SB Nation Tampa Bay - Lightning Offseason 2012: NHL Lockout Wipes Out Preseason Games Through Sept. 30https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49019/tb-fave.png2012-11-01T13:28:12-04:00http://tampabay.sbnation.com/rss/stream/28542492012-11-01T13:28:12-04:002012-11-01T13:28:12-04:00Stamkos staying in shape as lockout continues
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<figcaption>Bruce Bennett</figcaption>
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<p>As the NHL lockout continues, the Lighting center is staying in shape by training with former Lightning player Gary Roberts and playing pickup games at local rinks.</p> <p>There seems to be no end in site for the NHL lockout, and for some players like <span>Tampa Bay Lightning</span> All-Star center <span>Steven Stamkos</span> the loss of hockey isn't just about the paycheck its about the loss of a livelihood too (via <a href="http://">Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times</a>).</p>
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<p>"I guess it's the old saying, you don't realize what you have until you lose it," Stamkos said. "For me, my whole life has been hockey, and now you don't have that. It's tough."</p>
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<p>According to Cristodero's report, Stamkos, 22, has been trying to stay in shape by putting in extra work in the gym and training room with former <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Lightning</a> player <span>Gary Roberts</span>. In-game situations are simulated through pickup games at the local rink.</p>
<p>However, the extra training and skating can only be a stopgap for a top-tier player like Stamkos for so long. Eventually, the 60-goal scorer will need to decided if playing in Europe is an option.</p>
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<p>"For now," Stamkos said, "I'm planning that there will be some sort of a season."</p>
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<p>Already, the NHL has canceled a large chunk of games including the 2012 Winter Classic. Those cancellations could hurt the progression of Stamkos' development, however, Lightning head coach Guy Boucher isn't worried about that.</p>
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<p>"He's picked up all the tools to be able to be a consistent two-way winner," Boucher said. "He wants to take another step this year."</p>
<p>"He's one of the fastest skaters in the league and wants to be faster," Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "That tells you how hard he works."</p>
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<p><a href="http://lightning.nhl.com/club/schedule.htm">According to the Lightning's official website</a>, their first regular-season game is scheduled for Dec. 1 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arcticicehockey.com/">Winnipeg Jets</a>.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-lightning-news/2012/11/1/3586210/nhl-lockout-2012-steve-stamkos-tampa-bay-lightningJared E. Smith2012-10-10T17:10:44-04:002012-10-10T17:10:44-04:00Lightning's Adam Hall will play in Germany
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<figcaption>Tom Szczerbowski - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Tampa Bay Lightning forward Adam Hall will play in Germany during the NHL lockout.</p> <p>With the NHL lockout ongoing, <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> forward <span>Adam Hall</span> is heading overseas <a target="_blank" href="http://www2.tbo.com/sports/bolts/2012/oct/10/lightning-f-hall-to-play-in-germany-during-nhl-loc-ar-528312/?referer=None&shorturl=http://tbo.ly/RPOKT3">after signing with a team in Germany</a>.</p>
<p>Hall signed with Ravensburg, a team in the German second division, and is expected to make his debut on Friday. He is the second Tampa Bay player to sign overseas, joining defenseman <span>Victor Hedman</span>. Center <span>Nate Thompson</span> signed with the Alaska Aces, a team in the East Coast Hockey League.</p>
<p>Playing overseas during a lockout is nothing new for Hall. He signed with a team in Finland during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. He said he is looking forward to the opportunity and keeping the competitive edge that comes with playing in games.</p>
<p>Hall is also the Tampa Bay's players' association team representative. He spent the first month of the lockout in the Tampa area, but with no end in sight, he said finding a place to train became a priority.</p>
<p>The 32-year-old Hall has spent the last three seasons with the Lightning. He scored two goals and recorded seven points in 57 games last season.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-lightning-news/2012/10/10/3485386/nhl-lockout-2012-tampa-bay-lightning-adam-hall-germanyMark Sandritter2012-09-19T17:55:09-04:002012-09-19T17:55:09-04:00Lightning Offseason 2012: NHL Lockout Wipes Out Preseason Games Through Sept. 30
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<p>The National Hockey League <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/9/19/3359480/2012-nhl-lockout-preseason-cancelled">cancelled all preseason games</a> through Sep. 30 on Wednesday as a result of the current lockout. This is the first set of games affected by the labor dispute between players and owners. All games after Sep. 30 remain on the schedule for now. In addition, the Kraft-Hockeyville game scheduled for Oct. 3 in Belleville, Ontario <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/9/19/3359480/2012-nhl-lockout-preseason-cancelled">has been postponed</a>.</p>
