The 2023-24 NHL season has finally arrived. The Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Nashville Predators at 5:30 PM ET on Tuesday to open the regular season. With the new season, the Lightning have announced the final 2023-24 opening night roster.
Tampa Bay Lightning Roster Set for Opening Night
Tampa Bay trusts unproven players more than any other team in the NHL. Head Coach Jon Cooper can turn AHL scraps into impactful players. The Lightning front office always seems to find diamonds in the rough. Yanni Gourde, Carter Verhaeghe, and Nicklaus Perbix are a few names that come to mind. The franchise is relying heavily on unproven depth in the established Cooper system.
Waltteri Merelä Makes Final Cut
The biggest surprise on the roster is 25-year-old forward Waltteri Merelä. The Ylöjärvi, Finland native cracked the roster and will start the season as the fourth-line right-wing. Merelä signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Lightning on June 5th. The contract carries a cap hit of $877,000. Merelä’s deal is a prime example of Tampa Bay working within the salary cap.
Merelä is a player who possesses strength and puck-handling skills. Moreover, he put these skills on display during the pre-season. Merelä recorded two goals and two assists in four games for Tampa Bay, tied for first in points for the team. The fascinating part about Merelä’s story is that he has not played a game in North America. He spent the past four seasons in Liiga, the professional Finnish league. Regardless, there is always an opportunity for growth with Cooper as the bench boss.
Austin Watson Signs One-Year Deal
The Lightning announced Austin Watson on the final roster to conclude his professional tryout process. Watson signed one year with a cap hit of $776,665. Again, Tampa Bay finds another cost-effective deal to work around the salary cap. Watson spent the last three seasons with the Ottawa Senators. In 75 games last season, Watson scored nine goals and 11 points. He is historically impactful on the penalty kill, a weakness of the team last year. Don’t expect Watson to be an every-night player for the Lightning. Julien BriseBois pictures him as a Pat Maroon replacement who can help grind out games.
Alex Barré-Boulet Cracks Roster
Lightning fans were excited to see Alex Barré-Boulet listed on the final roster to open the season. Barré-Boulet provides a unique offensive touch to the team. However, his struggles in the defensive zone are holding him back. He has surpassed an AHL level, recording 84 points to finish second in league scoring last season. Despite not dressing against Nashville, the Syracuse Crunch’s all-time points leader should not be out of the lineup for long.
Zach Bogosian Joins Wavier Wire
Cooper threw fans a curve ball on the back end when Zach Bogosian joined waivers. Yet, this transaction was inevitable between the two parties. Darren Raddysh established himself as a legitimate NHL defenceman to close out last season. In addition, Bogosian has struggled with an ugly injury history. The 33-year-old defenceman isn’t getting any younger.
In his place, Haydn Fleury will start the season as the seventh defenceman. The former 7th overall draft selection appeared in 29 games for the Lightning last year. He logged an average of roughly 12 minutes a night and one assist on the score sheet. At 27 years old, Fleury is a healthier option moving forward.
Puck Drop is Upon Us
The Lightning roster has 14 forwards, seven defencemen, and three goalies. With Andrei Vasilevskiy on injured reserve, Matt Tomkins will start the season behind Jonas Johansson. The scratches against Nashville include Barré-Boulet, Watson, and Fleury. Below is a final look at the opening night roster.
Forwards
Stamkos – Point – Kucherov
Hagel – Cirelli – Motte
Eyssimont – Paul – Sheary
Jeannot – Glendening – Merelä
Defencemen
Hedman – Perbix
Sergachev – Raddysh
de Haan – Cernak
Goalies
Johansson
Tomkins
*Vasilevskiy
(* begin the season on injured reserve)
Main Photo Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
