Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois hosted his annual, mid-season media availability Tuesday morning at AMALIE Arena and touched on a variety of topics surrounding the team.
Beginning with an opening statement, BriseBois said that while the team hasn’t quite been able to play up to its potential for a sustained period of time this year, he has firm belief in the players and coaching staff to “accomplish great things this season.”
“We're starting to see signs of it turning and some positive momentum building here,” BriseBois added. “If we look at the last month in particular, kind of going back one month here, it started with the three games before the Christmas break. The team won all three games and in two of those games gave up only one goal. On the third game, big character win coming back from two goals down against Vegas.
“We got some positive momentum going into the break and then the break kind of halted our momentum a little bit, unfortunately. But since the calendars turned to 2024, all the pieces are starting to come together at once.
“We're scoring goals. Other than the Boston game, we've done a really good job keeping the puck out of our net. And both our special teams are producing really well thus far this month. So, when we look back now, we've won five of seven and, in the last month, we've won eight of 12. So, a lot of positive signs.
“Every year with new players and changes, it takes time for everything to start to come together and gel and I think we’re building that cohesiveness now and we've got some positive momentum going into the second half of the season.”
Since the start of the season, BriseBois has seen the team improve with its compete level throughout the full 60-minute games. As Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has mentioned on several occasions this year, the Bolts have played some great hockey over long stretches of games this season, but it has been the five- to 10-minute lapses that have cost them.
“I think, in the last month, we've done a better job of competing for 60 minutes,” BriseBois said. “I think that's been the biggest difference. When we do that, all of our skill, all of our talent, all of our different pieces that should form a really strong, cohesive group get to come together and produce results.
“It's a question of putting it all together at the same time for 60 minutes. We've been doing a better job of that in the last month and it's showing in the results.”
With the NHL Trade Deadline only 52 days away, BriseBois was asked how he will approach the deadline this year after bolstering the roster via trade on several occasions over his years as GM. This year will likely be the same.
BriseBois shared that looking for ways to improve the team is an ongoing endeavor throughout the entire calendar year, but with more players becoming available around the deadline, the Lightning will certainly be on the lookout for ways to strengthen the roster in hopes of securing a playoff spot and making a run at another Stanley Cup title.
While Tuesday’s chat didn’t reveal if Tampa Bay will make a trade at this year’s deadline, it did reveal something else. Steven Stamkos will not be traded.
“The one thing I would say just to get it out there because I know as we get close to the deadline, it's a popular and interesting and frequent topic” BriseBois said. “‘Who's going to get traded? Who won't get traded?’
“Steven Stamkos isn't getting traded. You can all write that. Steven Stamkos is not getting traded, so we can put that one to bed. If anyone was speculating on that, that's not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances.”
When asked if he envisions Stamkos remaining in Tampa after his contract expires following the 2023-24 campaign, BriseBois said he does, but maintained his stance that talks between the Lightning and the Stamkos camp will continue to be put on hold until the end of the season.
“Like I said all along, after the season, we're gonna sit down and we're gonna evaluate where we are as a team and where Steven is, and we'll see how we can make all the parts work together.”
With multiple players on the shelf with week-to-week injuries, BriseBois provided a quick update on the status of Mikhail Sergachev and Haydn Fleury.
As the two defensemen continue to recover from lower-body injuries, BriseBois said he thinks it’s going to be a stretch for either player to come back before the All-Star break in late January/early February.
When the Bolts return from the break, the first game will be a February 7 matchup against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. If both defensemen are unable to return before the break, look for them to be back with the team for that February matchup in Manhattan.
As for Erik Cernak, he remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, while Tanner Jeannot remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
BriseBois shared some thoughts on the incredible year Nikita Kucherov is having with the winger set to eclipse his point total from 2018-19, when he set a new franchise record with 128 points. BriseBois said the rise of Kucherov’s stardom has been consistent, with the All-Star forward getting better with each passing year.
“It's been an evolution and it’s not just this year,” BriseBois shared. “It's been every year, adding to his various ways that he can contribute to us winning. Over the last few years, he's really improved his play away from the puck. He is an underrated defensive forward. He is an excellent defensive forward.
“If you just look at what he's doing out there when he doesn't have the puck, he's doing a lot of good things to help us get the puck back. He's phenomenal at helping us break out the puck too. When we're hemmed into our zone for a while, if the puck ends up on his stick, usually we break out clean.
“The other area where he's really stepped up, gradually, but certainly taking a big step I think this year, was in the leadership department. He's one of the key leaders on our team now. That's why Coop put the A on his jersey and every day he is finding different ways to help pull our group forward.”
Lastly, a brief prospect update.
After Tampa Bay’s 2022 first-round pick Isaac Howard won a gold medal with Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship earlier this month, BriseBois will get a chance to see the prospect up close this coming weekend. With Howard and Michigan State University set to battle University of Michigan and Dylan Duke, the Lightning’s fourth-round pick in 2021, BriseBois will be heading to Yost Arena to watch the two face off with a back-to-back set scheduled forFriday and Saturday.
