Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning has signed forward Nikita Kucherov to a three year entry level contract.

The right winger was drafted in the 2012 CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts. He is recovering from shoulder surgery and has yet to play a game with Quebec. The Lightning drafted the Russian in the second round (58th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Kucherov had one goal and five points in 18 games with CSKA Moscow of the KHL last season. He led the 2011 U-18 World Championships in scoring, netting 11 goals and 21 points in just seven games.

Bolt Prospects speaks highly of Kucherev:

“One of the purest finishers in the 2011 draft class. Had an unbelievable...

With the No. 19 overall selection, the Tampa Bay Lightning have selected Andrei Vasilevski.

The Russian netminder stands tall in net, making his 6’3”, 204-pound frame look like a mountain.

Vasilevski, 17, posted a 2.23 GAA in 27 games with Tolpar Ufa of the MHL last season.

Vasilevski has it all: skill, sense and poise. He uses his size to intimidate and then uses his skill to put himself in the best situation possible to make the save. Size is one thing, but when a goalie has it on top of good positioning he can develop into a top netminder in the NHL.

He possesses agility, side-to-side mobility, quickness and strength in his legs, wh...

On Friday afternoon, the Nashville Predators traded goaltender Anders Lindback, forward Kyle Wilson and a 2012 seventh-round draft selection (No. 202 overall) to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for two second-round draft selections in the 2012 draft (No. 37 and No. 50 overall), a third round selection in 2013 draft and goaltender Sebastien Caron.

Moving Lindback was a foregone conclusion for the Predators, who have the services of one of the NHL's premier goaltender's in Pekka Rinne. When the club signed Rinne to a seven-year, $49 million contract last season, Lindback became a movable asset; one which has been in demand.

For the Lightning, Lindback is considered t...

With just under 4 minutes left in the third period the Washington Capitals found themselves amid a three-game losing streak,  down 2-1 and staring another crucial loss in the face. 

Then a persistent forecheck paid off tenfold. 

A great shift by the Caps in the offensive zone resulted in a chance for Marcus Johansson on the doorstep, with the game on his stick. 

Head up all the way, Johansson calmly slipped a wrist shot through the five-hole of Lightning rookie goalie Dustin Tokarski to even the score at 2-2. 

Then in overtime it was the captain's turn. Alex Ovechkin took a pass from Dmitry Orlov and found the back of the net ...