![]() ![]() As our Shayna Goldman noted, “Sergachev should keep that second pair afloat. There are many reasons the Lightning are betting on Sergachev with his eight-year deal, but he still must deliver with more consistency in high-leverage minutes. Not many teams, however, have a guy like Sergachev who is “ripe and ready” to step into that role, as BriseBois put it. So, Tampa Bay’s defense is a bit weaker without him. As much as the deal made sense from a salary-cap standpoint, McDonagh has been the team’s top shutdown defenseman and captain of their penalty kill. The Lightning blue line took a big hit in the offseason after the surprising trade of McDonagh to the Predators. (Zach Bogosian is out until late November or early December) Elliott started 17 games last season, and it might be wise to see that number in the 20-plus range this year. ![]() Elliott, 37, was an X-factor in helping the Lightning’s playoff positioning by going 11-4 with a. The good news for Tampa Bay is that Brian Elliott may be the best backup Vasilevskiy has had, at least if you look at his play this past season. So it would make sense for the Lightning to give a bit more of a breather this season. Vasilevskiy started 63 games last season for Tampa Bay, but he’s also started 71 combined playoff games the last three years. The key for Tampa Bay is making sure they have the right workload for Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy said after the season that the loss was like a “cold shower” and should motivate this group even more. Vasilevskiy’s visible frustration after the Game 6 loss to the Avalanche - including kicking the wall on the way to the dressing room - was another sign of the Vezina Trophy winner’s competitiveness. There were some off games in the playoffs, but overall his performance (.922 save percentage, 2.52 goals-against average) gave Tampa Bay a chance for a three-peat. Vasilevskiy remains the Lightning’s biggest difference-maker, arguably already on the “Mount Rushmore” of all-time NHL goalies. ![]()
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