The Puck Stops Here

Perhaps the easiest way for a team to significantly improve in trade deadline deals is for a team with good scoring, a defence that allows a low number of shots and weak goaltending to add a good goalie.

Last year, Edmonton was that team. I wrote about poor goaltending last season when Jussi Markkanen, Ty Conklin and Mike Morrison were sharing the duties. At trade deadline time last year, they added Dwayne Roloson and with a bit of luck on their side, went to game seven of the Stanley Cup finals.

This year, the team in that position is the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have a good offence, which is led by Martin St Louis, Vincent LeCavelier and Brad Richards (perhaps the best threeway offensive punch in the NHL). They have a solid defence, which has allowed only 26.8 shots per game (fourth in the NHL). However, their goaltending has not been so good. Their 3.06 goals against average has them in 20th place in the NHL.

This season, their goaltending has been split between Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis. Neither has been outstanding. Holmqvist has a 2.65 GAA with a .901 saves percentage. Denis has been worse. He has a 3.16 GAA and a .880 saves percentage. Tampa has not had good goaltending since Nikolai Khabibulin led them to the Stanley Cup.

If this team could add a top goalie in time for the stretch drive and the playoffs they could be very dangerous. Let's watch them as the trade deadline approaches to see if this can happen.