Lightning Pushing for Depth; Team Eyeing Two Big Names

The Tampa Bay Lightning are two points behind the Ottawa Senators for third place in the Atlantic Division. With a record of 28-20-4, the Lightning have just enough points for the second wild card spot in the eastern conference. With such a tight race in the east, insider David Pagnotta stated that the team is looking to add more depth pieces to compete.

On The Fourth Period’s The Latest, Pagnotta noted that the Lightning are looking to add more offensive and defensive depth. Tampa Bay was one of the potential landing spots for free agent Brandon Saad but ultimately lost to the Vegas Golden Knights. If Lightning GM Julien BriseBois is serious about making moves, here are the top candidates for each of their desires.

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Bringing Gourde Back to the Lightning Just Makes Sense

Yanni Gourde, 33, has played a very important role in the Seattle Kraken organization ever since he was claimed in the expansion draft. Despite his long-term injury, the Lightning have shown levels of interest in their former player. While he may not be the player he used to be in Tampa Bay, Gourde still has a kick in his game. He has recorded 145 points in 270 games, consisting of 52 goals and 93 assists.

The Lightning only have seven players left from their back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. Reintroducing Gourde to the team will not only bring this number up but also bring up the chemistry in the locker room. With the roster consisting of many young stars like Brandon Hagel and Darren Raddysh, adding Gourde will give them a cup-winning mindset.

Gourde plays center most of the time he is on the ice. Even though Tampa Bay already has one of the best center depths in the league, adding another superstar center won’t hurt. Even if he can’t play center, he could always play on the wing alongside Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. He is set to be a UFA this summer, holding a cap hit of $5.17 million. If the Lightning can shed some cap, Gourde would be a great reinstatement to the organization.

Dumoulin Will Give Guentzel a Familiar Face

Brian Dumoulin, 33, played with Lightning forward Jake Guentzel in the 2017 playoffs, giving the Pittsburgh Penguins their second consecutive cup. If the Lightning want to get the most out of Guentzel, adding more chemistry will do the trick. Guentzel is currently a point-per-game with 51 points (26g, 25a); typically, he has over a PPG. Adding someone like Dumoulin could give Guentzel the confidence he needs to thrive in a new environment.

From a team standpoint, Pagnotta mentioned that the team is looking for defensive depth. The Lightning’s top four defensive pairs are very solid. Outside of the top four is where the team can struggle. The bottom pair consists of Nick Perbix on the right side and Emil Lilleberg. At the moment, Lilleberg can be seen as a fringe NHL defenseman. He only averages around 15 minutes a night. If the Lightning want to be serious contenders, they need true depth.

Dumoulin is more of a stay-at-home defenseman and will put his body in front of the puck without hesitation. Tampa Bay has the seventh least goals scored against this season and in a league full of scoring, defense is always a need. Picking up someone like Dumoulin will help strengthen the defensive core and spread talent across all lines.

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