Bratislava of the KHL. Mihalik has played in the Lightning prospects camp and been called up a total of 15 times but has yet to catch on with the NHL club.
In picking Mihalik, the Lightning missed out on cornerstone players Keith Yandle, Paul Stastny and Kris Letang.
2006 – Riku Helenius – Goalie - #35 – Drafted 15th overall by the Lightning, Helenius has only seen NHL ice once for just seven minutes and stopped both shots he saw.
Helenius has to be considered a draft bust. He lost an important year of development when he had shoulder surfery and has been trying to catch up ever since. He’s played well at times but has yet to develop into the netminder he was projected to be. He is well down the Lightning’s goalie depth chart and it doesn’t look like he will play in the NHL. Claude Giroux, Semyon Varlamov and Milan Lucic were drafted after the Bolts opted for Helenius.
2007 – Dana Tyrell – Forward - #42 – Drafted 47th overall (second Round) by the Lightning, Tyrell has played three seasons for Tampa Bay accumulating 7 goals, 17 assists, 24 points and 22 penalty minutes in 125 games.
Tyrell is an enigma; he has terrific speed and grit and is a third/fourth line fan favorite. Tampa Bay just hasn’t found a consistent role for him as he went back and forth to Syracuse three times last season.
Here is Bolt Prospects evaluation of Tyrell:
“Tyrell is an outstanding skater with great top end speed and, more importantly, outstanding acceleration. Tyrell is a hard worker who loves to forecheck and isn't afraid to go into high traffic areas. Possesses above average playmaking abilities and a good shot.”
2008 – Steven Stamkos – Forward - #91 – Drafted 1st overall by the Lightning, Stamkos has played five seasons for Tampa Bay accumulating an amazing 208 goals, 178 assists, 386 points and 249 penalty minutes in 373 games. The Bolts had to pick between Stamkos and Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. As it turned out, both players are franchise cornerstones.
Nothing else needs to be said. Stamkos is the real deal and the Bolts will reap the rewards of drafting him for years to come; a true superstar and leader that doesn’t miss a game.
2009 – Victor Hedman – Defenseman - #77 – Drafted 2nd overall by the Lightning, Hedman has played four seasons for Tampa Bay accumulating 16 goals, 73 assists, 89 points and 245 penalty minutes in 258 games. Hedman is a minutes eater, averaging almost 22 minutes per game over his career.
The 6’6”, 229 lbs. blueliner has developed into a true number one defenseman. After the Islanders selected John Tavares at number one, the Bolts had a choice of Hedman or forward Matt Duchene. Duchene has not developed into a top line center and Hedman is fast becoming a franchise defenseman.
2010 – Brett Connolly – Forward - #14 - Drafted 6th overall by the Lightning, Connolly has played 73 games for Tampa Bay accumulating 5 goals, 11 assists, 16 points and 30 penalty minutes. GM Steve Yzerman grabbed his first draft pick as a GM when he took Connolly at number 6 overall. The 6’2”, 200 lbs. winger was once thought to be a top three pick, but a hip injury limited him to just 16 games in his draft year and his stock fell. Still only 21, Connolly is a pure scorer and is primed to make the big club next season.
The British Columbia native is currently playing in the AHL’s Calder Cup playoffs with the Syracuse Crunch and has netted 31 goals, 63 points and 53 penalty minutes in 71 games. Connolly
Bolt Prospects says of Connolly:
“If he's healthy, the Lightning have a first line scoring winger for the next 10 years. Red Line compares Connolly to Sharks star Patrick Marleau in terms of his skills package. But, it's also a possibility that Connolly's injury problems never go away and he's a part time player a la Buffalo's Tim Connolly. High risk. High reward.”
2011 – Vladislav Namestnikov – Forward – Drafted 27th overall by the Lightning, Namestnikov is well on his way to the NHL as he is already contributing to the AHL Syracuse Crunch’s playoff run this season.
Bolt Prospects says of Namestnikov:
“Namestnikov is a hard working, gritty player who fearlessly takes the puck to the net and also loves to chirp and instigate his opponents. Creative with the puck and is a good playmaker with great ability to make tips and deflections and a dangerous backhand. He's also honest and responsible defensively.”
The Russian native ranks in the top ten of a very strong and deep group of Lightning prospect forwards
2012 – Slater Koekkoek – Defenseman – Drafted 6th overall by the Lightning, Koekkoek has battled injuries early on in his professional career. The 6’2”, 185 lbs. defenseman was playing well last season with Peterborough when he was shut down with a season-ending shoulder injury after just 26 games. The Ontario native had accumulated 5 goals and 18 points when he went down.
Very highly rated (23rd among North American skaters) by the NHL Central Scouting Service prior to the Lightning drafting him, Koekkoek remains a top defensive prospect for the Bolts.
Bolt Prospects ranks Koekkoek as their highest rated defenseman:
“Good skater with excellent burst. Shows good intelligence and is excellent at reading and jumping into the play. Good snap shot. Can play big minutes.”
Just as with any NHL organization, the NHL draft is an emotional rollercoaster ride. While it’s much too early in his tenure to rate GM Steve Yzerman’s draft classes, it does seem that he is doing well and has the Bolts heading in the right direction. Tampa Bay’s minor league system is churning out a long list of NHL ready players.
W.B. Philp is the Founder and Chief Editor of LightningShout, a comprehensive Tampa Bay Lightning website. He’s also a serial hockey blogger, including over at HockeyIndependent.com, Melrose hater, instigator, agitator and vindicator. ◉
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