Every July, teams around the NHL have a golden opportunity to upgrade their roster. The first week of free agency is one of the most exciting times of the year for hockey fans. Star players change teams, role players receive lucrative contracts, and sometimes intelligent signings are made. Ultimately, free agency is “boom or bust” for most front offices. Too often, we witness contracts teams regret tendering down the line and ruin their chance at competing for the Stanley Cup.
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How have the Tampa Bay Lightning done in free agency in recent years? I started a mini-series two weeks ago examining the team’s previous free agency classes. So far, we have graded the 2019 and 2021 free agency signings, as the summer of 2020 saw no significant additions via pen and paper. Shifting gears to the 2022 offseason, the Lightning made their third-straight Stanley Cup Final appearance. The team made a few minor additions but lost in round one against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, let’s assign a letter grade to each of their signings in the summer of 2022.
Ian Cole
With the losses of Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta on the backend, the Lightning had holes on defense. Luckily, general manager Julien BriseBois found a diamond in the rough as a short-term replacement. He signed veteran defenseman Ian Cole to a one-year deal at a cap hit of $3 million. Cole spent the previous season in Raleigh with the Carolina Hurricanes but previously won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Cole stepped in and boosted the Lightning’s left side, finishing fourth on the blue line in scoring by notching three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in 78 games. Cole played a shutdown defensive role with a solid 10.98 defensive zone start percentage (DZS%). He dominated his minutes from the back end, with all his possession metrics above the 50% mark (via Natural Stat Trick). Furthermore, All Three Zones graded Cole in the upper-echelon of rush defense and zone exit microstats. Ultimately, this one-year bargain worked well for both sides, which gives Cole the highest grade of the mini-series so far.
Grade: A-
Vladislav Namestnikov
Lightning fans were optimistic when the team announced Vladislav Namestnikov would return for a second stint in Tampa Bay. The Russian forward signed a one-year deal earning $2.5 million. Namestnikov bounced around several teams before signing back with the Lightning. After all, he had the most success in the city that drafted him. However, Namestnikov didn’t last the entire season in Tampa Bay, as he was flipped to the Winnipeg Jets in the three-team trade at the 2023 Trade Deadline. Luckily, the Lightning grabbed workhorse Michael Eyssimont in exchange for the veteran forward.
Grading his 57-game run with the team in 2022-23, Namestnikov played a lackluster role on the roster, adding six goals and nine assists for 15 points. Namestnikov posted some fantastic underlying numbers in the decreased role, though, controlling 54.86% of the on-ice expected goal share (xGF%) and 53.53% of the scoring-chance share (SCF%). Namestnikov was decent in his second go-around with the Lightning and his underlying metrics and trade package boost his grade a bit as well.
Grade: B
Haydn Fleury
Although he wasn’t an NHL regular, Haydn Fleury made serious strides towards the end of his tenure with the Lightning. The team signed him back in July 2022 to a two-year, $1.525 million deal. Head coach Jon Cooper saw the young blueliner as a perfect seventh option, giving him between 20-30 games per season. Fleury was drafted seventh overall by the Hurricanes a decade ago but has not lived up to his draft position. Before signing Tampa Bay, Carolina gave up on their once blue-chip prospect, sending him to the Anaheim Ducks mid-season.
Fleury didn’t play his best hockey in Tampa Bay nad he had limited opportunity on a solid blue line. In 53 games as a Bolt, Fleury notched one goal and five assists for six points across two seasons. The team didn’t possess the puck enough with Fleury on the ice, as all his possession metrics were below the 50% mark. After all, Fleury earned what a depth defenseman in the league makes at that stage of a professional career.
Grade: D
Closing Thoughts
Tampa Bay was visibly tired throughout the 2022-23 regular season following three-straight Stanley Cup Final appearances. This fatigue showed in the playoffs, which resulted in a first-round exit. The team made a few solid additions, including the first A-tier grade of the mini-series so far with Cole. Namestnikov’s deal continues to impact the roster today, with Eyssimont developing into a solid middle-six forward. Plus, Fleury found a new home out west in Winnipeg for the upcoming season. The Lightning continued to rely on the trade deadline for their main roster moves, a trend that continues with the 2023 grades.