<p>The lockout is currently in its fourth day after players and owners failed to reach a collective bargaining agreement by Sep. 15. A number of prominent players, including <span>Alex Ovechkin</span> of the <a href="https://www.japersrink.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Capitals</a> and <span>Evgeni Malkin</span> of the <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, have signed deals to play in other countries while the lockout continues. Ovechkin, who has signed to play with the KHL's Dynamo Moscow, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capitals-insider/post/ovechkin-if-our-contracts-get-slashed-i-will-have-to-think-whether-to-return-there-or-not/2012/09/19/5be8989a-0270-11e2-9b24-ff730c7f6312_blog.html">told the Washington Post today</a> that he would consider staying in Russia if the new collective bargaining agreement significantly slashed player salaries.</p>
<p>"As to the future, it will depend on what kind of conditions there will be in the NHL with the new CBA," Ovechkin said. "If our contracts get slashed, I will have to think whether to return there or not. I won't rule out staying in the KHL, even past this season."</p>
<p><i>For more on the NHL Lockout and how it relates to the Tampa Bay Lightning, check out <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com">Raw Charge</a> and<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl"> Hockey Hub.</a>.</i></p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/9/19/3359694/lightning-offseason-2012-nhl-lockout-preseason-gamesMatt Trogdon2012-09-10T18:32:25-04:002012-09-10T18:32:25-04:00Lightning Sign Nikita Kucherov To Entry-Level Contract
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<p>The <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> have <a href="https://twitter.com/TBLightning/statuses/245277266739863552">signed winger Nikita Kucherov to an entry-level contract</a>, the team announced on Monday. Kucherov, who was selected at No. 58 overall by the Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft, is currently on the mend from shoulder surgery.</p>
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<p><i>Related: <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2012/9/10/3308574/2011-2012-raw-charge-tampa-bay-lightning-team-awards">2011-12 Raw Charge end season awards: Better late than never</a></i></p>
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<p>Some information on Kucherov, from <a href="http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=641162">Tampa Bay's release</a>:</p>
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<p>Kucherov, 5-foot-11, 174 pounds, is currently playing with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after he was taken in the 2012 CHL Import Draft. He has yet to appear in a game with the Remparts due to off-season shoulder surgery that also kept him off the ice for the Lightning's 2012 Development Camp.</p>
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<p>Kucherov played in 18 games for CSKA Moscow of the KHL last season and <a href="http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=77237">scored one goal to go with four assists</a>. He also spent time with CSKA Moscow's junior team, where he piled up 43 points in 23 games.</p>
<p><i>For more, visit <a href="http://rawcharge.com">Tampa Bay Lighting blog Raw Charge</a> as well as <a href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com">SB Nation Tampa Bay</a>. Stick with SB Nation's NHL hub for all of your hockey needs.</i></p>
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https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/9/10/3313435/nikita-kucherov-contract-tampa-bay-lightning-nhlSteven Muma2012-08-16T16:00:33-04:002012-08-16T16:00:33-04:00Lightning Free Agency 2012: Tampa Bay Quiet In August
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<p>It's been a quiet month of August for the <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Lightning</a>, who made the bulk of their big-ticket free agency moves before the Fourth of July and have used the remainder of the summer to tie up loose ends. The last deal involving any member of the roster was July 11, when unrestricted free agent forward <span>Brandon Segal</span> signed with the <a href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Rangers</a>.</p>
<p>Goaltender <span>Jaroslav Janus</span> remains unsigned as a restricted free agent. The Lightning locked up goalie <span>Anders Lindback</span> -- who backed up for <span>Pekka Rinne</span> with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ontheforecheck.com/">Nashville Predators</a> and acquired in a seven-piece deal on June 15 -- with a two-year contract.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2012/7/5/3138748/tampa-bay-lightning-free-agency-matt-carle-sami-salo-nate-thompson">SB Nation's Lightning blog Raw Charge writes</a> that while it was a quiet and largely uneventful free agency period for Tampa Bay -- adding defensemen <span>Sami Salo</span> and <span>Matt Carle</span> was about as splashy as it got -- that's because the development system of the franchise is in good enough shape to address any lingering needs from within:</p>
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<p>Tampa Bay is done with their free agent acquisitions -- at least, at the NHL level. Defensive depth at the top was what the Bolts set out to acquire, and now that this has been accomplished ... Well, it's time to take a breather while keeping an eye out for cogs that will bolster the Syracuse Crunch roster (and who could fit in Tampa in a pinch).</p>
