today 09:23
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There will be no room for long celebrations. The Tampa Bay Lightning leadership awaits a challenging summer after defending the Stanley Cup. The Florida club continued to defend its championship thanks to the fact that it did not use the services of Nikita Kučerov during the basic part and made room under the salary cap. However, this scenario will not be repeated next season. Therefore, “lightning bolts” will have to sacrifice some important players.
Tampa finished the season with a salary burden of almost one hundred million US dollars, which significantly exceeded the salary ceiling of 81.5 million. USD. Representatives of the three-time NHL champions benefited from the fact that there are no financial restrictions in the playoffs.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES
However, they did not avoid criticism from competitors and their step with Kučerová in the long-term part of the competition was also checked by the profile management. “We were eliminated in the playoffs by a team that is 18 million above the salary cap. I don’t want to criticize the current rules, but I have to imagine what extra weapons Tampa had. If we also had more money, we could afford more and better hockey players, “ quoted Caroline Hurricanes defender Dougie Hamilton on The Athletic’s website after the quarter-final series with Lightning.
Tampe played out that the most productive man of the last two playoffs, Nikita Kučerov, had to undergo hip surgery in the winter. He spent the entire basic part on the list of long-term injured players and did not return until the fight for the Stanley Cup. He scored a great 32 points (8 + 24) in 23 matches.
“The NHL was investigating the case of Kučerov, and we provided the competition management with all the essential information about his operation, rehabilitation and ability to play again. Everything took place in accordance with the rules. We just took advantage of the opportunity that came our way, “ reacted general manager of “lightning” Julien BriseBois.
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Finále play-off: Tampa Bay Lightning – Montreal Canadiens.
Source: reuters
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SEVENTEEN WITH A CONTRACT
If Tampa Bay wants to remain among the league elite, the 44-year-old Canadian must once again demonstrate his functional dexterity. Given that the NHL has been negatively affected by the pandemic situation and competition revenues have not increased as in the past, the salary cap will not increase either.
This is bad news for Lightning, which currently has eleven attackers, five defenders and goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevsky signed on the roster. The total cost of this seventeen hockey players is just over $ 85 million, which is about 3.5 million above the ceiling.
After the championship season, strikers Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Ross Colton, defender David Savard, Luke Schenn, Cal Foot and goalkeeper Chirstopher Gibson and Curtis McElhinney expired.
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Erik Černák
Source: SITA
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ČERNÁK IN GOOD POSITION
Two Russians cut the most from Tampa’s salary ceiling. Goalkeeper Vasilevsky and striker Kucherov equally occupy 9.5 million, followed by Canadian striker Steven Stamkos (8.5 million) and Swedish defender Victor Hedman (7.875 million). Ondřej Palát, Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde, Tyler Johnson, Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn, Ryan McDonagh and Mikhail Sergačov are also above the four million mark.
One of these men will definitely leave. Lightning must sacrifice more expensive players in order to fill third or fourth formation with minimum-income hockey players. It can be expected that players with novice contracts who are part of the Tampa Bay organization will also be given space. Among them we can also find the Slovak striker Maxim Tchaikovsky. Other options for current champions are exchanges or redemptions from contracts. The situation may be affected by the July expansion draft of Seattle Kraken.
Slovak defender Erik Černák is in a good position. The native of Košice agreed with Tampa to cooperate until the end of the year 2022/23 and the salary ceiling is burdened by less than three million dollars. At the same time, performance is one of the leaders on the defensive. The exchanges will probably not concern the Czech defender Jan Rutt or the attackers Patrick Maroon with Mathieu Joseph. This trio earns together just like Černák. We can expect more significant movements in personnel from 28 July. That’s when the NHL market opens up a free market.
