Jokinen Making A Case With Bolts

With eyes and minds wide open of those evaluating the goings-on at Lightning training camp, preconceived notions stand a chance to be erased.

After Tampa Bay went on a shopping binge during the free-agent summer season, the locker room was bursting with forwards - 17 of them on one-way contracts entering training camp.

With all the new blood brought into the fold, it only made sense that some of the holdovers from last season might be on the outs before they even got into town.

One of those forwards, however, may have forced his way back into the conversation.

Jussi Jokinen, acquired from Dallas at the trade deadline last season in the deal that sent Brad Richards to the Stars, was believed to be on the trading block - and very may well still be - as the team looked to try to shed his $1.8 million contract for this season.

Now, Lightning officials may rethinking their original thought process.

"I always have preconceived notions, and you try not to but you do," Lightning vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton said. "And like every other camp I've been to, people jump up and do better. Sometimes it's instantaneous and for one game, sometimes it's sustained and they make the club."

In Jokinen's case, it certainly wasn't that he has been on the bubble based on his talent level. The 25-year-old native of Finland is entering his fourth season with 47goals and 145 points on his resume. And his performance in shoots is widely known after he converted his first nine opportunities as a rookie in 2005-06 and is 17-for-29 in his career.

Though he played left wing with Tampa Bay last season, he has been slotted in at center for all three of the Lightning's preseason games, including Tuesday, and has arguably been the team's most consistent forward.

"Jokinen has been great," Lightning coach Barry Melrose said. "He's been our best player for two games."

Jokinen's play may have solidified a spot for him on the opening night roster. And should captain Vinny Lecavalier not be ready to start the season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, Jokinen could find himself centering the top line between Vinny Prospal and Marty St. Louis as he did on Tuesday. He has also been logging time on the penalty kill and power play.

"When it comes to my opinion, I can't say it straightforward enough, he's played excellent and really separated himself in the first two games," Lawton said.

While neither Melrose nor Lawton were ready to hand Jokinen a roster spot, Melrose was asked a hypothetical question that if he went to Lawton making a case to keep Jokinen, would the coach get his wish?

"We've already had that conversation," Melrose said.

But Lawton said there was no need for the Lightning coach to make any kind of a case for Jokinen.

"He's played excellent," Lawton said. "He and I have had a number of conversations, and he's just a first-class guy. He's read that he's been traded 99 times over the summer, and it hasn't happened, and that's not uncommon. He's here just like everybody else being evaluated by the coaching staff and management.

"We're very pleased with the way he has played; he's played excellent."

Which now leaves him in an excellent position to earn a spot on the opening-night roster.