It is Tampa Bay Lightning report card time! This article is the third and final mid-season grades for the Lightning. We will also have a series at the end of the season. The Lightning have played solid hockey in the new calendar year thus far. The team is crawling out of mediocrity and into the playoff bubble.
Today, we will grade the Lightning defencemen. The weakness of the Bolts this year has been their defensive end. While some defencemen have played steady on the back end, others have disregarded a 200-foot game. Tampa Bay has also experienced multiple injuries to its defensive core. Nevertheless, here are the mid-season grades for the top-six Lightning defenders.
Tampa Bay Lightning Bottom-Six Player Grades
Victor Hedman (7 Goals – 33 Assists – 40 Points)
After eclipsing the 1,000-game mark this season, Victor Hedman has experienced a sharp decline on the defensive side of the puck. Despite his ability to reach with a long poke check, opponents feast on Hedman in the offensive zone at even strength. With Hedman on the ice, the Lightning allow 3.28 expected goals per hour (3.28 xGA/60), the worst rate on the team.
On the other hand, the Lightning have dealt with many injuries on the back end this season. At 33, Hedman has stepped back into the number one role at even strength and on the power play. He has scored 21 points at 5v5, which ranks 6th amongst all defencemen. Hedman remains a fantastic power play quarterback with 17 points on the man advantage. However, he must improve his defensive game for the Lightning to make a deep playoff push.
Grade: B+
Darren Raddysh (3 Goals – 11 Assists – 14 Points)
A player we had high expectations for heading into the season, Darren Raddysh has played well in every situation he is in. Raddysh can play on the top pair alongside Hedman or on the bottom to shut down the opponent. He has logged the most minutes on the Lightning at 5v5 this season with 761. Raddysh has found his scoring touch as of late, with all three goals coming in January.
When Raddysh is on the ice, the Lightning allow expected goals at a rate seven percent better than the league average this season, according to HockeyViz. He has solidified himself as a reliable defensive player, and now Raddysh has produced offensively. Furthermore, Raddysh is calm with the puck. From our microstats tracking project here at Last Word, he ranks second in total turnover differential amongst defenders (+7). We expect him to continue his solid play down the stretch.
Grade: B
Nicklaus Perbix (1 Goal – 13 Assists – 14 Points)
Another project from the depths of the American Hockey League, Nick Perbix quickly turned into a full-time defenceman for Tampa Bay. In his first 82-game season with the club, Perbix has played solid relative to the rest of the defencemen. Perbix plays a low-risk style of hockey by not taking many chances offensively on the rush. However, he is the best at defending the rush on the roster.
His zone entry defended percentage of 34.67% ranks first on the team. Plus, his 26 defended zone entries are ten higher than second place, which belongs to Raddysh with 16 defended entries. Moreover, Perbix successfully retrieves 80% of his touches, which ranks second on the Lightning back end. Once Perbix becomes more involved offensively, he will see an increased paycheck.
Grade: C+
Mikhail Sergachev (2 Goals – 17 Assists – 19 Points)
When he took the quarterback position on the top power play unit last season, many thought Mikhail Sergachev had officially arrived as a true top-pairing defenceman. Nonetheless, his paycheck reflects a superstar. Sergachev will earn $8.5 million per season until 2031. However, this season has been underwhelming for the Russian blueliner due to injuries.
While he lost some offensive touches from the 2022-23 season, Sergachev has been a turnover machine for the Bolts this season. Sergachev has a turnover differential of -7, the lowest on the Tampa Bay roster. Plus, Sergachev has not defended the rush well. He allowed entries on 50% of the rushes he faced, easily the worst on the blue line. We hope to see Sergachev healthy and solid on both sides of the puck to close the season.
Grade: C
Calvin de Haan (2 Goals – 3 Assists – 5 Points)
The only new addition to the blue line this off-season, Calvin de Haan has provided solid depth for Tampa Bay. While his point totals do not display him as an offensive catalyst, de Haan is responsible on the defensive side of the puck. With de Haan on the ice, the Lightning allows 2.14 expected goals per hour (2.14 xGA/60), which ranks first on the team.
While de Haan plays sheltered, third-pairing minutes, Tampa Bay got a bang for their buck. He has struggled to find a stable home in the league over the past few seasons. As a solid rush defender and puck retriever, we hope de Haan is here to stay close to his current price tag next season.
Grade: C
Erik Cernak (0 Goals – 5 Assists – 5 Points)
Battling through an injury-riddled season, Erik Cernak has been a shell of his former self throughout the 2023-24 campaign. While Cernak is not known for his offensive abilities, he has not been as good on the defensive side of the puck compared to years past. His zone entry defended percentage of 18.18% ranks second-worst behind Sergachev.
Since Cernak does not provide much offence, he must be able to defend the rush and support offensive minds like Hedman and Sergachev. Cernak has been unable to stabilize his partners and is rarely available due to injury. We hope to see a healthy Cernak back to close the season and help contribute in an increased role.
Grade: C-
On-Ice Statistics via NaturalStatTrick
Defensive Percentages via HockeyViz
Microstats via LastWordOnSports (Jack Pallotta and Kyle Pereira)
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
