{"id":135097,"date":"2023-01-31T08:45:53","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T13:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=135097"},"modified":"2023-01-30T21:44:23","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T02:44:23","slug":"tampa-bay-lightning-trade-deadline-options-defence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/01\/31\/tampa-bay-lightning-trade-deadline-options-defence\/","title":{"rendered":"Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Deadline Options: Defence"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> have used the trade deadline to make some big moves in the past. It started with the acquisitions of Blake Coleman<\/a> and Barclay Goodrow<\/a> in 2020. Then the following season they added David Savard<\/a> for defensive depth. Finally, last season, they added Brandon Hagel<\/a> and Nick Paul<\/a>. Those three consecutive deadline additions led to three consecutive Stanley Cup finals appearances, including two Cup wins. Will they make it four straight additions, to chase their fourth straight Cup final appearance?<\/span><\/p>\n

Top Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Targets – Defencemen<\/b><\/h2>\n

Recently, we looked at the top forwards<\/a> who the Lightning could target. One of those options was Andrei Kuzmenko<\/a>, whom the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> recently extended<\/a>. That wiped him off the slate of options. However, this is not about forwards. This time, we will look at the potential defensemen the Tampa Bay Lightning could add at this year’s deadline.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As mentioned in the last piece, Cal Foote<\/a> has fallen out of favour amongst many fans. Additionally, the coaching staff seems to have gone a different path, with guys like Savard, Zach Bogosian<\/a>, Ian Cole<\/a>, Haydn Fleury<\/a>, Philippe Myers<\/a> and Nick Perbix<\/a> being brought in and playing more than, or as much as, Foote over the years. Add to that the fact that Myers was sent down to the AHL, Cole has not been particularly good and neither has Fleury, plus Perbix has a general lack of experience that Tampa tends to prefer, and it\u2019s reasonable to assume that they aim for a defender this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Defensemen The Lightning Should Target<\/b><\/h3>\n

As mentioned when looking at forwards, there were group discussions about who the Lightning should target and why. The conclusion for defencemen was four guys. Those guys were Nick Seeler<\/a> (Philadelphia Flyers<\/a>), Olli Maatta<\/a> (Detroit Red Wings<\/a>), Ethan Bear<\/a> (Canucks), and Matt Benning<\/a> (San Jose Sharks<\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeler has some term left, with one more year under contract after this season, but he\u2019s affordable at $800,000. Maatta is on the more expensive side ($2.3 million) but would be a rental. Bear is also expensive ($2.2 million) and also signed till just the end of this season. Finally, Benning has this season plus three more at $1.3 million, making him an unlikely target.<\/span><\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>