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Throughout his tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning, common supervisor Steve Yzerman discovered nice success on the draft. Even if he struggled at instances with first-round picks, his workforce of scouts persistently pulled prime expertise out of all ranges of the draft.
Since he has departed Tampa Bay for the Detroit Red Wings, let’s look again at a few of the finest picks made by Yzerman throughout his near-decade on the helm of the Lightning.
#5: Anthony Cirelli
As the 72nd decide within the 2015 draft, it might have been simple to jot down off Anthony Cirelli as a longshot to succeed in the NHL, not to mention a participant who would excel once he made it there. Despite this, Cirelli shortly established himself as one of many Lightning’s prime prospects in his first season enjoying for his or her AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
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In reality, earlier than the tip of his AHL rookie season, Cirelli acquired a call-up, scoring two goals in his very first recreation. After that debut, he locked down a third-line position with the franchise.
To put it merely, Cirelli was the precise participant that the Lightning wanted to develop. He shouldn’t be solely a talented scorer, however he has change into the most effective defensive forwards within the NHL. As the years rolled on, he continued to impress, scoring key playoff targets whereas earning a three-year extension that can preserve him with the franchise as they make deep runs within the postseason.
Not unhealthy for a third-round decide.
#4: Ondrej Palat
As a seventh-round draft decide by the Lightning again in 2011, Ondrej Palat has carried out nothing however exceed expectations with the franchise. First, he helped lead Tampa Bay’s then-AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, to the 2012 Calder Cup Championship.
Then he put collectively the most effective rookie seasons in Lightning historical past in 2013-14. Palat would go on to publish 23 goals and 59 points en path to a second-place end for the Calder Memorial Trophy.
After that, he put collectively a 63-point marketing campaign in 2014-15 as a member of Tampa Bay’s famed Triplets line, one of many single most dominant strains within the NHL that season.
Read Also: Lightning’s Ondrej Palat: Great Value From a Late-Round Pick
While Palat’s scoring totals have dipped in recent times, he remained an essential a part of the workforce’s id till he left through free company in 2022 and is without doubt one of the Lightning’s finest draft picks in workforce historical past. In reality, one can argue that he’s the perfect worth decide made within the league during the last decade.
#3: Brayden Point
Of all of the gamers that the Lightning drafted throughout Yzerman’s tenure, nobody higher match his mould than Brayden Point. As a speedy and expert ahead, Point was neglected on the draft as a consequence of his measurement. Many thought he had the expertise to be a first-round decide, however he fell all the best way to the third-round earlier than Tampa Bay chosen him.
Point wasted no time rewarding the Lightning for his or her choice. He made his NHL debut as a 19-year-old in 2016, immediately turning into a focus of the workforce’s id. Over his first three seasons, Point was named an All-Star, posted a 40-goal season, and was one of many Lightning’s most dominant defensive gamers.
Since that breakout 40-goal marketing campaign, Point has continued to be a dominant force for Tampa Bay. He was second in postseason scoring in each 2020 and 2021 up to now and has been a fixture on the Lightning’s prime offensive line. He is a very particular participant who excels when the lights are brightest, which is a trait each franchise desires of in a draft decide.
#2: Andrei Vasilevskiy
After arising one recreation wanting the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, the Lightning skilled a disastrous 2011-12 season that noticed them again within the basement of the league. The solely constructive got here from Yzerman liquidating his veteran players on the commerce deadline to develop a stockpile of picks within the upcoming draft.
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Using a first-rounder acquired in a kind of trades, the Lightning took the perfect goaltender obtainable, Andrei Vasilevskiy. For a workforce in dire want of a franchise goaltender, Vasilevskiy represented a beacon of hope. If all went effectively, he could possibly be their reply to a decades-long wrestle in web.
As his enjoying profession progressed, Vasilevskiy established himself as, arguably, the perfect goaltender on this planet. Over the final 4 seasons, he has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy each year, whereas successful the award in 2019. He has additionally been a clutch producer within the playoffs, main the Lightning to the 2020 Stanley Cup whereas setting workforce information for wins and video games performed alongside the best way.
Simply put, Yzerman hit a house run with this decide, giving the Lightning their goaltender of the long run.
#1: Nikita Kucherov
There are few hockey gamers on this planet as dominant as Nikita Kucherov. When he’s enjoying at his finest, he can seemingly rating at will, both organising an ideal cross for his teammates or utilizing his world-class shot to baffle opposing goaltenders.
At the 2011 draft although, there have been many questions concerning Kucherov. Some noticed him as a first-round decide whereas others noticed him as a threat as a result of notorious ‘Russian Factor’ and his small stature. Yes, he had potential game-breaking skill, however nobody was constructive if that ability would make it to the NHL.
All of those questions brought on him to drop all the best way right down to the 58th decide, the place the Lightning fortunately took an opportunity on him.
Since he joined the league, Kucherov has been rewarding the Lightning for taking an opportunity on him. As a second-round decide, there have been some expectations about what he may turn into. What he turned is, inarguably, a top-five participant within the NHL and the perfect draft decide throughout the Yzerman-Era.
Lightning’s Success in ‘Yzerman-Era’
Before Yzerman took over the Lightning in 2010, the franchise was identified for having weak drafts. While they discovered success with their first and second overall picks, they pulled in little expertise exterior of these picks.
From first-round winners to seventh-rounder miracles, the Lightning discovered unbelievable expertise from all ranges of the draft beneath Yzerman. It might not be an actual science, however they appeared like geniuses with these 5 picks.
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