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5 Questions Heading Into Bolts Training Camp

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 16, 2008

TAMPA - With everything so new about the Lightning as they enter training camp, there are bound to be many questions that need to be answered as the season progresses.

Here are the top five questions about the team as players report this morning:

Just what does the season hold for the team on the ice?

The bottom line is, nobody knows. What new ownership and management accomplished during the summer is unprecedented and there is not much to draw a comparison to in order to gauge potential success or failure. There are 19 new players on the organization's 50-man roster, an entirely new coaching staff led by Barry Melrose and a lot of uncertainty as to how it's all going to translate once the team hits the ice.

Who is going to be the No. 1 goaltender?

This may be the only lingering question that seems to have dogged the franchise since Nikolai Khabibulin bolted for Chicago. Ideally, the job this year is Mike Smith's to lose with veteran Olie Kolzig brought in to provide a solid backup presence. The 25-year-old Smith never has been a No. 1 in the NHL and there still are plenty of questions surrounding his ability to play day in and day out. At least Kolzig provides a safety net in case Smith falters.

Can a defense that features nobody with more than 250 games of NHL experience among the top nine be counted on throughout the course of a season?

Conventional wisdom says no, as the benchmark for NHL defenses to find their groove is normally around the 300-game plateau. Melrose has expressed his desire to have a veteran among the group and the team is believed to be exploring the possibilities of bringing somebody in, likely via trade, before the start of the regular season. If nothing else, there needs to be a veteran voice to guide the blue line, which the team doesn't have on the coaching staff either, outside of Melrose, who played in 300 career NHL games.

Just how much can overall No. 1 pick Steven Stamkos contribute to the team?

Another question that can't be answered fully until he gets a few games in under his belt. But with the recent success of Chicago's Patrick Kane and Edmonton's Sam Gagner coming straight out of juniors as 18-year-olds, there is little doubt Stamkos is capable of putting up solid offensive numbers as he expects to log second-line minutes along with some power-play time.

Will a shortened training camp followed by a 12-day excursion to Europe to start the regular season have any effects on the team?

The 12-day trip overseas will be a perfect opportunity for so many new faces to get to know each other and bond as a team. But last year the Anaheim Ducks struggled after starting the season in London and didn't really find their wings until the second half of the season. The Lightning, however, will have plenty of time to regain their legs as Tampa Bay plays one game in 11 days after returning from the Czech Republic.

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