With 30 games left in the season, and Tampa Bay currently sitting in a tie for lowest points in the league, there are some decisions to make in Tampa with this Lightning roster. A team that made the playoffs last year, has the pieces to compete, but for some reason hasn’t figured out how to string wins together this season. The question is, do they move pieces off the roster and start building with youth again, leveraging that likely top 3 pick in the draft and the younger players that are currently on the roster? The other option is to start and shop that first round pick and grab a few key pieces to push this current roster into contention for the next several years.
If they decide to go the route of trading their first-round pick, the Lightning also have Trevor Van Riemsdyk in the last year of his deal, an offensive defenseman that is still only 26, could be a valuable piece as a rental or on the restricted free agent market. TVR along with that first could net a great return and allow the Lightning to put the right pieces in place to contend again very soon.
On the other hand, there are several recent high picks on the farm, and several pieces on the pro roster that are will under the age of 30. Would trading a few vets to clear roster space, along with the pick at the top of the first round this year, create a team of very young, but very talented players that have a chance to be good for a very long time. This is the fork in the road that will determine how the next several seasons go in Tampa.
Between now and the trading deadline will be very interesting to watch in Tampa, probably the most interesting part of this very disappointing season.
11/17/2023 - 317 words
