#AskKrenner: Training camp is underway

With Palat gone who do you see filling his shoes? Could it be Vladdy or Paul? IMO I think Paul will end up filling them but I could see Vladdy filling them at the start of the season. What are your thoughts on that?From: Mr. Bolts Fan (@DaddyStamkos)
Good question. Palat did it all for the Lightning. He scored game-winning goals. He rarely missed games. He always had great energy and never took a shift off. He's a 'straw that stirs the drink' kind of player.

I think a player that can step up and play a similar role is Brandon Hagel. I was really impressed with Hagel in last year's playoffs. He was really strong on the forecheck and played an instrumental role on the Lightning's top shutdown line with Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. In the six games of the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers, that trio produced 23 high-danger chances and surrendered just five of those chances against.
Hagel is an excellent skater with a ton of speed. He was really good on the forecheck during the playoffs and never shied away from the physical aspect of postseason hockey. The first example I think of is his fight with Frank Vatrano in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. Don't forget he fractured his foot blocking a shot in the Panthers series, finished the game, and never missed time in the playoffs. He's a gritty, team-first kind of player that Jeff Halpern said, "plays with a lot of dirt under his fingernails."
Hagel came to Tampa Bay last season when he was acquired via trade and had scored 21 goals in 55 games with Chicago, spending a lot of time playing on a line with Patrick Kane. He also saw minutes on the power play and was playing anywhere from 18-21 minutes every night.
I think Hagel can be a 20-goal scorer for the Lightning in 2022-23 and, with Palat gone, I think the door is open for him to get top-six minutes on a nightly basis. Now that Hagel has had time to settle in and get comfortable, I expect him to have a great season and I think Bolts fans will be thrilled with his $1.5M cap hit over the next two seasons.
Who do you feel will take that step up on defense?
From: Liam (@M1CHAELHARRIS)
Definitely Mikhail Sergachev. It's easy to forget that Sergachev is still just 24 years old, but he's already played in 362 regular season games in his career and has two Stanley Cup rings.
I'm a big fan of Sergachev's game. He's an unbelievable skater. He has the ability to get his shots through from the point on a regular basis. He shows up in big-time moments and to me, he's pretty fearless.
I think back to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final when Nathan MacKinnon came galloping through the neutral zone with that great speed and was looking to split the Lightning defense. Sergachev used his speed to go from the opposite end of the blue line and close on MacKinnon before sending him down to the ice with a big hit near the top of the circle before he could get a shot on goal.
There aren't many guys in the NHL that can close on Nathan MacKinnon that quick and send him down with an open-ice hit. Sergachev has also shown a willingness to drop the gloves and fight, even against a guy like Shea Weber.
For me, it comes down to the skillset. Sergachev has all the tools in the toolbox and seems driven to take his bigger role this season and run with it. He's extremely gifted physically and is still so young. I think he'll continue to get better and better as he gets more minutes and the game continues to slow down for him.
I think extending him long term was a great decision and by the time he reaches the end of his deal, he'll still only be 33.
An honorable mention for this question is Ian Cole. I think Lightning fans are really going to enjoy watching Cole play. A lot of those Ryan McDonagh shot blocks that are now gone will be made up for by Cole. He's averaged over six blocked shots a game throughout his 670-game career.
Cole plays a hard, physical game and will be big come playoff time. He'll clear out guys in the crease and is just a steady player who defends well and has a career plus/minus of plus-131.
Cole also brings a veteran pedigree that just adds to the wealth of experience the Bolts already have. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion who has played in 110 career playoff games.
The 18th overall pick in 2007, Cole will be a really nice add on the back end. I would bet that there are a lot of teams across the league that would be thrilled to have him on their third pair.
Which team are you ready to face the most this season?
From: Em (@EmyTheWeird)
There are a few teams that I'm excited to see the Lightning play this season. Opening night at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers is definitely one I have circled. That Eastern Conference Final last year was a lot of fun.
The Rangers are looking to get over that hump and take the next step. The battle of two elite goaltenders in Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin is one of the best matchups you'll see across the NHL all year. The Bolts struggled with the Rangers during the regular season last year. Can they use the same recipe they did in the Eastern Conference Final and get a win on opening night? They'll have to do it without Anthony Cirelli and Zach Bogosian, but it should be a fun game.
I'm also excited for the Lightning's matchups with the Panthers. Florida lost two fantastic players in Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, but Matthew Tkachuk is an major talent and adds an entirely different element to the intrastate rivalry.
Tkachuk is one of those players that are really hard to find in today's NHL. He's a force physically and a pest to play against, but also has the skill to play on any top line across the league, in my opinion. He had 104 points last season with 42 goals and 62 assists. Adding him to the mix will make this rivalry even more entertaining.
Here's a fun one: which game-winning goal of all of #bolts history is your favorite?
From: Issy (@purpool)
This is a great question and a tough one.
For me, I don't know if you'll ever be able to beat Marty St. Louis' game-winner in double overtime of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against Calgary. It's also just one of the great goal calls of all time from a legend in Gary Thorne.
"Taylor, the shot. Redirected - score! Game Seven! Martin St. Louis! We are going back to Tampa Bay!"
It never gets old hearing that call. With the Stanley Cup in the building and the season on the line, you get the ultimate never give up player scoring on the team that let him walk to the Lightning for free.
And I still think that shot is extremely underrated. The way St. Louis elevated that puck into the top shelf when he was that close to Kiprusoff was incredible. It was fitting for a heart and soul player like St. Louis to score the biggest goal in franchise history at that time.
Honorable mentions:
How is Point looking on the ice? Have his injuries healed 100%?
From: Jana (@Jannbri)
We've only been through one day of training camp, but I thought Brayden Point looked great on the ice. There didn't seem to be any lingering pain or issues.
As Point said at Media Day on Wednesday, "Feeling good. It was a bit of a long recovery process, but feeling good coming into camp here and no pain, so it's nice to be able to skate how I want to again."
Who do you expect from Syracuse to make the opening night roster?
From: Bolts042807 (@Stephers2807)
I think Cole Koepke has as good of a shot as anyone to be on the opening night roster. He was one player that really stood out to me at the Prospect Showcase in North Carolina.
He looks like he has NHL size and he scored 20 goals as a rookie with Syracuse last season, the third-most goals on the team. Both Benoit Groulx and Julien BriseBois have mentioned how he continuously got better as the year went on.
His play away from the puck improved immensely throughout the season and by the end of the year, he became someone that the team was relying on. With Anthony Cirelli out to start the season as he recovers from shoulder surgery, the chance for Koepke to make the roster is there.
He skated with the NHL group to start training camp on Thursday, so opportunity is knocking. It's going to be up to him to answer, but I think he'll earn a spot. I'm excited to watch him throughout camp.