Hotties of the Tampa Bay Lightning

Hey everybody! Long time no blog. So I'm gonna lighten things up a bit around here. I am now officially "the resident hottie monitor."
Today's topic of discussion will go along with Rhys' Calder post about Steven Stamkos.
Now, Steven is cute and all, but he simply must share the spotlight - for the sake of this post - with the other hotties of the Lightning.

Let's start with Vinny Lecavalier...'cause let's face it, you just can't ignore him and his epic hotness. The 28-year old scored 40 goals last year, contributing to his 92 point season.



Next up, I must include Vinny's buddy, Marty St. Louis. The Quebec Native will be playing in his 10th NHL season. 8 of those years have been played with the Lightning, while his rookie and sophomore years were played in Calgary (booo).




Now, I present to you...Steven Stamkos! This 18 year old from Markham, Ontario, was drafted by the Lightning in this year's draft (as if you didn't know that already). He's the hottest thing to happen to the Bolts since Vinny and Marty. Don't deny it, you want to be the woman in this picture.






Now, one last surprise!
JOE! I just had to celebrate the fact that he signed for another year.

I hope you enjoyed this eye candy! Have no fear, there's definitely more to come.

I Eat My Words

In my list of players I expect to retire, I said I figured Stephane Yelle would retire. I am corrected as he signs a deal with Boston. Good luck Steph, you've always been a favourite of mine.

Calder Watch: Steven Stamkos

Calder Watch, a monthly snapshot of rookies around the league, starts today!

Already written into the Europe opening roster, the Tampa Bay Lightning expect Steve Stamkos to be ready to make a huge impact from the get go. The 18 year-old standout is slated to fill the number two center slot, right behind Vinny Lecavalier.
Fans are expecting results too. Stamkos Lightning jerseys were spotted before the draft upon Tampa's announcement of their plan for the first overall pick. The website Seen Stamkos? spurred recognition in hockey circles worldwide and has almost a viral cult following.
How surprised would we have been had Tampa not drafted Stamkos or traded away that coveted pick. But, this didn't happen and now the college-aged kid calls Florida home. The epitome of a power forward, this speedy sharpshooter is capable of posting top scoring numbers when given the ice time. Slotted to play on the second line before training camp even beginning, Stamkos should have no trouble finding plenty of time.
In two seasons' worth of games and playoffs in Sarnia, Stamkos tallied over 200 points placing him in the top performers the team has ever had. Stamkos can start as well as he can finish, having similar numbers of assists and goals, a true statement to the talent of a forward. We all know OHL numbers don't always correspond to NHL numbers, but Stamkos' ability to adjust his game isn't in doubt.
A lot can be said against icing a rookie who has just been drafted. Not enough time to develop in the system, some will argue. But with the recent successes of Patrick Kane, Ovechkin, and Sid the Kid, the trend in the League seems to be towards playing young talents and letting them learn on the fly. Stamkos has the hockey sense to adapt quickly to the bigger faster players. As for his prominent role with the Bolts, the aforementioned first picks were heralded as the saving graces for their teams and put into high profile and leadership roles early in their careers. And who can ignore the similarities between Stamkos and, now teammate, Vinny Lecavalier? Both are Tampa first overall picks, centers, and power forwards. Can Steve Stamkos follow in Lecavlier's footsteps and become one of the Leagues best forwards in his first few years in the league? Time can only tell but here's one blogger who's more than willing to put money on Stamkos' Calder hopes and his scoring ability in the near future. I can't wait to see him take the ice in Europe. Not much longer now!

Off Season Update

After the summer absence so typical of me, I'm back blogging for my own sanity. I cannot speak for the others on staff here, hopefully they'll realize the blog is back and running. More available time for me means more blogs for the world out there. My goal for this season is a minimum post per week, but hopefully daily. If anyone is out there reading this feel free to spread the word, email me, comment on the blog, whatever. I'm looking forward to a great 08-09 hockey season with everyone!
--Rhys Sakic



Unsigned Free Agents
Joe Sakic, always a fan favourite, is back for his 20th season but the fate of many free agents still hangs in the balance. Big names remain in limbo over retirement and small ticket players face a depth role or complete lack of interest from around the League. The list of players who have committed to European teams for the upcoming season includes higher profile players than has been seen in recent years and is still growing. Many of the undecided players are expected to retire before the start of the season, which is rapidly approaching. The following is a list of still well-known players I suspect will step away from the game this year.

Western Conference	Eastern Conference
Teemu Selanne	Patrice Brisebois
Stephane Yelle	Brendan Shanahan
Yanic Perreault	Jim Dowd
Peter Forsberg	Mats Sundin
Dan Cloutier
Ladislav Nagy

It honestly wouldn't surprise me if Selanne pulled a stunt like he did last year but I think secretly he's ready to retire. Peter Forsberg, again, wants to wait to see what his health does. With doctors saying he wouldn't be able to play until Christmas, I think we've seen the last of Peter the Great. My eastern conference list consists of players who have reached the point in time where they either question their ability to play or aren't able to produce anymore (sorry, Jimmy Dowd). The biggest question in the East remains Mats Sundin. The guy is a giant enigma, or at least likes to think he is, changing his mind every two days.

Best Off Season Moves
Tampa Bay came out strong, surprising fans with numerous signings (the most predictable being Steve Stamkos). Montreal, adding Alex Tanguay, also looks to have played the field well. We all know rosters mean nothing if you don't have the chemistry to work together but these two teams seem to have a strong start.
On the other side of the continent, Canada controls the field. Calgary took strides in nabbing a potentially amazing talent in Mike Cammalleri. Vancouver took a risk on Pavol Demitra, but one that will undoubtedly play out well. But let's not forget Andrew Brunette in Minnesota, Rob Blake in San Jose, and Brendan Morrison in Anaheim (possible Selanne replacement?). It's going to be a wild season in the West.

Looking Ahead To...Training Camp
'Tis the season for rookie camps, training camp, and preseason games. Teams kick off preparations in the next two weeks or so. Here's some hints of what to look for in camps around the league.
Rookies-Seen Stamkos? The 2008 first overall is going to draw a crowd of the devoted in Tampa Bay.
Coaches-With all the coaching changes around the league (Colorado, LA, San Jose, Tampa, Atlanta, etc) it's going to be fun watching the beginning steps in camp.
Goalies-Most systems have two perfectly able goalies and some youngsters waiting in the wings to grab a chance for the number two spot. I foresee some goaltender controversies coming out of camp.