, 6'3", 180 lbs. 637 career GP.
D - Johnathon Gelech. 79 overall, 23 years old, 6'3", 211 lbs. 0 Career GP.
LW - Spike Stevenson. 80 overall, 22 years old, 6'0" 188 lbs, 168 Career GP.
C - Nick Aronson. 80 overall, 24 years old, 6'6", 252 lbs, 0 Career GP.
Trade:
To Buffalo Sabres:
Unsigned RFA C - Johan Karlsson
2027 3rd Round Pick
2032 1st Round Pick
2032 2nd Round Pick
2032 3rd Round Pick
To Tampa Bay Lighting:
D - Gary Stephenson
2027 1st Round Pick
Analysis: Johan Karlsson will be 23 this season, with no foreseeable entrance to the line-up with Galchenyuk, Pauls, Coleman and Scatchard all signed to multi-year deals. Gary Stephenson, this years 3rd overall pick, is a young high potential d-man who could eventually fill in for Tanabe when he retires in 3-4 seasons. I gave away quite a few future picks, but as I go through a mini rebuild to help cap costs the next few seasons, I felt it was important to get myself a 1st Rounder in next seasons draft as well.
RFA's Lance Gelech, Stephane Rheaume and Noah Nelson accept qualifying offers.
Offseason Review:
While we didn't add any big names to the team, we really helped out our depth for this season and on.
On defence, Landon Cross will serve as a great d-partner for Casey Borer, who is our big offensive prospect at the back end. Stephenson will not contribute this season, but in 1 or 2 years, he should be able to crack the line-up. The biggest prize though was Johnathon Gelech signing as a 23 year old UFA. Similar to Justin Schultz in real life, he may be able to insert straight into the line-up, but for now we plan for him to serve a year in the AHL before joining the main club.
Offensively, we sent Vladimir Fedotov to Chicago to join former teammates Oleg Makarov and Kurt Allen. Luckily, Logan Nicholls headlines a wave of prospects who can possibly contribute this season. Rheaume's surprise acceptance of the Qualifying Offer gives us another option on the wing if we need it, as the 23 year old has 12 points in his 17 career NHL games. Other than the 2nd line wing slot, no changes happened to the front end, which is huge as we look for chemistry from the cup win to lead us to hopefully our 7th cup as a franchise since my taking over of the team.
In net, Tuukka Miettinen won the vezina for the 2nd time in 3 years, but for the 5th time, he was not the goalie playing when we won the cup. Frustrations with his injuries and lack of consistency in big games led us to acquiring Jared Henderson from the Wild. He was a 1st overall selection in 2015 and has finished most of his career above a .928%. Torsten Junland was strong in playoffs, but his salary did not match the role we had for him, and with Walter Purinton's playoff performance in the AHL last season, we feel we can gamble and use him as our back-up until Mikhail Konichev is ready.
Looking forward, we have a ton of prospects nearing NHL readiness and our oldest player will be turning 34 this season. We are in our prime as a team and unless something crazy happens, should be contending for another cup again this season.
Hope you enjoyed my updates, leave any comments or suggestions here for me, I'm open to any input you have for me.
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