2009 Draft, Tampa Bay

First off just to introduce myself, my name is Matt and I am a diehard NYR fan.  This is my first of hopefully many contributions to thus site.  So without further ado, I present the question, what happens in the (I think unlikely) event that the Islanders select Hedmen 1st overall?

That would leave the Lightning essentially with a choice of a bunch of forwards before they are effectively wasting the second overall pick if they want defensemen.  While the lightning did not set the world on fire with their offense, they were held back by an offensively poor D corps.  Not to mention, Stamkos did not score or play to his potential really until the second half of the season.  With a more offensively talented defense and a comfortable Stamkos for the entire season, the potential for offense is there.

This brings me to my main point.  If you are Tampa, do you deal the second overall pick (Tavares or Duchene) for a NHL ready defensemen?  From the Rangers point of view, Rozsival could be part of the package that buys the Rangers a potential franchise player and goal scorer in Tavares.  Despite the I think unfair bad rap Rozsival gets in NY, he is certainly a capable D man who is capable of moving the puck, making him attractive to a team like the Lightning who are in desperate need of such a Dman.  With his large cap hit and the large number of defensive prospects, the Rangers can afford to dump Rozsival for some offense.

While I don't claim to know the Lightning organization too well, were I in their shoes, I would be willing to part with Tavares for a package with Roszival as the headliner.  Possibly something along the lines of him and Potter to keep the pipeline full or perhaps Zaba to give another option in net in return for JT and some salary lead weight that the lightning want to get rid of.  The Rangers could probably be able to throw in a second round pick to sweeten the pot if necessary.   

The upside for both teams is that they both get to address some of their biggest concerns.  The Lightning get a credible experienced first pair defenseman while the rangers get scoring potential in Tavares.  The rangers could even afford to take on an expensive contract like Ryan Malone if necessary since the acquisition would allow them to drop Zherdev, Antripov or both to clear cap space. 

I don’t think from the Rangers point of view this is a hard sell due to the calls for offense, the question to me is really one for Tampa, and one perhaps of their marketing.  If they can afford to give up the Seen Stamkos marketing round two, I am personally of the opinion that it makes sense for them to send JT away for an experienced Dman who is capable of moving the puck forward.

Realistically however I would bet money that the Islanders select Tavares first overall and this becomes a non issue.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.  Sound off if you think I’m crazy.