There are many valid questions being asked in the social media circles concerning the Lightning defense or lack thereof. What would GM Steve Yzerman do to strengthen it? Did he need to do anything? Why would he pass on a talent like projected first pick defenseman Seth Jones with the third overall pick in the draft? (Photos/Susan Ferlita)
The latter question has been addressed by Yzerman as he stated publicly that he felt comfortable passing on Jones because of Mark Barberio’s potential. However, that doesn’t guarantee that the seventh or eighth spot on the Lightning blue line will be his. Here are a few ways this could play out, assuming the team carries as many eight defensemen as it has the past couple of seasons:
Veterans are kept while Barberio skates top line minutes in Syracuse.
This seems likely given Yzerman’s history of doing things. The rationale would be something along the lines of it being better for Barberio to log top minutes in the AHL as opposed to being an infrequent contributor in the NHL. If this plays out, we’re likely to see Matt Taormina (cheap NHL level salary of $605,000) and maybe even Brian Lee, if he gets healthy and can prove himself worthy of another shot.
Barberio makes the team along with a veteran.
This certainly seems plausible as well, given Cooper’s penchant for dressing seven defensemen. Barberio’s NHL cap hit is the same as Taormina’s, so the two combined would cost negligibly more against the cap than Brian Lee would by himself. With Taormina and Barberio playing a similar puck-moving game, it would make for a good mentor relationship with both players seeing a fair amount of games.
S is for Surprise
The big kid, Andrej Sustr could surprise and earn a spot in training camp, though he’d have to blow the doors off Yzerman and Cooper for this to happen.
A similar surprise could come from prospect Nikita Nesterov. Though just 20 years old, Nesterov has played parts of two seasons in the KHL and he could very well earn a trip to the show if his game translates immediately.
Of course, Yzerman may also trade for another NHL defenseman, but this seems unlikely given the Lightning’s closeness to the salary cap. They can exceed the cap by $3,607,143 (Mattias Ohlund’s cap hit), so it’s always a possibility. After all, Yzerman and the Bolts’ Brass are experts at keeping their cards close to the vest.
The Lightning should keep eight defensemen with Barberio and Taormina in the seven and eight slots. It’s gotten to the point that Barberio doesn’t have much to prove at the AHL level. Despite his regular season point total dipping to 42 this past season from 61 in 2011-2012, Barberio was nearly a point-per-game player in the playoffs with 15 points in 18 games. While it’s true that the NHL is not a developmental league, Jon Cooper can use Barberio in favorable situations and turn to a veteran like Taormina when Barberio needs some time in the press box.
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