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<p><i>For more on the Tampa Bay Lightning, check out <a href="http://rawcharge.com">Raw Charge</a> and <a href="http://sbnation.com/nhl">SB Nation's NHL page</a>. </i></p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/8/16/3247676/2012-nhl-free-agency-tampa-bay-lightningSteven Godfrey2012-08-02T10:30:07-04:002012-08-02T10:30:07-04:00Lightning Free Agency 2012: Dmitry Korobov Signed To Two-Year Deal
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<p>On Thursday morning, vice president and general manager of the Lightning, Steve Yzerman, announced the team signed a two-year, two-way contract with defenseman Dmitry Korobov, formerly of the KHL.</p>
<p>Korobov, 23, has played in each of the last three seasons in the Kontinential Hockey League for the Dynamo Minsk. In 82 career games with the Minsk, Korobov has recorded two goals and 20 points, including an additional goal and three points in nine postseason games. He ranked fifth among Minsk defensiveman with an average ice time of 18:52 per game.</p>
<p>A native of Novopolotsk, Belarus, Korobov has represented Belarus in each of the last three International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships and led the Belarus defenseman in the 2012 World Championships with an average ice time of 23:21 per game.</p>
<p><i>For more on the <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Tampa Bay Lightning</a>, make sure to check out <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/">Raw Charge</a> and <a href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Tampa Bay</a>. Still not enough hockey coverage for you? Make sure to head over to the <a href="http://sbnation.com/nhl">SB Nation NHL Hub Pag</a><a href="http://sbnation.com/nhl">e</a> for all the latest free agency news from all 30 NHL teams during the offseason.</i></p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/8/2/3215059/lightning-2012-nhl-free-agency-dmitry-korobovAdam Stites2012-07-10T14:34:36-04:002012-07-10T14:34:36-04:002012 NHL Free Agency: Blues Trade B.J. Crombeen To Lightning For Draft Picks
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<p>After a flurry of free agent signings, Tampa Bay engineered a trade on Tuesday to bring in depth - and enforcement -acquiring right wing <span>B.J. Crombeen</span> and a fifth round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft for a pair of fourth-rounders in 2013 and '14.</p>
<p>Crombeen, originally drafted by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Dallas Stars</a> in 2003 and claimed off of waivers by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/">Blues</a> in 2008, is coming off of an injury shortened 2011-'12 season with the Blues thanks to a fractured left shoulder in the preseason. Crombeen is noted tough guy, with more than 148 penalty minutes in three of his last four seasons. Crombeen was sixth in the NHL in fighting majors (17) last season, despite playing only half the year.</p>
<p>Crombeen scored one goal and three points last season with 50 shots on goal. He's averaged 12:03 in ice time per game during his career, including more than 12 minutes in three of the previous four seasons.</p>
<p>In addition to a respectable fourth line forward, here's what Tampa gets in Crombeen, courtesy of <a href="http://www.hockeyfights.com/">Hockey Fights</a>:</p>
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https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/7/10/3149573/2012-nhl-free-agency-blues-trade-b-j-crombeen-to-lightning-for-draftSteven Godfrey2012-07-10T09:42:07-04:002012-07-10T09:42:07-04:00Lightning Free Agency 2012: Teddy Purcell Signs Three Year Extension
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<p>On Tuesday morning, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> announced a three-year extension for <span>Teddy Purcell</span> to keep him with the team through the 2015-16 season.</p>
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<p>The Lightning have signed RW Teddy Purcell to a 3-year contract extension the team announce this morning. Runs through the 2015-16 season.</p>
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) <a data-datetime="2012-07-10T13:29:53+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/TBLightning/status/222684068406505472">July 10, 2012</a>
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<p>Since being traded to the Lightning from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/">Los Angeles Kings</a> during the 2009-10 season, Purcell has played in 181 games for Tampa Bay and has scored 44 goals. The 2011-12 season was a career best for Purcell as he earned career highs in essentially every major statistical category including goals, finishing with 24 goals. </p>
<p>The 26-year old winger also participates as a member of the Canadian National Team.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Tampa Bay Lightning, make sure to check out <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/">Raw Charge</a> and <a href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Tampa Bay</a>. Still not enough hockey coverage for you, make sure to head over to the <a href="http://sbnation.com/nhl">SB Nation NHL Hub Pag</a><a href="http://sbnation.com/nhl">e</a> for all the latest free agency news from all 30 NHL teams during the offseason.</i></p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/7/10/3148888/lightning-2012-nhl-free-agency-teddy-purcellAdam Stites