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Burning Questions 5 For The Bolts Entering Camp Will The Team's Goaltending Be Better?

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 13, 2007

Who Will Emerge As The 6th Defenseman?

It's a wide-open race, with a dozen candidates the team brought in for competition, though AHL veteran Dan Jancevski and second-year pro Matt Smaby appear to have the inside track. Also in the mix are Doug Janik, Jay Leach, Bryce Lampman and David Schneider.

Smaby will get the first shot, but don't be surprised if Jancevski, who helped Hamilton win the AHL championship last season, wins the job when camp breaks. Regardless of what happens, there is plenty of depth should anybody falter.

Erik Erlendsson

Well, it can't get much worse, statistically speaking anyway. Tampa Bay finished last season last in the league with an .884 save percentage and gave up more goals (259) and had a higher goals-against average (3.16) than any other team that qualified for the playoffs.
Johan Holmqvist is penciled in as the opening night starter and made solid strides in his first full NHL season. Marc Denis needs to rebound from a disastrous season; Karri Ramo will push him for playing time.

This area has been the team's Achilles' heel the past two years, and unless one of the three goaltenders steps up their level of play, it could be the one element that keeps this team in the middle of the Eastern Conference pack once again.

Who Will Be Brad Richards' Wingers?

There's little doubt in the organization that Michel Ouellet, brought in as a free agent from Pittsburgh, will click with his former junior teammate. Ouellet comes in with a knack for finding the net and will have every opportunity to surpass the 19-goal mark he reached last season.

Jan Hlavac, brought back after a three-year hiatus in Europe, has the skill to succeed in the 'new' NHL and could be a find if he can return to the form he showed with the New York Rangers in 2000-01, when he scored 28 goals. Line combinations often fluctuate throughout the season, but look for Ouellet and Hlavac to see a majority of the time alongside Richards.

What Effect Will New Ownership Have?

In the short term, assuming the ownership change goes through, nothing should be affected. Doug MacLean has praised the job done by GM Jay Feaster and Coach John Tortorella and in the early going has adhered to the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality. But anybody who buys a business eventually wants to put their stamp on the product. A poor start and/or a bad finish could result in changes. Either way, it's a cloud that will hover over the team this season.

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