There has been a lot of talk about whether Tanner Jeannot could’ve played better for the Tampa Bay Lightning and lived up to the trade that brought him from the Nashville Predators. Unfortunately, we’ll never know, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June.
Jeannot had a sluggish and irritating 2023-24 campaign for the Lightning, and many expected much more from him. After the 2022-23 season, Jeannot filed for arbitration during contract negotiations for an extension with the Lightning. After scoring a goal and two assists in 20 games for the Bolts, management wanted to pay him less than he thought he deserved (he scored five goals and 14 points in 56 games for the Predators.) However, after the arbitration process, the team and the winger settled on a semi-large contract, worth $2.6 million per season for two seasons.
After Jeannot was traded from the Predators to the Lightning for a veritable draft class with his contract extended, the team expected more out of him for the 2023-24 season. Unfortunately, he did not perform to expectations.
Jeannot’s 2023-24 Season Expirence
On Jan. 6, he got injured in Boston against the Bruins after recording six goals and 12 points in 41 games. Additionally, it is worth noting that his penalty minute record stood at –4 penalty goals, marking the lowest point in his professional career since joining the NHL in the 2020-21 season. Weeks after recovering from the injury, Jeannot returned to the lineup to face the same team on Feb. 13. Again he got injured, off a bad check to the boards, and was placed back on injured reserve (from ‘Tanner Jeannot out, Nick Paul a game-time decision against Panthers’ – Tampa Bay Times, 2/16/2024). He returned to the lineup on March 19 at Vegas against the Golden Knights, playing on the fourth line with Tyler Motte and Luke Glendening.
The Lightning were on a Pacific Division road trip at the time, and Jeannot played in all games. In his fourth game back, against the Anaheim Ducks, he recorded an assist, marking his first point in his last twelve contests. In the final regular-season game against the Maple Leafs on April 17, he scored his first goal in over 28 games, in a 6-4 victory.
Last season, the 27-year-old from Saskatchewan spent most of his time on the fourth line with Glendening — occasionally bouncing up to the third line with Nick Paul and Michael Eyssimont or Conor Sheary. He rarely saw more than 10 minutes of ice time per game, giving him little opportunity to contribute on the scoresheet. After 55 games, he had seven goals and seven assists.
With his injuries barring him from a full season, head coach Jon Cooper limited Jeannot’s ice time. But, I believe if he had slightly more ice time per game, he could’ve produced more. However, I think another aspect came into play with Jeannot’s game: His identity.
Jeannot is a very good fighter. He’s a physical player who isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty and knocking someone out on the ice. However, his approach can take its toll, both on his team and the player. For example, the New York Rangers’ Matt Rempe is widely recognized for his fighting abilities and physical stature, but he possesses a skill set that extends beyond mere physicality. With the Lightning, Jeannot experienced a loss of identity. Despite possessing a solid shot release and excelling as an aggressive forechecker on the left wing, he was prone to taking unnecessary penalties. He accumulated 75 penalty minutes in just 55 games with one power-play goal.
In theory, he has the potential to become a more effective player and replicate his goal-scoring performance from the 2021-22 season with the Predators if he can reduce his penalty exposure and extend his ice time. However, this does not imply that he should completely shy away from engaging in fighting or aggressive, physical play. Instead, he should find a way to moderate it by achieving a balance. Reviewing his best season in the NHL (2021-22), Jeannot recorded 24 goals, 17 assists, and 41 points in 81 games; He also accumulated 130 penalty minutes and scored two power-play goals. His average ice time per game during that season was 16 minutes. This level of performance is what the Lightning had hoped to see from Jeannot. Unfortunately, a combination of team/player restructuring and multiple injuries resulted in a significant decline in his performance and production.
Jeannot’s Spot With the Kings
The Kings need extra offensive support to work down low with Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, and Trevor Moore. Jeannot would fit in with Akil Thomas on a third or fourth line, as Jeannot’s experience and Thomas’s youthful ambition and skill will add needed depth to a solid bottom six. If healthy, Jeannot has the potential to be a truly physical, effective forechecker who can play a major role in penalty killing and on the second power-play unit. Kings general manager Rob Blake addressed the need for better net-front presence scorers—players unafraid to get close to the crease. Jeannot offers that with his build and physical play. Similarities in players include Brad Marchand of the Bruins and Anders Lee of the New York Islanders.
With a new team in the Kings, Jeannot can change up his play style as a left-wing forward and possibly redevelop his offensive playstyle. Now that he’s in the Pacific Division, he’ll have a new environment to play in, which may benefit him, as the Western Conference is a familiar area to him from when he played for the Predators. As to what line he’ll play on is a mystery for the upcoming season, as training camp will give the team an idea of what does and does not work in terms of player pairings. A penalty-killing unit with Jeannot and Trevor Lewis would be interesting to look at for the Kings. At the end of the day, it’s all about player chemistry.
