The Tampa Bay Lightning are all-in. That was made abundantly clear by GM Julien BriseBois on Wednesday when the Lightning acquired Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand in a massive deal with the Seattle Kraken.
Bringing Gourde, a player who won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning, back to Tampa Bay is a big win on its own, but adding a sniper like Bjorkstrand should also help the team immensely. With this trade, the Lightning drastically improved their depth surrounding their star players.
With this trade, the Lightning hope they have enough depth to make a deep playoff run and win a Stanley Cup. Here's what the lines might look like when Gourde and Bjorkstrand can make their debuts with the team.
Projected Lightning lines after Tampa Bay adds pair of forwards
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Jake Guentzel | Brayden Point | Nikita Kucherov |
Brandon Hagel | Anthony Cirelli | Oliver Bjorkstrand |
Nick Paul | Yanni Gourde | Mitchell Chaffee |
Zemgus Girgensons | Luke Glendening | Gage Goncalves |
All of a sudden, it really looks like the Lightning have the depth necessary to win a Stanley Cup, especially when taking into account that fourth lines often don't play much at all, especially later in a given series.
Tampa's top line is untouched as a result of this deal, and if we're being honest, why would the Lightning ever mess with it? Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov are all averaging at least a point per game, and when paired together, they can create one of the most dynamic lines in the NHL.
The second line is where things get interesting. Brandon Hagel is in the midst of a career year, and he's paired with Anthony Cirelli, one of the best two-way centers in the NHL. This line didn't really have an ideal option to play right wing, but that's where Bjorkstrand, a player who has 16 goals and 37 points this season steps in. Bjorkstrand might not be a star, but he has five seasons of at least 20 goals despite playing on several lackluster teams over the course of his 10-year career. He can provide a major scoring lift to Tampa's top six.
Gourde figures to slot in as the team's third-line center, a role he often played in his first tour of duty with the Lightning. Nick Paul gives him a stout two-way partner on his left wing, and Mitchell Chaffee who has goals in two of his last three contests can potentially provide a nice boost on the right side.
This Lightning team, all of a sudden, went from one starved for depth to one that now can roll out three viable lines thanks to this trade. The Lightning gave up a ton to get this deal done, but if it results in a Stanley Cup win, who cares? Gourde and Bjorkstrand can help them get closer to achieving that goal.