Garrett: Witkowski Making His Mark

Those who had the pleasure of attending the first preseason game at Amalie Arena were introduced to a few Lightning prospects not named Drouin or Vasilevskiy . Johnathan Marchessault scored two of the night’s four goals in his first training camp game after Tampa Bay acquired him in a trade with Columbus on March 5, 2014. 2011 first round draft pick Vladislav Namestnikov dished out three assists. One player that electrified the crowd by dropping the gloves vs. Jonathan-Ismael Diaby was defenseman Luke Witkowski. (Photo/Susan Ferlita

//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.jsWitkowski, drafted in 2008 in the sixth round, stands 6-2 and weighs in at 210 pounds. Luke started his career playing two years in the USHL where he was named to the All-Star team in 2008-2009. He then headed to Western Michigan University where he played four years. During his last year as a Bronco, Witkowski wore the “C” and helped the team win its second CCHA Championship. Last season, Witkowski appeared in 76 games with the Syracuse Crunch proving that he is a workhorse and not afraid of combative play. Throughout his career he has never shied away from a confrontation. During his two years in the USHL he amassed 257 minutes in penalties in 113 regular season games. The Lightning made significant moves to add more grit and physicality to their lineup and Witkowski most definitely fits the bill. This video of him manhandling two Adirondack Phantoms last season made the rounds and got fans talking. //platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js

The defenseman has natural playmaking ability on the power play. Making smart passes and creating quick plays could make it harder for coach Jon Cooper to assign the 24 year old back to Syracuse.

The Michigan native has a toughness the Lightning are looking for, combined with prowess on the power play. This may make him part of the conversation if the Bolts need extra help on the blueline during the season. If he continues along this path, he could be paving his way to the NHL sooner rather than later.

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