When an organization does not have the deepest prospect pool, it finds other ways to stockpile talent for its minor league affiliates. In July of 2024, the Tampa Bay Lightning signed a handful of players who had NHL experience but could not find a spot with another team for one reason or another. These players have been spending time with the Lightning’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and have been working toward the opportunity to get another chance to play regular minutes.
Many of these players have been dealing with health issues that prevented them from getting a chance to make the Lightning or any other team’s roster. Now, they have regained their health and have started to log minutes with the Crunch, especially since the Crunch’s younger, less-experienced players are dealing with injuries of their own. In fact, Syracuse has been hampered by a rash of injuries all season, amassing 216-man games missed due to injury or illness through 35 games.
This has allowed these veterans to log minutes in game situations that can get them ready if the Lightning need them in the second half of the season. Here is a look at these players who could find their way back to the NHL by the end of the season.
Conor Sheary
When training camp started in September, there was hope that after an injury-plagued season in 2023-24, Conor Sheary could bounce back and provide some depth to the Lightning roster. That didn’t happen, and the team placed him on waivers in October. After going unclaimed, he was assigned to Crunch. After a bit of a slow start in Syracuse, Sheary is starting to look like the player the Lightning hoped he would be when they signed him two years ago to a three-year deal at $6 million.
On Saturday night (Jan 11), Sheary had two goals and an assist to lead the Crunch past the Rochester Americans and now has 21 points in 24 games this season. He may not have the scoring punch he did when he had an NHL career-high 53 points (23 goals, 30 assists) in 61 games in 2016-17 for the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, a player with two Stanley Cup rings who can play meaningful minutes could be an asset in the future for the Lightning.
Logan Brown
As a free agent from the St. Louis Blues, Brown signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Lightning on July 1, 2023. Brown was placed on a long-term injured reserve to begin the season, suffering from an undisclosed injury that would keep him out for the rest of the season. In August, he signed a professional tryout agreement (PTO) for the Lightning’s training camp. Following his PTO, on Oct. 7, 2024, Brown signed a one-year contract with the Crunch.
Brown is starting to round back into form, having nine points in 12 games with the Crunch. Using his size, the 6-foot 7-inch 222-pounder projects as a reliable bottom-six forward, something he demonstrated in a September preseason game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jujhar Khaira
The 30-year-old has 33 goals, 80 points, and 784 hits in 337-career NHL games but had not seen action since December 2023 until he stepped on the ice for the Crunch this week. He has a goal and an assist in his first two games. Crunch head coach Joel Bouchard has placed him on the top power-play unit, and the move has paid off. Having one of the lowest-ranked power plays in the AHL, the Crunch went three for six against the Americans and one for four on Friday night (Jan. 10) against the Toronto Marlies, with Khaira picking up the goal.
Jesse Ylonen
On July 1, the Lightning signed Jesse Ylonen to a one-year, $775,000 contract. The 2018 second-round pick did not receive a qualifying offer from the Montreal Canadiens, which made him an unrestricted free agent. He played in 59 games and contributed eight points with the Canadiens last season but set NHL career high in goals (six), assists (10), and points (16) over 37 games in the 2022-23 season.
Silky smooth Jesse Ylonen. @SyracuseCrunch | #ROCvsSYR pic.twitter.com/bdfyI72VYS
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) January 12, 2025
While last season was not the best campaign for Ylonen, he has shown in the past he has the potential to provide decent secondary offensive production. This season in Syracuse, he has 20 points in 35 games and displayed his speed in the win against the Americans, scoring just nine seconds into the game. At 25 years old, the once-promising Finnish prospect has the chance to develop in the Lightning organization.
Steven Santini
Santini has skated in 123-career NHL games between the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues, collecting five goals and 23 points while averaging 17:12 in time on ice per contest. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound defenseman was originally drafted by the Devils, 42nd overall, in the second round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He has eight points in 24 games this season with the Crunch and has played in one game for the Lightning in December, logging 11:37 time on ice against the Calgary Flames.
Derrick Pouliot
The 30-year-old defenseman had two assists and leads the Crunch in scoring with 28 points in 35 games. The well-traveled blue liner has suited up for 226-career NHL games and has made stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars. Being an offensive-minded blueliner does give the Lightning an in-house option should they decide to go that route at some point in the season.
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When the Lightning’s significant move to sign Jake Guenztel was the most newsworthy of the summer signings, the under-the-radar additions of players who ended up in Syracuse have provided the Lightning with some players with NHL experience and would make for more-than-adequate replacements if and when they are needed.
