It is Tampa Bay Lightning report card time! The Tampa Bay Lightning are halfway through the 2023-24 regular season. The Lightning have shown flashes of brilliance followed by losing streaks. The trade deadline will be interesting for Julien BriseBois and his roster this season. The Lightning has multiple issues to address and few assets to trade away.
Some weak points include defence, secondary scoring, and consistency. Strengths of the roster include special teams, forechecking, and the top line. The Lightning must pile up wins to clinch a playoff birth this season. As the core ages, time is running out to win a third cup. In today’s Tampa Bay Lightning report card, we will grade the bottom six forwards based on their performance this year.
Tampa Bay Lightning Bottom-Six Player Grades
Michael Eyssimont (6 Goals – 7 Assists – 13 Points)
After a last-minute trade deadline acquisition last season, Michael Eyssimont joined the Lightning for the 2023 playoff run. Eyssimont has been the best bottom-six forward for Tampa Bay by leaps and bounds this year. He even gets opportunities on the second line some nights. Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel have a motor that does not shut off, just like Eyssimont. The three combine to create a fast-paced and hard-working line.
Eyssimont frequently throws pucks on nets from all angles and locations. He also plays well in transition and is a bottom-six play driver. This unique type of forward is not easy to find in the modern NHL. Eyssimont ranks in the 91st percentile of controlled zone entries per hour according to All Three Zones microstats.
Grade: B-
Tanner Jeannot (6 Goals – 6 Assists – 12 Points)
Another trade acquisition for the Lightning at the 2023 Trade Deadline, Tanner Jeannot, has seen a massive improvement in his overall game. In his days with the Nashville Predators, Jeannot was not a reliable player on his defensive end. However, Jon Cooper has changed that this season with the Lightning. When Jeannot is on the ice, the Lightning allow expected goals at a rate seven percent better than the league average this season, according to HockeyViz.
Furthermore, Jeannot has improved his discipline greatly under Cooper. Hockeyviz grades Jeannot with a positive penalty impact in drawing and taking penalties. Jeannot must find an offensive spark and support the Lightning offensively in the future.
Grade: C+
Tyler Motte (3 Goals – 2 Assists – 5 Points)
While Motte’s tenure with Tampa Bay started with an upper-body injury in the first game of the season, he has been serviceable in the bottom six since his return. Goal-scoring and chance generation are not his specialties, but Motte is the best defensive forward on the team. The Lightning allow expected goals at a rate 12 percent better than the league average this season with Motte on the ice (HockeyViz).
Motte can mix and match with almost any line combination. He provides a solid impact on the forecheck, a strong suit of the Lightning’s microstat profile this season. Motte is another forward we would like to see more offence from in the second half of the season.
Grade: C+
Alex Barré-Boulet (6 Goals – 3 Assists – 9 Points)
After years in the minor league, Alex Barré-Boulet cracked the opening night roster for the Bolts this season. He has had opportunities on every line so far this season. Barré-Boulet spent time with Kucherov’s line and in the bottom six. As expected, his defensive game has been subpar. The issue is his struggles on offence. Tampa Bay has not been able to rely on depth scoring this season, and the top six have done all the heavy lifting offensively.
Over the past few weeks, Barré-Boulet has been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions. Barré-Boulet must keep working to earn the trust of Cooper and the coaching staff on both ends of the ice. When he has competent teammates with offensive minds like his, Barré-Boulet cycles the puck exceptionally well with his linemates to generate scoring chances.
Grade: C-
Conor Sheary (1 Goal – 7 Assists – 8 Points)
One of the off-season additions via free agency, Conor Sheary, has had an injury-riddled season so far. Sheary has dealt with multiple upper-body injuries in the first half of the season. Fans and media had hopes of Sheary filling the vacant role of Alex Killorn on the second line. However, this vision has not gone as planned.
While Sheary has scored a lone goal on the season, his lack of production is not entirely on him. Cooper and the coaching staff have not placed Sheary in a position to succeed. He has always worked well with superstars like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. We hope to see Sheary earn an opportunity with Kucherov in the second half of the season.
Grade: C-
Luke Glendening (5 Goals – 1 Assist – 6 Points)
Another free agent signing from the summer, Luke Glendening, is a player the Lightning sought after for years. Glendening is famous for his historical abilities in the faceoff circle. He has not disappointed in the faceoff department this season, winning roughly 58% of his draws. Moreover, Glendening eats minutes on the Lightning penalty kill.
Outside of that, Glendening has not provided much for the Lightning. Like the rest of the bottom six, his lack of offence earns him the lowest grade of the forwards. Despite his penalty-kill abilities, Glendening has been weak in chance suppression at even strength this season.
Grade: D+
Microstats via AllThreeZones
Defensive Percentages via HockeyViz
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
