The Tampa Bay Lightning have built the core of their team through the draft. Steven Stamkos was the #1 pick in 2008 and Viktor Hedman was #2 in 2009. Then Al Murray was added as the director of amateur scouting on August 16th, 2010, and since taking over he’s made some exceptional picks.

In 2011 he drafted Vladislav Namestnikov (27th), Nikita Kucherov (58th), Nikita Nesterov (148th), and Ondrej Palat and Matthew Peca in the seventh round. In 2012, he selected Slater Koekkoek (10th) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (19th) in the first round, Cedric Paquette in the fourth round and Jake Dotchin in the sixth. In 2013, he chose Jonathan Drouin third overall, whom he moved this past summer for Mikhail Sergachev. And he selected Brayden Point in the fourth round in 2014. Their first pick in 2014, Anthony DeAngelo, wasn’t progressing like they wanted, so they moved him at the 2016 draft and selected Libor Hajek, 37th overall, who just played at the World Championships and is one of the best D-men in the WHL right now.

Outside of Hajek, their other top picks from 2016 include Brett Howden (27th), Boris Katchouk (44th) and Taylor Raddysh (58th), and all of them won gold for Canada a month ago at the World Championships.

Murray has done an incredible job of supplying GM Steve Yzerman and head coach Jon Cooper with good assets or good players.

They have other young players on their AHL farm team. Rookies like Mathieu Joseph (31 points in his first 44 AHL games), Anthony Cirelli (29 points in 41 games), and Mitchell Stephens (16 goals and 28 points in 46 games). Dennis Yam has 17 points in a more of a checker role while Jonne Tammela has three goals in 11 games. All of them were 2015 draft picks in the second-to-fourth rounds.

You need to make good picks, and play the odds. We know not every pick will pan out, but if you supply your organization with enough competent picks, then it is up to the players to push to the top. Healthy competition is great and the Lightning’s farm system is stocked, and it will only get busier when the aforementioned 2016 picks turn pro next year.

Yzerman has many young players to move in a trade at the deadline if he wants to add to his current roster. I don’t see him making a major splash, but what if he finds this year’s Ron Hainsey, a solid veteran who can come in and help on the blueline? Hainsey turned out to be a great addition for Pittsburgh last year, but very few talked about him that way leading up to the deadline.

The Lightning are looking for a right shot defender, and I expect Yzerman to add one.

The Oilers need to be on their game tonight against the speedy and skilled Lightning.

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It was a very optional skate so the above is a bit of a guess. Iiro Pakarinen looks like he could draw in, and why not? He has three points in three career games against the Lightning. There are times where stats don’t make a bunch of sense. Pakarinen is a point-a-game player versus Tampa Bay, while Connor McDavid is still looking for his first point against the Lightning. He has only played them twice, but they are the only team he has yet to register a point against. Tonight will be the first time McDavid and Stamkos play each other in a regular season game.

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Cam Talbot is back in goal after missing Thursday’s game with the flu. Adam Larsson is with his family mourning the loss of his father Robert, who passed away last Thursday. There will be a moment of silence prior to tonight’s game.

Jeff Lang, longtime equipment manager for the Oilers, will work his 1000th game tonight. Those guys work their asses off, usually getting to the rink at 5:30 in the morning and staying late. On the road, when the team lands and players and coaches go the hotel, often the equipment guys head to the rink to dry out gear and make sure things are ready the next morning. It is a grind, but they love it. Congrats Jeff on a great accomplishment.

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The Lightning have switched their lines up a bit lately, but regardless of who plays where their top-six is extremely dangerous even without Palat in the lineup.

GAME DAY PREDICTION: Bolts are really good and win their 20th road game of the season, 3-2 over the Oilers.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Lightning score a PP goal.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Draisaitl scores his second powerplay goal of the season and only his fifth PP point.

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