(Photo via NHL.com)
By Michael Wax
If there's one thing the Lightning have been praised for in the Yzerman/JBB era, it has been their ability to find gems in the later rounds of the drafts. With the 2023 NHL Entry Draft approaching, the Lightning have found themselves in an even bigger predicament than usual. The Lightning currently have three picks in the entire draft at the time of this writing, none of which are before the sixth round. But that hasn't stopped them from finding quality Talent in the later rounds of the draft. Below are some players in the Yzerman/Brisebois era that have been drafted late that have made impacts in either college or the NHL.
2011: Ondrej Palat (7th round, 208th overall)
By far the earliest and most successful of every pick that's going to be discussed, Ondrej Palat was seen as a nothing selection. Instead, Palat became one of the best players in Tampa Bay Lightning history and one of the best examples of how a late-round draft pick can change your franchise. After two seasons in the American Hockey League, one of which was as a champion with the Norfolk Admirals, Palat showed flashes in his first stint with the Lightning in 2012-13 before finishing as a runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 2013-14.
As a member of the famed 'Triplets' line in 2015, Palat battled injuries but still put up decent postseason numbers when healthy throughout the next four seasons. 2019-20 Was his true coming out party, as he saw his numbers skyrocket in the postseason next to Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. In the next three postseasons, two of which ended in a Stanley Cup championship, Palat put up double-digit goals. He led all postseason scores in 2021-22 with 11 even-strength goals and firmly etched himself into second place all-time among Tampa Bay Lightning playoff goal scorers. Even though he's no longer a member of the Lightning, Palat's decade in blue and white brought great value from the position he was drafted in.
2017: Nick Perbix (6th round, 169th overall)
The 2017 draft might be the Lightning's pinnacle when it comes to late-round draft picks. Unfortunately, only one of these next three players played a game for the Lightning. That one player, however, is St Cloud State University's Nick Perbix. Perbix has had quite the busy resume for a six-round draft pick that's only played one season in the NHL, playing all four years with the Huskies in the NCAA and being named to Team USA for the 2022 Olympics.
After a development season in Syracuse, Perbix found his way to the main roster for the 2022-23 season due to the lack of depth on the right-hand side. Safe to say, he was impressive. Whether it was laying out Hart Trophy Nominee Matthew Tkachuk in his second NHL game or a beautiful slap pass deflection goal with Alex Killorn against the Edmonton Oilers, Perbix showed his importance at a position that was gasping for air at times during the regular season. With Erik Cernak out for multiple stretches, Perbix was given opportunities with both Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev and held his own in those top-tier minutes. With the emergence of Darren Raddysh in last year's playoffs, as well as the growth of Perbix and the steady play of Cernak, the right side for 2023-24 looks a whole lot better than it did last year.
2017: Cole Guttman (6th round, 180th overall) and Sammy Walker (7th round, 200th overall)
The other two late-round players drafted by the Lightning were Sammy Walker and Cole Guttman. Both of these players were drafted in 2017, with Guttman going in round 6 and Walker going in round 7. In college, both of them developed into exceptional players that could have made a difference for Tampa, with Walker becoming captain of the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Guttman winning the 2022 National Championship with the University of Denver. Despite the hype around both of these prospects, Tampa couldn't find adequate playing time for either on the main roster, and both decided to test their worth in the free-agent market during the summer of 2022.
Walker found his way back to Minnesota, signing with the Wild, while Guttman signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. In their first seasons outside of college, both of them found themselves splitting time between the AHL and NHL. Walker looked poised in his time in Wild Green, while Guttman spent time on the first line of Chicago with former Bolts Tyler Johnson and Taylor Raddysh. While it may seem like both of these players got away, this should also be a testament to how good Tampa Bay's scouting staff has been in finding these players in the first place.
2018: Cole Koepke (6th round, 183rd overall)
Cole Koepke Is the most recent Lightning draft pick to play more than one NHL game; not bad for someone selected in the sixth round. With one career goal that came against the Washington Capitals, Koepke fluctuated between the NHL and AHL in 2023. Because of this fluctuation, his numbers took a bit of a dip in the American Hockey League compared to 2021-22, where he hit the 20-goal mark.
In his 17 games with the Lightning, Koepke gave the fourth line a much-needed speed boost, especially with the older linemates of Pat Maroon and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare. He'll be fighting for a roster spot once again this year and has a decent chance to replace some of the key free agents that will be leaving this offseason.
2021: Alex Gagne (6th round, 192nd overall)
Just because they haven't played a game at the NHL level yet, doesn't mean that they weren't a good value draft pick. In the case of Alex Gagne, the Lightning saw something in the college defender blossoming with decent top-four options. So far, Gagne's development has gone as planned, Becoming a solid contributor for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. He finished fourth on the team among scoring defensemen and has been positional sound during his two years at UNH.
2021: Niko Huuhtanen (7th round, 224th overall)
Imagine being the last pick in the entire draft. One of the only selections after the first round that's read on television as it's being made, and then the entire process is over. For Niko Huuhtanen, this was the case in 2021, as he was drafted with the 224th overall selection. After a year in the OHL, where he scored 37 goals and averaged over a point per game in the regular season and two points per game in the playoffs, Huuhtanen went to Finland's highest-ranking league and took a giant step forward.
Huuhtanen finished third in team scoring with 30 points in 48 games, and he did this as the only teenager to receive regular ice time on the team. Though his team missed the playoffs by a single point, Huuhtanen led all rookies in scoring and was named SM-Liga’s Rookie of the Year. Putting up these types of numbers and earning an accolade like rookie of the year in his first pro season is nothing short of impressive. The hype is certainly building around Huuhtanen as he enters his next season in Finland. Hopefully he crosses over to North American ice in the near future.
2022: Connor Kurth (6th round, 192nd overall)
The most recent late-round draft pick that could make an impact in the NHL came last year when the Lightning selected Connor Kurth. Kurth, like Walker before him, played at the University of Minnesota the year after he was drafted by the Lightning. With the Golden Gophers having a plethora of forward talent that included Hobie Baker award finalists Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies, as well as former first-round selection Jimmy Snuggerud, Kurth was going to have a difficult time getting ice time for the Gophers.
In a bottom-six role, Kurth was able to put up .33 points per game as Minnesota marched all the way to the finals of the Frozen Four and ranked 3rd in goals by a freshman behind only Cooley and Knies. In the Frozen Four itself, Kurth picked up the primary assist on the game's opening goal and hit the post on multiple occasions, giving Minnesota a much-needed offensive spark on their fourth line. Kurth should see more opportunity in his second season, especially with Knies heading to the NHL.
So what does this all mean?
The Lightning could absolutely trade some pieces for some extra draft capital. But if they stick with the three selections they have in the 6th and 7th rounds, JBB and the scouting department certainly have their work cut out for them. But, as we’ve shown, this administration has compiled a nice group of late-round gems over their 12 years in Tampa.
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