Although the game of hockey gets played on a 200-foot-long sheet of ice in a rink, the real game takes place behind a desk with the aid of technology. General managers (GM), like the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Julien BriseBois, have to perform in order for the team to succeed on game day.
No team has been more successful in the past four seasons than the Lightning, and BriseBois is at the center of that success. With extremely limited cap space and no early-round draft picks, he will need to continue finding ways to keep the team competitive and a playoff contender.
The Offseason Talent Carousel
NHL GMs are busy 24-7, 365 days a year. The offseason is particularly hectic trying to capitalize on trades and manage the draft to find the next generation of stars. BriseBois is no different. Even though the Lightning don’t have a pick until the sixth round of the 2023 draft, deals can be made, and late-round selections can develop.
Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide
If anyone can make a star out of a sixth-round pick, it’s the Lightning. BriseBois drafted Nick Perbix in the sixth round, and from his production in his rookie year, he could become the core of the defense in the future. Although BriseBois was not the GM when Ondřej Palát was plucked from absurdity in the seventh round in 2011, he learned as the assistant GM for ten seasons, working with then-GM Steve Yzerman. The duo created a championship-caliber team. When Yzerman left in 2018 to eventually become the GM in Detroit, BriseBois took over.
Like Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, BriseBois also graduated from law school. He then took a job at a law firm in Quebec and transitioned from tax law to sports law. He cut his teeth representing 12 NHL franchises, where he negotiated salary arbitration cases, player contracts and grievances. In 2000, he became the in-house lawyer for the Montreal Canadiens. By 2006, he was the vice president of hockey operations for the team.
“I love playing with numbers. It’s what I’m most passionate about,” BriseBois once said. (from “Canadiens started Julien BriseBois on his NHL path. Now as Lightning GM, he’s trying to beat them,” The Athletic, July 2, 2021). His passion is paying off for the Lightning.
Why Brisebois Has Been So Successful in Tampa
When BriseBois brought in Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow before the 2020 trade deadline, he added the pieces that would lead to multiple Stanley Cups. Solidifying the third line, along with Yanni Gourde, they became the linchpin that fueled the team through the playoffs. No one expected the newly-formed third line would recharge the team — or even gel into a functional unit. Many fans felt the team had overpaid for Goodrow. But he was exactly what the Lightning needed: what Cooper called a Jeep among Ferraris.
Then in 2022, BriseBois made another amazing trade, luring the Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Brandon Hagel at the trade deadline. Although he didn’t provide much offense in his limited time with the team in 2022, the following season, the 24-year-old had his best season in the NHL. He scored 30 goals, tied for third-best on the team.
With the prospect of losing several key free agents during the upcoming 2023 offseason, BriseBois made a deal at the trade deadline to bring bruising Nashville Predators forward Tanner Jeannot into the organization. He gave up Cal Foote, a home-grown, first-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, along with five draft picks. It seems like a high price. But if Jeannot can explode as Hagel did in his first full season with the Lightning, then BriseBois is not only making a short-term investment but is shoring up the future of the team by signing two younger players.
Lightning’s Priorities BriseBois Needs to Address
The Lightning’s quick exit to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2023 playoffs could be a harbinger of the future for the franchise, which has missed the postseason only once since 2013-14. However, the team’s future is now, and BriseBois has made trade after trade, deal upon deal, to keep their championship window open.
So, what does BriseBois need to do to help the Lightning bring the Cup back to Tampa? First, he needs to address the backup goalie position, and he needs to find a reliable replacement for defenseman Ryan McDonagh, whose void was felt all season and during the playoffs.
In addition to the players, he needs to ensure that Cooper has the resources to keep up with their Eastern Conference competitors. Even though the 2022-23 NHL season is nearing its final weeks, BriseBois and the other 31 GMs are just getting started. There are long days ahead, but the Lightning are at an advantage by having the best general manager in the league.
